How to Completely Change Your Instagram Explore Page

Want to take control over your Instagram explore page and see totally different content? With over 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram has a vast amount of data to personalize your explore page.

While this can make it feel impossible to change what posts you see, there are proven techniques you can use to overhaul your explore page. In this comprehensive 2800+ word guide, I‘ll explain how the Instagram algorithm works and share actionable tips to transform your explore page.

By the end, you‘ll have expert-level knowledge on how to customize your Instagram explore page and fill it with content that excites you. Let‘s get started!

A Beginner‘s Guide to How the Instagram Explore Page Algorithm Works

The first step to changing your Instagram explore page is understanding what factors go into curating it. Instagram‘s algorithm analyzes tons of signals to determine what content to show each person.

The Goal of the Explore Page Algorithm

Instagram‘s main goal with the explore page is to provide a personalized feed of content they believe you‘ll enjoy. The algorithm uses machine learning to get smarter over time. Its aim is to show you:

Posts from accounts you actively engage with
Content similar to posts you‘ve liked in the past
Popular posts among users with similar interests and demographics as you
Posts trending among your network and location

This means the algorithm has to consider many aspects about you specifically to populate your explore page.

Key Factors That Influence Your Explore Page

Some of the main factors determining what gets shown on your explore page include:

Who you follow: Posts from accounts you follow make up a significant portion of explore page content. Following niche accounts signals your interest in those topics.
Your likes: Posts similar to content you‘ve liked have a high chance of appearing on your explore page. Liking tells Instagram you enjoy that type of post.
Your saves: Any posts you‘ve saved are likely to result in recommended posts around similar topics or from the same account. Saving directly shows your interest.
Captions and comments: The text of captions and comments you leave provide info to the algorithm on your interests and preferences. Certain keywords can bring up related posts.
Profile info: Details like your bio, connected Facebook profile, and other social media linked provide demographic data that shape recommendations.
Friends and followers: Who you‘re connected to on Instagram with similar interests can influence the content you see. Popular posts among your network may appear.
Location: Instagram identifies your location to show popular local posts and trends. Location also fuels demographic assumptions.
Past usage: How frequently you use Instagram, how long you spend on it, and your typical commenting/liking activity all contribute to the algorithm‘s decisions.

As you can see, many elements go into Instagram‘s explore page algorithm. Your full history and behavior on the platform shapes what you see each time you access the explore page.

Now that you understand the key factors at play, let‘s go over proven techniques you can use to take control of your Instagram explore page.

7 Expert Techniques to Completely Change Your Instagram Explore Page

1. Use the "Not Interested" button

The easiest way to remove a specific type of post from your explore page is tapping "Not Interested" on it. You can access this option by:

Going to a post on your explore page
Tapping the three dots in the top right
Selecting "Not Interested"

This tells Instagram to show you fewer posts like that one. Consistently using this on certain types of content will decrease their appearance over time.

For example, if you see too many financial quotes on your explore page, tap "Not Interested" on them whenever they appear. Doing this repeatedly will signal to Instagram you don‘t want to see that type of post.

Pro Tip: Create a list of niche topics or keywords you want to see less of. Reference it whenever you browse your explore page to make sure you always tap "Not Interested" on those types of posts.

2. Clean Out Your Saved Posts

Head to your profile and dig into your saved posts. Unlike or delete any posts related to topics, accounts, or interests you no longer care about.

These posts likely influenced your explore page in the past. Removing them now tells Instagram not to show related content.

For example, if you saved a bunch of fitness posts 6 months ago but are no longer into fitness, unlike all of those posts. This removes the signal to Instagram you want to see more fitness content.

To completely reset your explore page, you could unlike or delete all saved posts to wipe the slate totally clean. Just know this will also remove posts you may want to see related content from.

Pro Tip: Do a sweep of your saved posts once a month to clean out outdated interests. Stay on top of removing niche content you no longer want flooding your explore page.

3. Unfollow Accounts Not Relevant to Your Current Interests

Take a few minutes to review all the accounts you currently follow. The accounts you follow play a major role in shaping your explore page content.

Unfollow any accounts that post content you‘re no longer interested in or that don‘t align with your current passions and hobbies. For example, if you were really into food accounts but no longer want to see cooking content, unfollow the food bloggers you used to love.

This prunes your following list to more closely match your current interests. Without all those food accounts in your feed, your explore page will show less food-related content over time.

Pro Tip: Download a tracker like Unfollowers on Instagram to monitor your following count. If it drops after you do a mass "unfollow", those people probably unfollowed you back. You can remove them fully by blocking them to prevent their posts from showing up.

4. Actively Like and Save Content You Want More Of

You have to tell Instagram what types of posts you do want to see by consistently engaging with that content. Use relevant hashtags to easily find posts aligned with your interests.

