Instagram has rolled out a significant algorithm update that reshapes how content is distributed across the platform. Starting this week, the app will no longer recommend photos and carousel posts from aggregator accounts — profiles that primarily re-post other creators’ content — within Explore and similar surfaces. The move is designed to ensure original creators receive proper credit and visibility for their work.
How the New System Works
Instagram will evaluate accounts on a rolling 30-day basis. If the majority of an account’s posts within that period are re-posts, it will be classified as an aggregator and face reduced reach. Original uploads, photo series, how-to guides, and visual stories all qualify as original content. Posts incorporating third-party material are still acceptable, provided the creator adds meaningful value beyond simply restating the source content.
The update expands on a similar system Instagram introduced for Reels in 2024. That earlier change proved effective — Meta reported that views and time spent watching original Reels on Facebook roughly doubled year over year in the second half of 2025.
What Creators Should Do
Instagram recommends using built-in tools like Collabs, Remix, or the paid partnership label when sharing another creator’s content. For spotlighting third-party posts, Stories and Reposts remain viable options that preserve proper attribution.
Notably, the update does not affect how content appears to an account’s existing followers, nor does it impact publishers with licensing or explicit permission agreements.
The change reflects Meta’s broader push to keep original creators motivated and actively posting — content that also feeds the company’s growing artificial intelligence systems.