Instagram updates notification ranking system to reduce repetition

Instagram has introduced changes to the way it sends notifications in an effort to make them less repetitive and more balanced. The platform said its earlier notification system, which was heavily optimised for engagement, often ended up showing users content from the same people or product types repeatedly.

To address this, the platform has launched a new ‘diversity-aware ranking framework’. The system adds a diversity check on top of existing machine learning models that determine when and what notifications to send. If a notification is too similar to recently delivered ones, whether by author, content type, or format, it is penalised in the ranking system, making it less likely to be sent, the platform noted.

According to the platform, the repetitive notifications created overexposure to the same author, where users might get multiple notifications from one friend while missing updates from others and overexposure to the same format, receiving mostly Story notifications while ignoring Feed or Reels.

The platform said this approach has already reduced the overall number of daily notifications while improving click-through rates. Future updates may include adaptive rules that adjust based on how many notifications a user receives in a short span. The platform is also exploring the use of large language models to further improve the variety and relevance of notifications.

The move comes as social media platforms face growing concerns over notification fatigue, with users often disabling alerts when they feel overwhelmed or spammed.