How the Facebook Algorithm Works in 2026 (Complete Guide)

Facebook doesn't show you everything — it shows you what it predicts you'll care about. With 3.07 billion monthly active users and millions of posts published every minute, the algorithm's job is to rank content by relevance, not recency.

The system has changed dramatically in the past year. All videos are now Reels. Up to 50% of your Feed comes from accounts you don't follow. And a new AI model called UTIS now surveys users directly to improve recommendations beyond engagement metrics alone.

This guide breaks down exactly how Facebook's algorithm works across every surface in 2026 — Feed, Reels, Groups, Marketplace — the ranking factors that matter, the myths that don't, and the specific tactics that move the needle on organic reach.

TL;DR

• Facebook uses a four-step ranking process: Inventory → Signals → Predictions → Relevance Score
• Up to 50% of your Feed is now recommended content from accounts you don't follow
• All videos are now classified as Reels (mid-2025 change) — short-form video dominates discovery
• Saves and shares are the most powerful signals — more valuable than likes or reactions
• Photos get the highest Feed engagement; Reels get the highest reach. Use both
• Organic reach averages 1.65% — down from previous years, making strategy more important than ever
• Groups remain a reach goldmine — 1.8 billion monthly Group users with higher organic distribution than Pages
• Post 3-5 times per week for optimal results. Use a social media scheduler to stay consistent

Table of Contents

1. How Facebook's Algorithm Actually Works
2. The Ranking Factors That Matter
3. How the Feed Algorithm Works
4. How the Reels Algorithm Works
5. How the Groups Algorithm Works
6. How Facebook Marketplace Ranking Works
7. What Actually Works in 2026
8. 9 Facebook Algorithm Myths Debunked
9. Recent Algorithm Updates (2025-2026 Timeline)
10. Facebook vs. Instagram: How the Algorithms Differ
11. FAQs
12. Next Steps

How Facebook's Algorithm Actually Works

Every time you open Facebook, the algorithm runs a four-step ranking process to decide what you see and in what order. Meta has documented this process in their Transparency Center.

The Four-Step Process

1. Inventory — The algorithm gathers all available content: posts from friends, Pages you follow, Groups you've joined, ads, and recommended content from accounts you don't follow
2. Signals — Hundreds of thousands of data points are evaluated: who posted it, when, content type, your device, connection speed, time of day, and your past interaction history
3. Predictions — AI models predict how likely you are to engage: comment, share, watch to completion, click through, or spend time viewing. Facebook uses over 100 different prediction models simultaneously
4. Relevance Score — Each post receives a calculated score. The higher the score, the higher it appears in your Feed. The system also ensures a balanced mix of content types

A lightweight model first narrows all available content down to approximately 500 candidates, then deeper AI models calculate detailed relevance scores and rank those 500 posts.

Two Types of Feed Content

The Feed now blends two distinct content streams:

• Connected content — Posts from friends, accounts you follow, and Groups you've joined. Ranked by relationship strength and past interaction patterns
• Recommended content — Posts from accounts you don't follow, surfaced by AI based on your interests and behavior. Up to 50% of Feed content now comes from outside your network — a massive shift toward algorithmic discovery

This 50/50 split means Facebook is no longer just a "friends and family" platform. It's increasingly a discovery engine, similar to how Instagram's Explore and Reels algorithms work.

The Ranking Factors That Matter

Meta's Transparency Center and official system cards document the specific signals the algorithm uses.

Signal Categories

Explicit signals — Actions you actively take: liking, commenting, sharing, and reacting to content.

Implicit signals — Passive behavior: how long you view a post, whether you scroll past quickly or pause, and your scroll velocity.

Relationship signals — How often you interact with a person or Page: messaging history, tagging, profile visits, and comment threads.

Content-type signals — Whether the post is a photo, video, link, or text — matched to your individual format preferences.

Engagement prediction — How likely you are to comment, share, react, or watch to completion.

