Since 30 April 2026, Instagram has stopped recommending photos and carousels from accounts that mostly repost other people’s content. If most of what you posted in the last 30 days was reposts, your posts are unlikely to appear in Explore or recommendations.
This is good news for small businesses and creators who make their own content, and bad news for meme pages and “inspiration” accounts that share others’ work.
What changed
- Instagram checks accounts once a month.
- An account that posted mostly reposts in the last 30 days is treated as an aggregator.
- Aggregators’ photo and carousel posts are no longer recommended in places like Explore. Their followers can still see them.
- The rule extends a 2024 change for Reels. Instagram says that change roughly doubled views and watch time for original Reels by mid-2025.
What still counts as original
- Photos and videos you took yourself
- Carousels, how-to guides and photo stories you designed
- Other people’s content that you have clearly changed and added real value to
- Content you have a licence or written permission to use
Instagram’s test for edited content is simple: does your version add real value beyond repeating the original? Adding a caption or a filter is not enough. Adding your own explanation, commentary or a before-and-after usually is.
How to protect your reach
- Make most posts your own. Aim for at least three original posts for every share.
- Share others’ work the proper way. Use Stories or the built-in repost button, which credit the creator and do not count against you.
- Use Collabs for partnerships. When you work with a creator or brand, post as a Collab so both accounts get credit.
- Label paid posts. Use the paid partnership label for sponsored content.
- Turn one idea into several posts. A single blog post can become a carousel, a Reel and a Story poll.
For small businesses
Take phone photos of your shop, team, products and customers (with permission). Real, simple photos now have an advantage over polished stock images shared from elsewhere.
How to check if your account is affected
- Open Account Status in your Instagram settings. It shows whether your content is eligible to be recommended to people who do not follow you.
- In Insights, compare reach from non-followers this month with the month before.
- Count your posts from the last 30 days and how many were reposts of other accounts’ photos or carousels.
Example: turning a shared post into original content
A home bakery wants to share a viral cake-decorating video. Reposting it as-is now counts against the account. Instead, the baker films her own version of the technique in her kitchen, adds a short tip about the icing she uses, and credits the original creator in the caption. The idea is shared, but the post is genuinely hers.
Mistakes that still cost reach
- Uploading videos with another app’s watermark
- Reposting with only a new caption or filter
- Posting the same Reel again and again
- Buying followers or joining engagement groups
A simple weekly content plan
Keeping most posts original is easier with a routine. One manageable week for a small business looks like this:
- Monday: a photo of a product, dish or service you delivered
- Wednesday: a short Reel showing how something is made or done
- Friday: a carousel answering a question customers often ask
- Daily: Stories for behind-the-scenes moments, polls and reshares with credit
Frequently asked questions
Do reposts in Stories count against my account?
Instagram says sharing through Stories or the built-in repost button credits the creator and does not count against you.
Can I post photos my customers send me?
Yes, with their permission. Add your own context, such as what you made for them or how they used your product, so the post adds value.
Does this rule apply to Reels too?
Reels already had a similar change in 2024, when Instagram began favouring the original version of reposted Reels in recommendations.
How long does it take to recover reach?
Instagram reviews accounts monthly, so a month of mostly original posts is the realistic minimum before recommendations return.
For a full plan, read our social media marketing guide.