For example, if you want more baking inspiration:

Search hashtags like #baking, #bakedgoods, and #cakedecorating
Like and save posts at the top for each hashtag
Repeat regularly to keep up with the latest popular hashtags

Liking and saving posts signals to Instagram you want to see more of that type of content and accounts. Stay active in seeking out and engaging with posts tied to your current passions.

Pro Tip: Set a reminder to check hashtags and like/save content 2-3 times per week. This trains the algorithm more effectively than a single session of hashtag exploration.

5. Follow Recommended Accounts Relevant to Your Interests

Instagram suggests accounts for you to follow on your explore page in the "Discover People" section. Give this area a browse and follow accounts relevant to your interests.

You can also search online for "Best Instagram accounts to follow for [your interest]". Follow at least 10-20 new accounts in your desired niche to add more signal.

Following more accounts posting content related to your interests gives Instagram a strong signal to include that type of content in your explore feed.

Pro Tip: Every month, check for 5-10 new accounts to follow in your niche. This constantly trains the algorithm with fresh signals on your current interests.

6. Review and Unlike Irrelevant Liked Posts

Posts you‘ve liked in the past can stick around shaping your explore page long after you‘ve lost interest.

Regularly review your liked posts and unlike content from accounts, topics or niches you‘ve moved on from. For example, if you were really into fashion and makeup but are now focused on home decor, scroll through and unlike old fashion and beauty posts.

This pruning removes the direct signal telling Instagram you want to see more posts similar to those liked pieces of content.

Pro Tip: Download your Instagram data, which includes an archive of your liked posts. Review this offline to identify niches to clean up, then go unlike those posts on Instagram.

7. Consider Your Personal Context Impacting Your Explore Page

Beyond your direct behavior on Instagram, remember your personal situation also shapes your explore algorithm:

Location: Posts trending and popular accounts in your area heavily influence your explore page. Changing locations significantly alters explore content.
Age and gender: Instagram makes assumptions about your interests based on inferred demographics like age and gender. These impact recommendations even without direct tracking.
Connected profiles: Public details on linked profiles like Facebook provide additional data to Instagram on your potential interests and preferences to generate relevant explore content.
Friends and followers: People connected to you on Instagram with overlapping interests may result in their engaged content appearing on your explore page.

While you can‘t control all these factors, be aware they contribute to the algorithm behind what you see on your explore page.

Pro Tip: If you move locations, update your bio with your new city. Follow location-specific accounts and engage with local business posts. This quickly trains the algorithm on your new geographic interests.

Reset Your Instagram Explore Page Completely

If you want a completely fresh start, the nuclear option is to delete your Instagram account and create a new profile. This erases all of your previous behavior and interests that shaped your past explore page.

The algorithm has to fully reassess the new you based only on how you engage from that point forward. This forces Instagram to rebuild your explore page from scratch specific to your new account‘s activity.

The downside is you lose all your followers, posts, and connections. But for some people who want a completely clean slate, this drastic step can be worth it.

Pro Tip: Before deleting your account, consider turning your profile private for a month. Don‘t post or like anything. This may "reset" the algorithm enough before going public again.

Tips to Optimize Your Efforts Changing Your Instagram Explore Page

Based on the many factors impacting your explore page, here are some optimization tips to maximize your efforts tailoring your content:

Combine multiple techniques for better results. For example, unfollow old interests, follow new niches, and like niche content. Using a single approach rarely changes much.
Be consistent over months, not days. Training the algorithm takes long-term effort, so stick with preferred techniques for sustained changes.
Use Instagram actively daily if possible. The more consistent data the algorithm has on your activity, the better job it can do curating your explore page.
Add hashtags to your posts aligned with your interests so your content better contributes to training the algorithm.
Adjust techniques based on changes you notice in your explore page content to keep momentum going.
Leave geography and language consistent if possible to limit variables while you shape your explore page.
Let changes roll in slowly over weeks and months. Radically altering your whole explore page requires patience. But you‘ll get there!

Take Control of Your Instagram Explore Page Today

As you can see, with the right techniques and some strategic effort over time, you can take control over your Instagram explore page. While the algorithm may seem mysterious, consistent and targeted actions allow you to shift the content you see.

Follow the tips outlined in this guide to overwrite previous interests, highlight current passions, and train Instagram on what types of posts you want to see more of in your explore feed.

It takes regular effort, but the payoff is an explore page full of inspiring and interesting content that motivates you to engage. And connecting with the right communities and accounts can open up new perspectives, opportunities, and relationships.

So try out some of these techniques for tailoring your Instagram explore page. With a more intentional approach, you can transform what you discover and who you interact with on this powerful platform.

The possibilities of Instagram open up exponentially once you take control of your explore algorithm. Enjoy the journey!