What platforms say about ranking
More has been written about algorithms than about anything else in this trade, and almost none of it by the platforms. A guess repeated a hundred times starts to look like knowledge — especially when repeated confidently and with figures.
This page does not explain the algorithm. It separates what the platform actually said from what was invented for it: below are official words only, со ссылкой на документ.
No third-party «algorithm research» is here. No agency reports, no leaks, no retellings of employees' talks. There is no way to check them, and they can be as wrong as they like — they carry no responsibility.
Bluesky
Is there a ranking document. There is no separate document about ranking, but there are two posts in its own blog devoted precisely to the arrangement of the feeds: "Algorithmic choice" (https://bsky.social/about/blog/3-30-2023-algorithmic-choice, 30 March 2023) and "Algorithmic Choice… the robots.txt of bsky.app and of bsky.social are fully open: "User-Agent: * Allow: /", with a request to keep a moderate rate of requests source, checked 2026-08-05
Which signals are named. The platform does not name ranking signals for a single feed — because, by its own words, it has no single feed. Word for word: "Instead of using a black box algorithm that leaves users guessing how posts are ranked or how to get to the “top” of an algorithm… the platform does not describe on its pages what the Discover feed takes into account. The second quotation is from https://bsky.social/about/blog/09-19-2025-building-healthier-social-media, the… source, checked 2026-08-05
What is said to reduce distribution. There is no direct promise to reduce distribution. In the community guidelines restrictions on an account and removal are named, not a reduction: "Accounts that engage in extreme or persistent toxic or disruptive behavior may face restrictions or removal." A… the word "reach" occurs only in the ban on artificial boosting; the platform does not describe reduced distribution as a separate punishment. The guidelines came into force on 15 October 2025 source, checked 2026-08-05
On reposting. There is no separate rule about reposting; there is a ban on appropriating other people's content. Word for word: "Intellectual property & Copyright: We protect creators' rights by prohibiting content theft and copyright violations. Do not infringe… the platform writes nothing about reposting one's own content or about the influence of originality on distribution source, checked 2026-08-05
What the reader can change. Control at Bluesky is taken out into the very essence of its arrangement. Word for word: "Our goal isn't to create every algorithm in-house, but to enable the developer community to bring new algorithms to users swiftly and effortlessly"; "Users will be able… the second and the third quotations are from https://bsky.social/about/blog/7-27-2023-custom-feeds, the fourth from the post of 19 September 2025 source, checked 2026-08-05
What the platform says about its own opacity. Bluesky builds its position on this and directly calls the lack of transparency other platforms' trouble. Word for word: "Unfortunately, there's usually very little transparency into how things are selected or why content is being shown to you"; "The problem… the position is stated clearly, but it concerns the arrangement rather than the disclosure of signals: Bluesky does not publish a list of the signals of its own feed source, checked 2026-08-05
Is there a ranking document. There is a separate post by the platform, "Instagram Ranking Explained" (https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/instagram-ranking-explained), and a section for creators, "Tips for Improving Your Reach"… ranking is set out in more detail than at most platforms, but it lives in the blog rather than in the help centre source, checked 2026-08-05
Which signals are named. Word for word: "Instagram doesn’t have a singular algorithm that oversees what people do and don’t see on the app. We use a variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes, each with its own purpose"; "We call these “signals,” and there are thousands of… a post by Adam Mosseri, "Instagram Ranking Explained", of 31 May 2023 on the platform's own site; Feed, Stories, Explore and Reels are analysed separately source, checked 2026-08-05
Which signals are named. the platform publishes signals by section: the feed — your activity, information about the post (popularity, time, location tag), information about the author, and interaction history; stories — viewing history, interaction history and «closeness»; Explore… The platform stresses that each section of the app has its own algorithm source, checked 2026-07-28
What is said to reduce distribution. Reduced distribution is promised directly and in various ways. For a breach of the recommendation rules: "Content that goes against our Recommendation Guidelines can still be distributed normally to your followers, but we try not to recommend it to… the list of categories not eligible for recommendation is from https://creators.instagram.com/blog/recommendations-and-originality (30 April 2024) source, checked 2026-08-05
