Topics · Signal
User intent
Search and discovery goals
Instagram’s explainer illustrates Search with someone typing “space” after seeing a blue moon and receiving results such as @space and #space that match that text.1 In August 2021, Instagram said it tries to organize search results by their relevance to the person searching, whether they are seeking a close friend, a favorite creator or vegan dessert ideas.1 Explore serves people looking for ideas and inspiration, while Reels emphasizes entertainment.23 Instagram’s Help Center says Explore may offer curated topics that people may enjoy.5
Ads models infer intent from context and behavior
Meta research and patents. These may not describe how Instagram works today.
Meta’s engineering team described an approach to inferring user intent for Instagram ads in March 2026, using an Adaptive Ranking Model that matches each ad request to a model suited to the person’s context and intent.4 Meta’s engineering account links a deeper understanding of intent to examining longer sequences of behavior.4 Meta’s engineering team describes the aim as improving ad relevance while keeping ad selection fast and efficient.4