Recency — Newer content gets a boost, especially for Reels where same-day content gets 50% more distribution.

High-Value Engagement Signals (Ranked)

Not all engagement is equal. Based on Meta's documentation and how AI ranks content on Facebook, here's the hierarchy:

1. Saves — The strongest signal. Tells Facebook the content is valuable enough to revisit
2. Shares — Sharing to your Story or timeline is treated as the "ultimate vote of confidence"
3. Comments — Especially long, substantive comments and multi-thread discussions
4. Reactions — Weighted by type; reactions followed by shares or saves are especially valued
5. Profile clicks — Clicking to visit the poster's profile after viewing content
6. Return visits — Coming back to content or replaying videos

What Gets Penalized

• Engagement bait ("Like if you agree!", "Tag a friend who...") — actively penalized by the algorithm
• Repeat reposts / content theft — accounts that repost others' content risk losing ranking and monetization
• Clickbait and misleading content — sensational headlines that don't deliver
• Spammy link patterns — excessive external links, especially to low-quality sites

How the Feed Algorithm Works

The Facebook Feed is where connected content and recommended content merge. The algorithm's goal is to show you content you'll find meaningful — not just content that gets clicks.

What Drives Feed Ranking

Meaningful interactions are the core metric. Facebook specifically predicts whether a post will spark conversation: Will you comment? Will your friends comment if you share it? Will it generate a back-and-forth discussion?

Posts that generate multi-thread comment discussions receive significantly more distribution than posts that get passive likes. A post with 10 thoughtful comments outranks a post with 100 likes in Facebook's system.

Format preferences play a major role. The algorithm tracks which content types you engage with most. If you consistently watch videos to completion, you'll see more video. If you tend to engage with photos, you'll see more photos. This is why performance varies by account — the algorithm learns individual preferences.

Posting timing matters for early engagement. Publishing when your audience is active generates the initial interaction burst that signals relevance to the algorithm. Check our guide on the best times to post on Facebook for data-backed posting windows.

Never miss your audience's peak hours: PostEverywhere's social media scheduler publishes at optimal times across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and more — even while you sleep. Start your free trial →

How the Reels Algorithm Works

As of mid-2025, all videos uploaded to Facebook are automatically classified as Reels. This is one of the most significant changes to the platform in years, signaling Facebook's full commitment to short-form video.

How Facebook Reels Distribution Works

Reels account for 50% of time spent across Facebook and Instagram combined, with 140 billion monthly views globally. The Reels algorithm is Facebook's primary discovery mechanism — it's where non-followers find your content.

The key signals for Reels ranking:

• Watch time and completion rate — The most important signal. Reels watched to completion get massive distribution boosts
• Shares — Sharing a Reel via DM or to your Story accelerates distribution
• Same-day content boost — The October 2025 algorithm update gives Reels uploaded that same day 50% more distribution than older content
• Original content — Reposted or watermarked content gets suppressed

Optimal Reels Specs

• Length: 15-30 seconds for best completion rates (45% higher than longer videos)
• Format: Vertical (9:16)
• Hook: First 3 seconds are critical for retention
• Audio: Original audio gets priority over reposted sounds

The UTIS Model (January 2026)

Meta launched the User True Interest Survey (UTIS) model in January 2026, specifically for Reels recommendations. Instead of relying solely on engagement metrics, Meta now surveys users in-feed asking "How well does this video match your interests?"

The results were significant:

• Before UTIS: recommendation systems had only 48.3% alignment with true user interests
• After UTIS: alignment increased to over 70%
• A/B testing with 10+ million users showed: +5.4% increase in high survey ratings, -6.84% reduction in low ratings, +5.2% boost in total engagement

This means the algorithm is getting better at distinguishing between content you mindlessly scroll past and content you actually find valuable.

For scheduling Reels across Facebook and Instagram simultaneously, see our guide on how to schedule social media posts.

