Facebook uses a complex algorithm to determine the order in which stories appear in users’ News Feeds. The goal is to show users the most relevant and interesting stories at the top of their feeds. There are a number of factors that go into determining story ranking, including:
Interaction Signals
How users interact with stories is one of the most important factors in story ranking. Actions like commenting on, liking, sharing, or clicking on posts tell Facebook that users are engaged with that content. Stories with lots of likes, comments, and shares will be ranked higher.
Relationship Between Viewer and Poster
Posts from close friends and family members are typically ranked higher than posts from distant acquaintances or pages you’ve liked. Facebook assumes users want to see updates from their closest connections at the top of their feeds.
Post Age
Newer stories are generally ranked higher than older stories. Facebook’s algorithm favors recency and shows users the latest updates from their connections.
Video Views
Videos that are being actively viewed will get boosted to the top of the News Feed while they are being watched. This gives a “live” feel as hot videos bubble up in real-time.
Relevance
Facebook analyzes post content to determine how relevant it is to each individual user. Posts about topics you frequently engage with will be ranked higher than random or unusual content.
Page Authority
Posts from official pages and verified accounts have a bit of an authority boost in feed ranking. Posts from celebrities and public figures tend to perform better than posts from non-public accounts.
Engagement Baiting
Posts that explicitly ask for likes, comments, or shares are demoted in ranking. Facebook wants engagement to happen organically.
Ad Status
Boosted posts (posts you’ve paid to promote) appear higher in the News Feed than unpaid organic posts. However, overly promotional ads can be penalized.
Negative Feedback
Posts that receive significant negative feedback in the form of hides, unfollows, and unlikes are penalized and rank lower.
Personalization
Facebook personalizes every user’s feed based on interests, connections, demographics, location, and many other factors. No two feeds are exactly alike.
Post History
How well a page or person’s past posts have performed affects how their new posts are ranked. Pages with a history of high engagement and clicks see their new posts given a boost.
Competitive Edge
Posts that are unique and different from content recently posted by other connections get a boost. Facebook rewards novelty and competition between pages.
Here is a summary of the key factors that determine Facebook story ranking:
| Factor | Description |
|---|---|
| Interaction Signals | Likes, comments, shares, clicks |
| Relationship | Close friends rank higher |
| Post Age | Newer posts rank higher |
| Video Views | Actively viewed videos boosted |
| Relevance | Topics users engage with |
| Page Authority | Verified accounts rank higher |
| Engagement Baiting | Explicit asks demoted |
| Ad Status | Paid ads boosted |
| Negative Feedback | Hides/unlikes penalized |
| Personalization | Tailored to each user |
| Post History | Past engagement boosts new posts |
| Competitive Edge | Unique content rewarded |
Machine Learning
In addition to these rules-based factors, Facebook also uses powerful machine learning algorithms to predict which stories each user is most likely to be interested in. By analyzing millions of data points about engagement, clicks, follows, and more, these ML systems can make smart rankings predictions.
Objectives of Ranking Algorithm
Facebook’s story ranking algorithm is designed to balance several objectives:
- Show users content they are likely to find informative, entertaining, or meaningful
- Encourage engagement and interaction between users
- Maintain an organic, real-time feel with frequently updated content
- Promote content from friends and family over public figures/businesses
- Keep users coming back to Facebook frequently throughout the day
Different users have different preferences, so Facebook aims to take a personalized approach rather than imposing a single global feed order.
Optimizing for Engagement
Many experts speculate that above all else, Facebook prioritizes engagement and interaction. Posts that get the most likes, comments, and shares are assumed to be the most relevant and are boosted highest. Some feel Facebook has gone too far optimizing for engagement over quality.
Criticisms of Engagement-Based Ranking
There are a few criticisms of Facebook’s engagement-driven ranking system:
- It may promote “clickbait” or shocking content that provokes reactions but is low quality.
- It amplifies negativity and controversy since outrage gets engagement.
- It creates “filter bubbles” as users only engage with content that reinforces their existing beliefs.
- It advances the agendas of pages that deliberately try to “game” the algorithm.
Facebook has made some efforts to address these issues but engagement remains the dominant factor in story ranking.
Changes Over Time
Facebook’s News Feed algorithm has gone through many iterations since it launched in 2006. Some major changes include:
Chronological to Personalized (2009)
Facebook switched from a purely reverse chronological feed to an algorithmically ranked feed personalized for each user. This remains the current model.
BuzzFeed News Investigation (2016)
A BuzzFeed News study revealed inconsistencies in how posts from pages were ranked compared to user posts. In response, Facebook made pages’ posts more prominent.
Meaningful Interactions (2018)
Facebook began prioritizing posts that sparked back-and-forth discussion, rather than passive likes and shares. More comments and replies = higher ranking.
News Feed FYI (2021)
Facebook launched a feature explaining to users why they are seeing each post and allowing control over rankings.
The News Feed ranking algorithm remains extremely complex and is likely being tweaked daily. Facebook faces the massive challenge of keeping billions of users with diverse interests happy and engaged on the platform.
Conclusion
Facebook’s News Feed ranking algorithm considers hundreds of signals to determine the order of posts, with the main goal of keeping users engaged on the platform. Factors like interactions, relationships, relevance, recency, and machine learning models all play into the personalized story rankings Facebook displays for each user. While engagement drives many of the algorithm’s choices, Facebook is also working to address criticisms around echo chambers and poor quality viral content. The company is constantly evolving its ranking formula as it tries to balance relevant engagement with user satisfaction.