On reposting. The rule about one's own and other people's content is set out in detail. Word for word: "when we find two or more identical pieces of content on Instagram, we will only recommend the original one. This means that the original content will directly replace… the threshold is named as a number: 10 posts by other people within 30 days deprive an account of eligibility for recommendations; the count is rolling, there is an appeal through Account Status source, checked 2026-08-05
On hashtags. There is no separate rule about hashtags; hashtags are mentioned only as a means of getting into search. Word for word: "Get discovered via Search. Followers and non-followers can find you when they search for things on Instagram. Making sure you include… https://creators.instagram.com/blog/instagram-recommendations-eligibility-tips-creators and https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/instagram-ranking-explained were also checked — there are no… source, checked 2026-08-05
What the reader can change. Word for word: "Add accounts to your Favorites list to make sure you don’t miss their content. New posts from your Favorites will appear higher in your Feed. You can also customize your feed to only show content from your Favorites or from accounts you follow… the "political control" and the "control of sensitive content" are also named in the post of 30 April 2024: "using the sensitive content control or political content control" source, checked 2026-08-05
What the platform says about its own opacity. The platform acknowledges the incompleteness of the disclosure and separately answers the talk of "shadow banning". Word for word: "We want to do a better job of explaining how Instagram works. There are a lot of misconceptions out there"; "We call these… there are no direct words "we do not disclose the mechanics", but the disclosure is called partial: thousands of signals, only the most important ones listed source, checked 2026-08-05
Kaggle
Which signals are named. the sort orders by which the platform ranks: notebooks — hotness, commentCount, dateCreated, dateRun, relevance, score, viewCount, voteCount; datasets — hottest, votes, updated, active; models — hotness, downloadCount, voteCount, notebookCount, createTime These are sort parameters, not a ranking formula: the platform does not publish the mechanics source, checked 2026-07-28
Is there a ranking document. It was not possible to read a separate help centre page about ranking. There are two posts in the platform's own newsroom: "How LinkedIn Is Improving the Feed to Show More Relevant, Authentic Professional Content"… the robots.txt of www.linkedin.com directly lists "User-agent: Claude-User" with "Disallow: /", so the help centre www.linkedin.com/help was not read. Other of the platform's own domains are open and… source, checked 2026-08-05
Which signals are named. Word for word, the update of 12 March 2026: "We're upgrading how the Feed ranks content using larger sequence models, known as Generative Recommenders, augmented with large language models (LLMs). These systems better understand what a post is actually about… the robots.txt of www.linkedin.com directly lists "User-agent: Claude-User" with "Disallow: /", so the help centre www.linkedin.com/help was not read. Other of the platform's own domains are open and… source, checked 2026-08-05
What is said to reduce distribution. Reduced distribution is promised directly, but in general words. Word for word, 12 March 2026: "Less generic content and engagement bait: We're reducing recycled and click-driven posts to make the Feed feel more useful. We want the Feed to be relevant to your… the robots.txt of www.linkedin.com directly lists "User-agent: Claude-User" with "Disallow: /", so the help centre www.linkedin.com/help was not read. Other of the platform's own domains are open and… source, checked 2026-08-05
On reposting. There is no direct rule about the reposting of other people's or one's own content on the open pages. The closest in meaning is the promise to reduce "recycled" content: "We're reducing recycled and click-driven posts"; "We're improving our systems to reduce… the robots.txt of www.linkedin.com directly lists "User-agent: Claude-User" with "Disallow: /", so the help centre www.linkedin.com/help was not read. Other of the platform's own domains are open and… source, checked 2026-08-05
On hashtags. Hashtags are called useful, and their recommended number is stated. Word for word: "Use hashtags (we recommend no more than three) to help other members find the conversations that match their own interests"; "We know from our data that members are more… the robots.txt of www.linkedin.com directly lists "User-agent: Claude-User" with "Disallow: /", so the help centre www.linkedin.com/help was not read. Other of the platform's own domains are open and… source, checked 2026-08-05
What the reader can change. It was not possible to read a separate document about what a person can change in their recommendations: the help centre pages are closed by robots.txt. On the open pages only ordinary subscriptions are named as a way of influencing the feed: "There are many… the robots.txt of www.linkedin.com directly lists "User-agent: Claude-User" with "Disallow: /", so the help centre www.linkedin.com/help was not read. Other of the platform's own domains are open and… source, checked 2026-08-05