How the Groups Algorithm Works

Facebook Groups are one of the last organic reach goldmines on social media. With 1.8 billion monthly active Group users, Groups consistently deliver higher organic distribution than Pages.

Why Groups Outperform Pages

Group posts rank higher in the Feed than Page posts because they signal community engagement — the type of "meaningful interaction" Facebook's algorithm prioritizes. When someone posts in a Group, other members are more likely to comment (community context), and the algorithm interprets that conversation as high-value.

Facebook also offers creator bonuses for cross-posting content to Groups, further incentivizing Group activity.

How to Leverage Groups

• Create or actively participate in niche Groups related to your brand
• Post content that invites discussion, not just broadcast messages
• Respond to comments quickly — active discussions boost the entire thread's visibility
• Cross-post your best-performing Page content to relevant Groups
• Use Groups as a testing ground for content ideas before publishing to your Page

How Facebook Marketplace Ranking Works

Facebook Marketplace serves 1.1 billion monthly users — making it one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the world.

Marketplace uses the same foundational algorithm personalized based on your search history, browsing behavior, and purchase patterns. The 2025 redesign added eBay and Poshmark integration, Meta AI-powered suggestions, collaborative buying features, and a collections feature for saving and sharing listings.

Marketplace ranking is documented in Meta's Marketplace system card, which confirms that listings are ranked by relevance to the user's search query, location proximity, seller reputation, and predicted engagement.

What Actually Works in 2026

Here's what the data shows about tactics that drive real results on Facebook's current algorithm, based on analysis from Socialinsider's 2026 benchmarks and Sprout Social's research.

Content Format Performance

Format	Engagement	Reach Potential	Best Use Case
Photos	Highest feed engagement (35% more than text)	Moderate	Scroll-stopping moments, emotional connection
Reels (15-30s)	22% higher than regular video	Highest (discovery-focused)	New audience growth, brand awareness
Carousels	Strong engagement	Good	Storytelling, education, step-by-step content
Text/Status	Moderate (0.11% avg)	Lower	Quick thoughts, questions, polls
Links	Lowest (0.05% avg)	Lowest	Traffic/conversions (but penalized for taking users off-platform)

Key insight: 98% of posts that US users view contain no link. Facebook strongly favors content that keeps users on the platform.

Posting Frequency

The data-backed sweet spot:

• Feed posts: 3-5 per week (or 1-2 per day maximum)
• Reels: 2-4 per week
• Stories: Daily for retention
• Group posts: 2-3 per week in relevant Groups

The median across industries is 4.69 posts per week. Overposting reduces per-post engagement, which signals to the algorithm that your content isn't resonating.

Best Times to Post

Based on analysis of 2.7 billion engagements by Sprout Social:

• Peak hours: 8 AM - 3 PM
• Best days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
• Key principle: Posts that get strong engagement in the first hour receive algorithmic boosts

Use PostEverywhere's scheduling tool with timing optimization, or check our guide on the best times to post on Facebook.

Video Sharing Advantage

Video content gets shared 1,200% more than any other content type on Facebook. If you want organic distribution, video (particularly Reels) is the format most likely to escape your existing audience and reach new people through shares.

Automate your Facebook posting for maximum impact: PostEverywhere's social media scheduler publishes at your audience's peak times across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and more. Use our AI content generator to create scroll-stopping captions and visuals. Try it free →

9 Facebook Algorithm Myths Debunked

Myth 1: "Only Reels and videos work on Facebook now"

Reality: Photos actually get the highest feed engagement — 35% more than text and 44% more than video in-feed. Reels win for reach and discovery, but a great photo still outperforms a mediocre Reel. The best strategy uses multiple formats.

Myth 2: "Post more to get more reach"

Reality: Overposting reduces per-post engagement, which hurts your algorithmic standing. Quality over quantity. 3-5 posts per week is the sweet spot — consistent but not overwhelming. A single high-performing post delivers more reach than five mediocre ones.

