Everything you need to know about original content

We understand that defining content you materially edited can especially be complex for meme, fan, and other commentary accounts that regularly use content created by others to add to the cultural conversation on Instagram.

For example, an original meme transforms another creator’s photo or video. When meme creators add humor, social commentary, cultural references, or a relatable take by incorporating elements such as unique text, creative edits, and voiceover on a photo or video, they’re producing something original. The best meme creators take third-party content and make it unmistakably theirs by layering in a perspective, joke, or context that wasn't there before. This is the kind of creativity we want to continue rewarding.

If you run an account that often uses work from another creator or media found on the internet, you’ll need to add your own spin to them to follow our original content guidelines. Here are some ideas to stay on the right side of the line:

• Add overlaid text that does more than describe what's happening in the photo or video.
• Add narration, a storyline, or creative graphics that meaningfully re-contextualizes or offers more information than the original.
• Add more to the original photo or video than low-effort edits (e.g. borders, watermarks, speed changes, just crediting the original creator).

A useful way to check is that if someone could remove your contribution to your post or reel, and the content would virtually be the same, it probably needs more of you in it. For example, posting a screenshot of someone else’s work - even if you do credit the original creator - without much else wouldn’t be considered as original - such as the image below.

Our systems are designed to distinguish between accounts that consistently just re-upload third-party content without adding material edits and those that meaningfully enhance third-party content through their own creative perspective. However, we may not always get it right. We recommend regularly checking Account Status to see if there are any limits to your reach, make changes to become recommendable again, or appeal our decision if you believe we made a mistake.

If we believe your content is unoriginal, it may be ineligible to appear in recommendations to people who don’t already follow you, limiting its reach.

If your account primarily posts unoriginal reels, photos, or carousels you didn’t create or edit in a material way, your account may not be seen in recommendations to new audiences. If your account isn’t eligible to appear in recommendations, you can become eligible again when most of your recently posted reels, photos, and carousels are considered original in a 30-day period. This is calculated on a rolling basis, and you can always check your standing in Account Status. Accounts with limited reach, you have the option to remove unoriginal content or appeal the decision to become eligible to show up in recommendations again.

Our original content guidelines do not impact how we show people content from accounts they already follow and will not impact a set of publishers we’ve identified who have licensing agreements and/or explicit permissions from content creators. These guidelines are also separate from our intellectual property policies, which do not allow posting content that violates another user’s intellectual property rights.