Today, we’re updating how we reward original content. The same protections we introduced to reels in 2024 will now apply to photos and carousels. This means content aggregators who primarily re-upload others' work in photos and carousel posts will no longer be eligible for recommendations across Instagram.

Original creators are the heart of Instagram. Whether you're an artist sharing your perspective or a creator documenting your life through carousels, you deserve credit for the content you make. That's why we've continued to invest in tools and systems to ensure original content gets the credit and distribution it deserves. In fact, original content on Instagram continues to grow, with 75% of recommendations in the US now coming from original posts.

How we’re expanding protections

We are extending our originality guidelines to include photos and carousels to further discourage aggregators across Instagram. Now, accounts that primarily post unoriginal content in photos or carousel posts, in addition to reels, will no longer be shown in places where we recommend content.

This update does not impact how we show people content from accounts they follow. It is also separate from our intellectual property policies, which do not allow posting content that violates another user’s intellectual property rights. As a reminder, you are responsible for obtaining any necessary permissions before using someone else’s work.

Aggregator accounts that have become ineligible for recommendations can become eligible again when most of their recently posted photos, carousels, and reels are considered original in a 30-day period. This is calculated on a rolling basis, and accounts can always check their standing in Account Status. There, they have the option to remove unoriginal content or appeal the decision.

Understanding our originality policy

Original content is work that you wholly created or reflects your unique perspective. Here are some examples:

• Photos or videos you took — your photography and edits are reflective of your creative vision.
• Content you designed — whether it's a photo series, a how-to guide, or a visual story, if it’s something you personally created, it's your original content.
• Content you materially edited — material edits to third-party content (e.g. meme templates, popular clips, etc.) may be considered "original" when your additions meaningfully enhance the content you're using. Some examples include adding unique text on the content itself that provides more context than just describing what’s happening, adding creative graphics that offer new information, or using our remix feature to transform the original.

To assess if the edits you’ve made are sufficient under our originality policy, ask yourself if they add real value beyond just simply restating or referencing the third-party content. If you’re adding new information, context, or a point of view not obvious from the original third-party content, you’re likely on the right track.

What doesn't qualify? Re-uploading someone else's work in a photo, carousel, or reel without adding meaningful creative input to enhance the original, such as just adding a border, watermark, subtitles, or a credit in the captions. To learn more and review specific examples, we highly recommend reviewing our original content guidelines and Help Center.

Tips to follow our originality guidelines

If you regularly publish posts and reels that feature third-party content, follow these additional tips to prevent your content from being categorized as unoriginal:

• Use our collaboration tools. Features like collabs, remix, or the paid partnership label for branded content make it easy to include potential third-party content in posts you had a role in creating while ensuring everyone else involved gets credit.
• Share and curate other people’s content to your audience through existing tools. If you want to shine a spotlight on third-party content you find interesting, share content to your story or use reposts. These options easily highlight other people’s work while ensuring the original creator receives attribution.
• Check Account Status. Go to Account Status in your settings to see if your account has any limits to its reach. If your account is ineligible to appear in recommendations because of these guidelines, you can remove the content in question or appeal our decision.

We are committed to building a platform where originality is celebrated and rewarded, making sure original creators get the visibility they deserve.