Have you ever wondered why some videos go viral on TikTok in a day while others never catch fire? The secret mechanism that makes your content go viral is the TikTok algorithm.
The algorithm is the complex mechanism that determines the fate of your content on the platform. Are you wondering how the it works?
Well, finding the formula behind it is like catching smoke with bare hands. Apart from a few ranking signals, TikTok has also kept its cards close on the precise details of its algorithm.
Still, whatever information they have revealed must be leveraged to establish your brand’s presence on TikTok.
This blog will focus on how the algorithm works and provide tips and tricks for harnessing it to enhance your organic reach on TikTok.
Let’s begin with the basics.
What Is TikTok Algorithm?
The TikTok Algorithm is a mechanism that uses Artificial Intelligence to curate personalized content recommendations on the “For You” Page. It showcases the content that users prefers and are most likely to engage with.
So, if you ever wonder how TikTok reads your mind, it is because TikTok has a machine-learning algorithm that constantly analyzes your behavior and predicts the content that you will find most interesting and engaging.
Every user’s For You Page (FYP) is unique based on their preferences, location, language, following, likes, dislikes, and more.
The algorithm is dynamic and adapts to each user’s changing preferences. When a user engages with something new, the algorithm catches it, feeds it into the formula, and shows them that type of video.
So, when you are looking for what this algorithm is, there is no definite answer. Like every other social media algorithm, the mechanism keeps changing from time to time, adding and subtracting elements to suit every user preference.
How Does TikTok Algorithm Work?
After learning about the TikTok algorithm and its importance in going viral, you must be wondering how does it works. What factors matter the most, and what does not play any significant role in it?
We can not say that TikTok has been completely transparent about its algorithm, but over the years, it has revealed some of the factors that have proven to affect content reach.
The algorithm takes note of thousands of signals; a few of the factors that influence the algorithm the most are given below:
Ranking Signals that Influence TikTok Algorithm
The primary factors influencing the TikTok Algorithm are user interaction, video information, and device and account settings.
These factors are responsible for the algorithm’s ability to match the content with the users’ preferences precisely. Let’s break down each factor one-by-one.
1. User Interactions
User interactions are the most impactful factor influencing the TikTok algorithm. It goes beyond just likes and shares, identifying the types of content users are most interested in based on their interactions. Key actions that drive the algorithm include:
- Accounts and creators they follow
- Videos they like and share
- Videos they mark as not interested or inappropriate
- Videos they mark as favorites
- Comments they post
- Creators they’ve hidden
- Content they’ve created
- Videos they watch to the end or rewatch
- Interest in both organic content and ads
These factors help the TikTok algorithm decide which videos should be promoted and shown to more users. Therefore, creators must focus on producing content that aligns with their audience’s preferences to increase visibility.
In addition to experimenting with video length and hashtags, user interactions also play an important role in increasing engagement. SocialPilot TikTok Strategy Guide 2025, based on an analysis of 1.5 million posts, shows that posts featuring 11-20 mentions can achieve engagement rates as high as 10.31%.
Tagging relevant creators or users in your posts can significantly boost engagement, making your content more likely to be pushed by the algorithm.
2. Video Information
After analyzing user interactions, the algorithm moves toward checking the content in the video the user has interacted with and identifies the subject matters with the help of the following factors:
- Sound
- Hashtags
- Caption keywords
- Effects
- Cover text
3. Device and Account Settings
Device and account settings are not as influential as the above two. They are usually set up manually by the user as per their preference from day one. These factors are basic setting a user set up on their account, based on which algorithm shows them the content.
- Country settings
- Language preference
- Device type
- Interested categories
In the official article published by TikTok in 2020, they stated, “A strong indicator of interest, such as whether a user finishes watching a longer video from beginning to end, would receive greater weight than a weak indicator, such as whether the video’s viewer and creator are both in the same country.”
Factors that Do Not Influence TikTok Algorithm
Unlike other social media algorithms, TikTok does not recommend content based on the number of followers or high-performing past videos. This means that even if you are new to TikTok, you can go viral by creating high-quality videos showcasing good content.
The Algorithm is not affected by account age, posting frequency, and paid promotion. This suggests that to stay relevant and popular on TikTok, you must consistently create engaging content.
Types of Content TikTok Algorithm Never Recommends
Before the TikTok Algorithm actually pushes your content to more and more viewers, it runs a quality and authenticity check itself. And, if your content falls in any of the below categories, TikTok will not recommend it to the audience:
- Anything against TikTok community guidelines
- Spam content
- Duplicated content
- Already watched content
- Not interested/not appropriate content
- Under review content
- Unsafe and offensive content
- Low-quality, blurry videos.
