Meta has launched Your Algorithm on Facebook, a feature that lets users influence recommendations in their Feed and Reels themselves. Instead of relying solely on likes, views, and comments, people can now explain in words which topics they want to see more often and which they want to see less often. The update was announced on October 13, 2026. For brands and SMM teams, this is a new signal about audience interests, but there are no confirmed changes to organic reach rules so far.
Key Takeaways
- On October 13, 2026, Meta announced the rollout of Your Algorithm on Facebook.
- Users can add and change topics that affect recommendations in Feed and Reels.
- The controls are available through the three-dot menu next to posts.
- After selecting Interested or Not interested, Facebook may ask users to clarify their preferences in plain language.
- Meta says recommendations can change in real time, even within a single session.
- The company has not announced new ad-ranking rules, mandatory keywords, or a guaranteed decline in organic reach.
How Your Algorithm Works on Facebook
Your Algorithm is an interface for managing topical preferences that Facebook uses when generating recommendations.
Previously, the system largely drew conclusions from people’s behavior: which posts they viewed, commented on, or shared, and how much time they spent watching videos.
Now users can supplement those signals with direct explanations. For example, they can ask to see more content about travel or fewer car-review videos.
This does not mean a complete shift to manual Feed control. Meta explicitly notes that written preferences are combined with other data the recommendation system already uses for personalization.
In other words, Your Algorithm influences recommendations, but it does not turn Facebook into a search engine that shows only posts containing selected keywords.
How to Customize Your Facebook Feed Using Keywords
Meta has placed the new tools directly next to posts so users do not have to look for them in their account’s general settings.
- Open the Facebook Feed or the Reels section.
- Tap the three-dot menu next to a post or video.
- Select Your Algorithm if the feature is already available on your account.
- Add or adjust topics you want to see more or less often.
- Use Interested or Not interested for individual pieces of content as needed.
- If Facebook asks for clarification, describe your preferences in plain text.
According to Meta, the system can take these clarifications into account without waiting until the next day or a new app session.
The feature is rolling out gradually, so not seeing the relevant menu option does not necessarily mean there is a problem with your account.
Why Meta Uses Large Language Models for Recommendations
The main technical distinction of the new approach is the use of large language models, or LLMs, to understand user preferences.
A conventional list of interests works with predefined categories. Natural language, by contrast, makes it possible to convey more complex preferences, context, and intent.
For example, a user might be interested in technology but not want to see endless gadget-unboxing videos. Or they might enjoy cooking content but prefer short, practical recipes.
A language model helps interpret these clarifications. The recommendation system then combines them with other behavioral signals.
Meta has not published the full technical architecture of Your Algorithm, the weight given to written preferences in ranking, or accuracy metrics for the new system.
Is This a New Feature Only for Facebook, or for Instagram Too?
The October announcement concerns Facebook Feed and Reels. Meta has not stated that this update simultaneously introduces an identical interface across every part of Instagram.
At the same time, the company had already been developing a similar approach on Instagram. In June 2026, UAGEEK covered new Your Algorithm options for managing Instagram recommendations.
Thus, Meta is gradually extending the idea of direct feedback across its products. However, the specific tools, their availability, and their impact on recommendations need to be assessed separately for each platform.
Will Users Be Able to Remove AI Content From Their Feeds?
Your Algorithm lets users ask Facebook to show less content on certain topics. In theory, users can also describe unwanted types of content, including repetitive videos or videos they find uninteresting.
However, Meta has not presented the feature as a dedicated filter for all AI-generated content.
There is no confirmation that a text instruction will completely hide all content created with generative AI or that the system will identify its origin without error.
Likewise, the new feature does not guarantee an escape from an information bubble. If a user repeatedly asks to see only familiar topics, their recommendations may become even narrower.
The actual outcome will depend on how people use the controls and how Meta balances direct preferences against other signals.
What Your Algorithm Changes for SMM and Organic Reach
For SMM teams, the main question is whether it will become harder to reach people who have not previously interacted with a page.
Direct topical preferences could potentially influence what Facebook recommends to a particular user. If someone explicitly asks to see less of a certain topic, related content may appear less often in their recommendations.
But Meta has not said that Your Algorithm reduces pages’ organic reach overall or introduces new penalties for missing keywords.
There is also no evidence that trending videos will stop reaching new audiences after the feature launches. The recommendation system still uses many behavioral signals.
