There are a few main reasons why you see certain stories show up on your Facebook feed:
Your connections
The biggest factor that determines what shows up in your feed is who you are connected to on Facebook. Content that is posted by your friends, family, Groups you’ve joined, Pages you’ve liked, and celebrities or brands you follow will be most likely to appear towards the top of your feed.
So if you notice posts from your cousin or favorite sports team showing up often, it’s because you are connected with them on Facebook. The more active and engaged those connections are, the more often you’ll see their content.
Popularity
Facebook’s algorithm also takes into account the popularity and engagement of posts. If a post is getting a ton of likes, comments, and shares, Facebook will give it a higher ranking and showcase it to more people.
This is why viral videos or widely-shared news articles often get exposure to large audiences on Facebook. Even if you don’t follow the person or Page that posted it, a popular post could end up in your feed.
Relevance
Facebook aims to show you content that is most likely to interest you and spur engagement. So it takes into account things like:
- Pages and topics you’ve liked or followed
- Posts and topics you frequently engage with
- What your friends are posting and interacting with
- Links you click on
Facebook’s algorithm uses all these signals to discern your interests and preferences. Then it ranks content accordingly, so you are more likely to see posts that align with your tastes.
Engagement
The more you interact with certain posts, the more Facebook will show you related content. This includes actions like:
- Liking or reacting to a post
- Commenting on a post
- Sharing a post
- Clicking on links, photos, or videos
- Following Pages or Groups
When you take any of these actions, you’re signaling to Facebook that you want to see more of that type of content. So it will continue putting those posts in your feed.
Recency
Generally, newer posts will rank higher than older posts in your Facebook feed. Content from the past day or so will be most likely to appear towards the top rather than content that is weeks or months old.
There are exceptions if older content suddenly goes viral or gets a big spike in engagement. But for the most part, Facebook will show you the latest updates from your connections.
Advertising
If you see a post in your feed with a “Sponsored” label, that means it’s a paid ad. Companies and organizations can pay Facebook to increase the reach and visibility of their posts.
The ads you see are tailored based on Facebook’s data about your interests and preferences. Facebook charges more money to show ads to certain demographics, so you may notice trends in the sponsored content in your feed.
Clickbait Headlines
Some Pages and publishers use overly sensational, exaggerated, or shocking headlines as a tactic to grab attention and get more clicks on Facebook. Often referred to as “clickbait,” these posts aim to provoke curiosity even if the content doesn’t necessarily deliver.
Facebook’s algorithm rewards posts that get high engagement, so clickbait posts will often spread on Facebook. But if many people click away quickly from a post or mark it as spam, that signals low quality to Facebook and clickbait posts will appear less frequently.
Facebook’s Interests
Ultimately, Facebook’s goal with the feed algorithm is to keep people engaged on the platform for as long as possible. The company profits the more time people spend scrolling through posts.
So Facebook has an incentive to show you content that it believes you are likely to interact with, even if that means some users see more polarizing or emotionally-charged posts. Outrage and arguing often drive significant engagement.
Controversial posts that tap into partisan divides on political or social issues can be effective at generating comments and shares. So despite criticism that Facebook enables the spread of misinformation, the company’s interests likely factor into some algorithmic ranking choices.
How the Feed Algorithm Has Changed
Facebook is regularly evolving the algorithm that determines how posts appear in your News Feed. Here are some notable changes it has made over the years:
Prioritizing friends and family (2018 – present)
In 2018, Facebook announced it would start prioritizing posts from users’ friends and family over public content from brands, publishers, and viral videos. The goal was to boost more “meaningful social interactions” on the platform.
Fighting false news (2016-present)
After the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Facebook faced criticism that false and hyperpartisan news on the platform may have influenced voters. It then adjusted the algorithm to reduced links to low-quality web pages.
Focusing on relevant content (2014)
In 2014, Facebook said it would start ranking posts based on how interesting they are to each user rather than just popularity and recency. This change aimed to show more personally relevant content.
Incorporating engagement (2013)
Facebook added metrics like post clicks, comments, and shares to the feed algorithm in 2013. This shifted focus toward engagement and away from just likes.
More Personalized Feed
In 2021, Facebook announced plans to develop a version of the News Feed that is unique to each user. The goal is to move beyond a one-size-fits-all feed to a more personalized, relevant experience.
Facebook plans to use artificial intelligence to analyze all the posts and links each user engages with in order to discern individual interests. Over time, each person’s feed will diverge and look quite different based on what content they respond to.
The risks with a hyper-personalized feed are that it could isolate users in bubbles or echo chambers of limited perspectives and information. But Facebook believes the benefits of relevance and engagement will outweigh those concerns.
More Recommendations
Facebook is also increasingly using its AI capabilities to offer post recommendations in users’ feeds – content the platform thinks they will want to see based on their interests, even if it’s not from one of their connections.
This will likely lead to more posts coming from Groups you don’t belong to, Pages you don’t follow, and topics you don’t actively engage with. But again, Facebook sees this as a way to show people the most relevant and engaging content for them.
Conclusion
Facebook’s News Feed algorithm determines what stories you see based on factors like your connections, interests, and engagement patterns. The company regularly updates the algorithm to improve relevance and create a stickier experience that keeps people coming back.
But the interests of Facebook’s business can sometimes be at odds with what’s best for individual users or society. Controversy will continue around whether the platform’s drive for engagement promotes harmful polarization and misinformation.
Overall, being aware of why you see certain posts on your News Feed helps you take control and shape what content you interact with. Actively connecting with people, Pages, and Groups that post content you want to see more of is key to optimizing your feed.
And provide feedback to Facebook if you are dissatisfied with the types of posts you are seeing in your News Feed – the company relies on user input to improve the algorithm over time.
| Year | Algorithm Change | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Personalized feeds | Increase relevance for each user |
| 2018 | Prioritize friends/family | Promote meaningful interactions |
| 2016 | Reduce false news | Improve news feed quality |
| 2014 | Rank on relevance | Show more interesting content |
| 2013 | Incorporate engagement | Focus on interactivity over likes |
Facebook’s algorithm has evolved significantly over time to show users the posts it believes they will find most worthwhile. This has sometimes led to unintended consequences that the company then tried to correct, like the spread of misinformation. Going forward, Facebook plans to utilize AI to make feeds even more personalized to each individual user.
Summary of key factors in Facebook’s News Feed algorithm:
- Your connections – Friends, family, Pages, Groups you follow
- Popularity & engagement – Likes, comments, shares, clicks
- Relevance – Topics and content you interact with
- Recency – Newer posts generally rank higher
- Advertising – Sponsored posts target your demographics & interests
- Clickbait headlines – Exaggerated headlines meant to grab attention
- Facebook’s interests – Keeping people engaged on the platform
Being mindful of why you see certain posts can help shape your News Feed. But controversy remains around whether the algorithm’s focus on engagement benefits individuals and society.
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