Myth 3: "Hashtags are essential on Facebook"

Reality: Hashtags have minimal impact on Facebook compared to Instagram or TikTok. Use 3-5 niche-specific tags at most. Facebook's algorithm relies on engagement signals and AI recommendations, not hashtag discovery.

Myth 4: "Engagement bait boosts reach"

Reality: Facebook actively penalizes engagement bait — posts like "Like if you agree!" or "Tag a friend who..." get algorithmically suppressed. Authentic questions and polls work. Forced engagement doesn't.

Myth 5: "You must pay for ads to get any organic reach"

Reality: Organic reach thrives through Reels, Groups, and interactive posts. While organic reach averages 1.65% (low by historical standards), Reels and Group content consistently exceed that benchmark. Paid boosts help, but organic-only strategies still work.

Myth 6: "Longer videos perform best"

Reality: Short Reels (15-30 seconds) get 45% higher completion rates than longer videos. Completion rate is the most important Reels signal. There's a trend toward slightly longer Reels (1-2 minutes) for time-spent signals, but only if retention stays high.

Myth 7: "There's a secret list of banned words"

Reality: There is no keyword blacklist that automatically suppresses content. The algorithm focuses on content quality, engagement patterns, and user signals — not specific words.

Myth 8: "Scheduling posts hurts your reach"

Reality: Scheduling has zero impact on algorithmic ranking. Posts published through approved scheduling tools like PostEverywhere receive identical treatment to manually posted content. The algorithm ranks by predicted relevance, not how the post was published.

Myth 9: "Facebook is dead — only old people use it"

Reality: 3.07 billion MAUs. 23% are Gen Z. Over 50% of Gen Z in the US use Marketplace. Facebook isn't dying — it's evolving. Usage patterns differ by age (younger users favor Reels, Groups, and Marketplace over traditional status updates), but the audience is massive and engaged.

Focus on creating, not logistics: Let PostEverywhere handle scheduling, optimal timing, and cross-platform publishing so you can focus on content that the algorithm actually rewards. See plans and pricing →

Recent Algorithm Updates (2025-2026 Timeline)

January 2026: UTIS Model Launch

Meta deployed the User True Interest Survey model for Reels recommendations. Instead of relying solely on watch time and likes, Meta now surveys users directly about content relevance. This moved interest alignment from 48.3% to over 70%.

December 2025: Facebook Redesign

A major redesign focused on three priorities: friends, photos, and Marketplace. This signaled Facebook's strategic direction — community and commerce over broadcasting.

October 2025: Reels Algorithm Overhaul

Facebook updated the Reels algorithm to surface 50% more same-day content, added "Not Interested" controls on Reels, AI-powered search suggestions, and "friend bubbles" showing which posts friends have liked.

Mid-2025: All Videos Become Reels

Every video uploaded to Facebook is now automatically classified as a Reel, regardless of length or format. This completed Facebook's transition to a Reels-first video platform.

2025: Friends Tab Launch

A new "Friends" tab (US and Canada) showing only friends' posts, Reels, stories, and birthdays — no algorithmic recommendations, no ads. A non-algorithmic feed option for users who want it.

2025: Anti-Repost Policy

Meta began penalizing accounts that repeatedly repost others' content, mirroring Instagram's originality push. Repeat offenders risk losing monetization and ranking.

2025: AI Content Treatment

Facebook's VP of Product confirmed that AI-generated content is treated the same as human-generated content, as long as it's topically interesting to the user. There's no penalty for using AI tools to create content.

Overall Trend: Referral Traffic Resurgence

In a surprising reversal, Facebook referral traffic to publishers has quadrupled year-over-year. Engagement on publisher posts has tripled. This contradicts years of declining publisher reach and suggests the algorithm is distributing more diverse content.

Use our cross-posting feature to maximize the value of every piece of content across Facebook, Instagram, and beyond.

Facebook vs. Instagram: How the Algorithms Differ

Despite both being owned by Meta, the two platforms rank content differently.