The practical takeaway for SMM teams, then, is not to abandon trends but to define content topics more precisely and test which formats hold the attention of their target audience.
Do You Now Need to Add Keywords to Every Post?
Clear headlines, descriptions, and captions help people understand what content is about. They can also support accessibility and navigation.
However, Meta has not announced that Your Algorithm ranks posts by exact word matches with users’ written preferences.
There is therefore no confirmed benefit to artificially repeating keywords in every description or adding irrelevant hashtags for the sake of the new algorithm.
Alt text should not be treated as a new tool for guaranteed promotion either. Its primary purpose is to describe images for people who use assistive technologies.
Moreover, the October update applies to Facebook, so the official announcement does not support a recommendation to change alt text across Instagram on a large scale.
Content Originality Remains a Separate Factor
In August 2026, Meta clarified its rules on original content on Facebook. The company explained that reuploaded videos belonging to others and content without substantial added value may receive fewer recommendations.
This is a separate policy that does not depend on the launch of Your Algorithm. But for creators, both changes have a common practical implication: simply publishing a lot of content is not enough; it is important to make material people genuinely want to watch.
Read more in UAGEEK’s article about Facebook’s original-content rules.
Will Your Algorithm Affect Targeted Meta Ads?
In its press release, Meta describes controls for content recommendations in Facebook Feed and Reels. The company has not announced that words entered by users automatically become new targeting parameters in Ads Manager.
There is also no confirmation that advertisers will gain access to the specific phrases users enter into Your Algorithm.
This is an important distinction: organic content recommendation algorithms and ad-delivery systems are connected through Meta’s shared ecosystem, but they are not identical products.
UAGEEK previously examined how Andromeda and Advantage+ are changing media buyers’ work. Your Algorithm does not replace these advertising mechanisms or add a new, confirmed way to target audiences manually.
What Brands and SMM Teams Should Do
Until Meta publishes measurable results for the new mechanism, the best strategy is to monitor changes in your own analytics and test how clearly your content is positioned by topic.
- Review Your Content Topics. Each content category should address a specific audience need rather than just a current trend.
- Improve Descriptions. Clearly explain what each post or video is about without excessive keyword repetition.
- Add Meaningful Captions. This improves accessibility and allows people to follow videos without sound.
- Watch for Negative Signals. Analyze reactions, audience retention, shares, and changes in reach among non-followers.
- Test Topic-Based Series. Compare the results of a sequence of posts for one audience with those of sporadic trending posts.
- Do Not Apply Conclusions to Ads Without Data. Evaluate Meta Ads using separate advertising metrics, not assumptions about Your Algorithm.
When Will Your Algorithm Be Available to Everyone?
Meta announced the gradual rollout of Your Algorithm on October 13, 2026.
In its public announcement, the company did not give an exact schedule for all countries and accounts. Feature availability should therefore be checked directly in the Facebook app.
As of October 19, 2026, Meta also has not published metrics showing how Your Algorithm has affected average organic reach, Reels watch time, or ad conversions.
Conclusion
Your Algorithm allows Facebook users not only to demonstrate their interests through behavior but also to explain them directly in words. Meta uses language models to take those preferences into account more quickly in Feed and Reels recommendations.
For SMM teams, this is another reason to focus on clearly defined topics, original material, and real audience needs. However, claims about declining reach, new SEO rules for posts, or changes to ad targeting remain unconfirmed.
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Sources for Verification
Sources for Verification
Meta Newsroom — Your Algorithm, Your Words. Official announcement dated October 13, 2026: topic controls in Feed and Reels, written preferences, recommendation updates, and the use of language models.
Official Your Algorithm announcement
Meta Newsroom — New Ways to Customize Your Facebook Feed. Earlier update from October 2022: Show more and Show less, and the use of direct feedback to rank content.
How Facebook previously let users influence their Feeds
TechCrunch — Facebook is giving users more control over their algorithm. Independent overview dated October 13, 2026: the feature launch, how it works, and its connection to Meta’s earlier tools.
TechCrunch’s overview of Your Algorithm
Social Media Today — Facebook adds plain language algorithm controls. Industry analysis dated October 13, 2026: entering interests in natural language and the potential implications for content creators.
Analysis of Facebook recommendation changes
Meta Newsroom — Better Personalization and Changes to Controls for Your Activity From Other Businesses. Official explanation from June 2026 of additional personalization signals for content and advertising, helping distinguish Your Algorithm from Meta’s broader ad system.
How Meta uses personalization signals