Topics · Surface
Search
Contents
Search is Instagram’s tool for finding accounts, photos, videos, hashtags, audio and places using keywords.1 It gathers eligible matches, scores them by content type, the apparent purpose of the search and the searcher’s interactions, then filters them for relevance, policy concerns and duplicates before ordering them by score.2 People can adjust inferred interests through Your Algorithm to shape the Search tab and review or remove past searches through Recent searches in Your Activity.34 For creators seeking to be found, Mosseri advised in March 2025 that display names and bios explain who they are, noting that keywords about their industry or work can help with search.5 In September 2026, Instagram for Creators advertised appearing ahead in search results through optimized search as a benefit of Meta One plans.6
How Search finds and ranks results
From search terms to matching accounts and content
Instagram’s Help Center says Search accepts keywords for photos, videos, hashtags, accounts, audio, tags and places.1 Its instructions describe opening Search, entering who or what you want to find, and selecting an account or hashtag from the results.1 In May 2025, Mosseri discussed searching within a particular profile as something Instagram should build, not as an available feature.7
Matching, personalization and final ordering
Instagram Search uses a system tailored to searching, rather than one universal formula shared with Feed, Stories, Explore and Reels.8 Instagram Search first collects relevant results that are allowed to appear, then scores them using their content type, the apparent purpose of the search and what the searcher tends to interact with.2 Meta’s Transparency Center says the system narrows this pool and applies checks for policy-related concerns and duplicate results.2 The system then places all results in score order.2
Controls for interests and search history
Instagram Search includes Your Algorithm, which Mosseri described in April 2026 as a way to inspect and correct inferred interests to make the Search tab more relevant.3 People can add interests Instagram missed or ask not to see content about a particular topic.3 Mosseri has also described reviewing and removing searches through Recent searches in Your Activity.4
What creators can influence
For Instagram Search discoverability, Mosseri identifies both the display name and bio as places to explain who a creator is.5 Mosseri said in March 2025 that using keywords about your industry or what you do can help people find you through search.5 For posts in hashtag search results, Instagram’s Help Center lists when the post was shared, how others engage with it and whether it meets the Recommendation Guidelines among the factors affecting order.9 Instagram for Creators advertises a specific benefit for Meta One plans: appearing ahead in search results through optimized search.6
Eligibility and safeguards in Search
Instagram Search distinguishes between whether an account can be found, what its audience can access and how particular search terms are handled.10111213 Instagram Search blocks terms related to certain sensitive topics, including suicide, self-harm and eating disorders.11 Other responses include expert-backed resources for eating-disorder-related searches and an advisory screen for hashtags associated with harmful behavior toward animals or the environment.1213
Instagram Search makes accounts harder for teens to find when those accounts regularly share age-inappropriate content or have a name or bio suggesting they are inappropriate for teens, according to Meta’s Newsroom.11 Finding a private account does not grant access to its posts: Meta’s Newsroom says search results can show its username or name and basic profile information, while posts remain visible only to friends or followers.10
How it has changed
- 2015
June
Meta’s Newsroom announced more powerful Instagram search for finding people, places and tags.14
- 2020
September
Meta’s Newsroom announced account search across Instagram and Messenger.10
- 2022
June
Instagram announced that Sensitive Content Control would expand to Search and that Recommendation Guidelines technology would apply to Search recommendations.15
- 2024
April
Mosseri announced Meta AI’s integration into Instagram Search for real-time web results without leaving the app.16
- 2026
February
Meta’s Newsroom announced parental alerts for repeated suicide- or self-harm-related search attempts within a short period by teens enrolled in Instagram supervision, with expert resources available to parents receiving an alert.17
What you can do
See also
References
- 1Search on Instagram
- 2Instagram Search AI system
- 3A few features of Instagram that you might not know about, but might appreciate.
- 4Hidden Gems - Your Activity
- 5Here are some tips to make the most of your Instagram profile for a strong first impression.
- 6Introducing Meta One plans for creators on Instagram
- 7Met @mosseri
- 8Instagram Ranking Explained
- 9How posts appear on Instagram hashtag search results
- 10Privacy Matters: Cross-App Communication for Instagram and Messenger
- 11Instagram Expands Teen Accounts Inspired by 13+ Content Ratings
- 12How We’re Supporting People Affected by Eating Disorders and Negative Body Image
- 13Protecting Wildlife and Nature From Exploitation
- 14Introducing Instagram’s All-New Search and Explore
- 15Updates to the Sensitive Content Control
- 16Meta AI updates
- 17New Alerts to Let Parents Know if Their Teen May Need Support
- 18This week I share some of my favorite design details in Instagram: long press the Explore tab to search, double tap the Profile tab to switch accounts, press and hold a story to pause it – how do you use Stories without that one??