- Content shared by below 18 users
Signals impacting and not impacting the algorithm explained above can help you create a strong strategy that aligns with your viewers’ expectations and increases your chance of going viral.
Understanding how the algorithm works and beating it to the core is every creator and brand’s dream. It’s like cracking the secret code to the best TikTok strategy.
Here are 15 tips by the experts to help you charm the TikTok algorithm and generate higher reach.
Busting the Biggest Myths About TikTok Algorithm
TikTok is one of the biggest social channels right now, with more than 50 million users scrolling through its feed daily.
This makes many marketers and creators desperate to make their content go viral, and eventually, they start following anything they hear to appear on the For You Page.
They tend to believe in several myths that are not even close to the real TikTok algorithm system. So, we have felt the need to clear some air and tackle some of the biggest myths about the algorithm.
1. Watching Your Own Videos Boosts Visibility
If you think watching your own video repeatedly on TikTok will make you go viral, you’re wrong! The TikTok Algorithm focuses on unique views and engagement for every video.
Just because it seems that more views mean more visibility does not mean the algorithm will not identify where the views are coming from. It’s smarter than that.
2. Changing to a Pro Account Reduces the Reach
Some TikTokers with good visibility feel that changing their account to pro might hinder the algorithm, impacting their reach.
However, this is not the case. TikTok has stated that account type has nothing to do with algorithm changes and distribution. Upgrading to pro actually gives access to the analytics feature, which helps brands and creators better understand the audience.
The same goes for verified accounts; it generate a sense of authenticity and trustworthiness for viewers about your content and helps improve reach and engagement.
3. Removing Low-Performing Videos Improves Reach
If you have a few videos that didn’t get much love, don’t try to delete them. Deleting underperforming videos will not give you the desired visibility.
The TikTok algorithm judges each video individually. None of the previously shared content, whether good or bad, will increase or decrease the reach of your next video in any way.
4. More Followers Means More Views
Having a wider and bigger following might seem like a final destination for good reach. However, the real effect is made with real engagement (likes, comments, and shares) and the quality of your content.
Having a big follower base can give the initial push for views, but the actual viral factor can be achieved with unique engagement.
The TikTok algorithm has never claimed the duration in which you can expect your video to go viral; this can happen at any time, any day. Even your content shared months ago can hit the fire today.
Persistence and consistency are two crucial factors for long-term engagement and visibility. So, keep creating content; you never know when you might gain popularity.
6. #FYP and #ForYou Increase Chances of Getting Featured
Hashtags like #FYP, #ForYouPage, and #ForYou are widely used in TikTok captions, with many believing they increase the chances of getting featured and trending. However, the truth is that the content that people can’t stop watching is what lands on the For You Page. The algorithm is more likely to promote hashtags that resonate with users and are relevant to the content.
Instead of relying on broad but overused hashtags like #FYP, it’s better to mix both broad and niche hashtags. According to the SocialPilot TikTok Strategy Guide 2025, which analyzed 1.5 million posts, videos with 1-5 hashtags tend to achieve the highest reach rate of 1.16%. This combination increases the chances of your content reaching the right audience and being featured on the For You Page.
7. Posting Too Frequently Reduces Reach
One of the lamest myths about TikTok is that posting too often is bad. The TikTok algorithm doesn’t penalize your feed for being active and sharing videos regularly.
Being consistent with your content on TikTok actually boosts your reach and increases your chances of going viral as you are making your profile more interesting and engaging.
8. TikTok Promotes Videos with High-Production Value
Going viral is all about creativity and connecting with your audience. You don’t really need a fancy budget to get featured. Millions of people go viral on TikTok with smartphone-shot videos.
Good production can enhance the video. However, it does not affect the algorithm or its reach that much. Even if you don’t have a high budget, you can create videos that outperform others.
Instead of believing and following anything you hear about how the algorithm works, try understanding your audience and planning content smartly. Go through TikTok analytics on the native application to learn about performance and fine-tune your approach for better reach.
Dominate the TikTok Algorithm
Dominating the TikTok algorithm is essential for maximizing your reach and engagement on the platform. But instead of aiming to outsmart the algorithm, think from the angle of providing value to your audience.
When you focus on creating high-quality, unique content while ensuring the textual insertion is in the right place, you can effectively boost your visibility.
With powerful and accurate scheduling and publishing features, it can turn the tide in your favor and get you on point with the audience’s expectations.
Remember, consistency and creativity remain key factors in leveraging the algorithm. Utilizing tools like SocialPilot can streamline your efforts, helping you stay organized and consistent.
With powerful and accurate scheduling and publishing features, it can turn the tide in your favor and get you on point with the audience’s expectations.
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