Aspect	Facebook	Instagram
Core philosophy	Community-first (Groups, discussions, shares)	Visual-first (Explore, trending audio, Reels)
Primary signal	Meaningful interactions (comments, shares, discussions)	Visual engagement + sends per reach
Discovery	AI recommendations (50% of Feed) + Groups	Explore page + Reels tab + hashtags
Format priority	Format-agnostic — photos outperform in-feed	Reels dominate for reach
Brand engagement	~0.06-0.15% average	~0.48% average
Unique features	Groups (1.8B), Marketplace (1.1B), Friends Tab	Explore, trending audio, "Your Algorithm" controls

The key difference: a polished Reel may gain traction on Instagram through trending audio and visual appeal, but on Facebook the same content only works if it sparks comments and shares. Facebook rewards conversation; Instagram rewards entertainment.

Both platforms share the UTIS model for Reels, both penalize engagement bait, and both favor original content over reposts.

For a deep dive into the other side, see our complete guide to how the Instagram algorithm works.

FAQs

Does the Facebook algorithm penalize scheduling tools?

No. Facebook provides an official API that approved scheduling tools use to publish content. Posts scheduled through tools like PostEverywhere receive identical algorithmic treatment to manually posted content. There is zero reach penalty for scheduled posts.

How often should I post on Facebook in 2026?

For optimal reach: 3-5 Feed posts per week, 2-4 Reels per week, and daily Stories. The median across industries is about 4-5 posts per week. Overposting (more than 2 per day consistently) can reduce per-post engagement, which hurts your algorithmic standing. Use a content calendar to plan ahead.

Why is my Facebook organic reach so low?

Average organic reach on Facebook is approximately 1.65% of your Page followers. This is normal — not a penalty. To improve it: post Reels (highest reach format), create content that generates comments and shares, post during your audience's active hours, and engage with your community in Groups.

Do hashtags work on Facebook?

Minimally. Unlike Instagram or TikTok, Facebook's algorithm doesn't rely heavily on hashtag discovery. Use 3-5 relevant hashtags for categorization, but don't expect them to drive meaningful reach. Focus on creating shareable content instead.

Is Facebook Reels worth it for businesses?

Yes. Reels are now Facebook's primary discovery mechanism. They account for 50% of time spent on the platform, get 22% higher engagement than regular video, and are the only format consistently reaching non-followers. If you're not posting Reels, you're missing Facebook's biggest organic reach opportunity.

Are Facebook Groups still worth it in 2026?

Absolutely. With 1.8 billion monthly Group users, Groups remain one of the highest organic reach surfaces on any social platform. Group posts rank higher in Feed than Page posts because they signal community engagement. Create or actively participate in niche Groups relevant to your brand.

How does Facebook treat AI-generated content?

Facebook's VP of Product confirmed that AI-generated content is treated identically to human-created content by the algorithm. There's no penalty for using AI tools. What matters is whether the content is relevant and engaging to the audience — not how it was created.

What's the best content format for Facebook in 2026?

It depends on your goal. Photos get the highest feed engagement. Reels get the highest reach and discovery potential. Video gets shared 1,200% more than other formats. Links perform worst. The best strategy uses a mix — Reels for growth, photos for engagement, carousels for storytelling.

Next Steps

Understanding the algorithm is step one. Consistently publishing the right content at the right times is what translates knowledge into results.

Here's how to put this guide into action:

• Schedule your content in advance — Use PostEverywhere's social media scheduler to batch upload posts and Reels, then auto-publish at optimal times across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and more
• Find your best posting times — Use our best time to post tool or check our data-backed guide on the best times to post on Facebook
• Create scroll-stopping content faster — Use our AI content generator to produce captions, images, and video ideas optimized for engagement
• Cross-post strategically — Publish to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and more from one dashboard to maximize every piece of content
• Understand every platform — Read our complete guides to how the Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, X, and Threads algorithms work