This is how Instagram ranks the people who like your posts

Instagram is outing your stalkers

6 years ago | UPDATED 5 years ago

No matter how often you post on Instagram, I can guarantee you look back at who's liked and who hasn't. Engagement and showing interest in people's posts has been listed as one of the essential ways to be successful on Instagram. But what is the algorithm behind how Instagram orders the people that have liked your posts? How does Instagram rank likes?

There are so many mysteries to Instagram and its algorithms, like how does it rank story viewers, how to find out how many people view your instas, how to find out who's unfollowed you, how to make your instas look like an old video recording or get that 90s filter or what does it mean if my ex is viewing my story?

You may have noticed under your Instagram posts the first two names always appear and then the number of additional likes. But how do these people get there and why does it always change? And how does Instagram decide the ranking of the rest of the likes? Here are all the answers.

The two listed names are users that you mutually engage with the most

The most common explanation is that the people you see first in your likers list are those who you engage with most, and they engage with you the most. These are the Instagram users you search for, like and comment on their photos, or direct message – and they do it back.

This person has liked or commented on your recent posts the most, and you've returned the favour. According to Quora, the strongest factors in this explanation are that you follow the person, and you like their content – these are most likely to affect where they rank in the list of likers.

I see you ?

Why is it always the same person listed on top?

This is because Instagram algorithms try to show you the people who like your post in a way that is most interesting for you.

You want to see the name of someone you interact with at the top of your list, so the one or two people you see listed before the number are who view your profile a lot, and engage with you.

It's basically Instagram guessing who you're going to get likes from the most.

Someone that has tagged you in a photo recently, or you've tagged them will be up there too

The two people listed under a photo before the number of likes is usually your two "top" followers – the ones that like your photos the most. But this list changes a lot, and there are other ways for different users to be seen there.

People may swap and change out of the list and be replaced by someone that has tagged you in a photo recently, or you've tagged them.

Plus, the people listed will swap and change depending on who has liked your content recently. You might have the same two people all the time, then one suddenly changes – this probably means the usual person didn't like your last post.

People with the most followers, or a verified account rank highly too

Another way to get near the top of the ranking of likers is to have a verified account or an account with lots of followers.

They'll often rank higher than someone with a low follower account, again probably down to Instagram thinking you care more for when big or famous accounts engage with you – which you obvs do.

At the bottom is people you don't follow or engage with

Where they belong tbh.

What does it mean if nobody is listed and it just shows a number?

When just a number is shown under the photo this means nobody you follow, or engage with, has liked the photo. Basically, nobody you care about – so Insta isn't bothering to show you.

Here is exactly how the Instagram algorithm works.