What the platform says about its own opacity. There is no direct admission of "we do not disclose the mechanics"; on the contrary, there is a promise to report changes: "We're constantly working on improving and evolving the feed experience. We'll post updates when there are major changes"; "These… the robots.txt of www.linkedin.com directly lists "User-agent: Claude-User" with "Disallow: /", so the help centre www.linkedin.com/help was not read. Other of the platform's own domains are open and… source, checked 2026-08-05
Is there a ranking document. There is no separate document specifically about ranking. The closest are a business help centre article, "Pin performance and distribution" (https://help.pinterest.com/en/business/article/pin-performance-and-distribution), a rules page, "Enforcement", with a… the word "algorithm" is not present on the help centre pages checked; the spread of content is described through the notion of "distribution" source, checked 2026-08-05
Which signals are named. Word for word: "Pinterest takes different factors into consideration when distributing Pins to people. When your Pin is seen by someone, they can engage with it in different ways. As users search, save and engage with your Pin, Pinterest uses that engagement… the platform does not give a list of signals with weights; the second quotation is from the page https://help.pinterest.com/en/article/tune-your-home-feed source, checked 2026-08-05
What is said to reduce distribution. Reduced distribution is named as a separate measure and defined word for word: "Limiting distribution: When we limit the distribution of a Pin, board or account, it will continue to be accessible on Pinterest to the user who posted it and to users with a… the clearest definition of "reduced distribution" of all twelve platforms. The page is marked "Last updated: April 2025" source, checked 2026-08-05
On reposting. It is stated directly and with a consequence. Word for word: "Avoid creating duplicate Pins: Try not to repeatedly save the same Pins or upload content that already exists on Pinterest. You may get flagged as spam and get temporarily blocked from creating… the consequence is named as a "spam" flag and a temporary ban on creating Pins, not as reduced distribution source, checked 2026-08-05
On posting time. The platform does not write about the time of day; about frequency it does write. Word for word: "Create regularly: Create Pins frequently and consistently to grow your following and increase your reach. Aim to create original content weekly. You can schedule… nothing is said about the "best time to post"; all that is said is about the weekly frequency and about the fact that a Pin may gain a response even years later source, checked 2026-08-05
What the reader can change. The control is detailed and listed point by point. Word for word: "Refine your recommendations in your settings to customize what appears in your feed. Refine your recommendations by setting your preferences: Activity: Turn off recommendations based on Pins… the "AI content" / "GenAI interests" setting is a rare case: the showing of material made by AI is put into a separate toggle. A caveat: "The ability to customize your GenAI interests is available on… source, checked 2026-08-05
What the platform says about its own opacity. There is no direct admission of "we do not disclose the mechanics" on the pages checked. The lists of signals are given without weights and with open-ended turns of phrase: "Pinterest takes different factors into consideration when distributing Pins to… https://help.pinterest.com/en/business/article/pin-performance-and-distribution, https://policy.pinterest.com/en/enforcement and https://help.pinterest.com/en/article/tune-your-home-feed were… source, checked 2026-08-05
Is there a ranking document. Judging by the addresses in search results, the platform has the help centre articles "Reddit’s Approach to Content Recommendations" (https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/23511859482388-Reddit-s-Approach-to-Content-Recommendations) and "What are… the robots.txt of www.reddit.com contains "User-agent: * Disallow: /" — the whole site is closed to all robots. The robots.txt of support.reddithelp.com permits crawling, but the server returns 403… source, checked 2026-08-05
Which signals are named. It was not possible to read the help centre articles about ranking. On its own open news site the platform names one signal directly: "Every user on Reddit can upvote or downvote content, which directly affects how visible that content becomes." On the… the robots.txt of www.reddit.com contains "User-agent: * Disallow: /" — the whole site is closed to all robots. The robots.txt of support.reddithelp.com permits crawling, but the server returns 403… source, checked 2026-08-05
What is said to reduce distribution. There is no direct promise to reduce distribution for violations on the accessible pages; removal and downvoting by readers are named, not a reduction. Word for word: "Low-quality or manipulative content is quickly downvoted by users, reducing its… the robots.txt of www.reddit.com contains "User-agent: * Disallow: /" — the whole site is closed to all robots. The robots.txt of support.reddithelp.com permits crawling, but the server returns 403… source, checked 2026-08-05
Threads
Is there a ranking document. Threads has no separate document about ranking. In the help centre there are articles about the feeds: "About your feeds on Threads" (https://help.instagram.com/2249022798820145), "Create a custom feed on Threads" (https://help.instagram.com/602969692497794)… the robots.txt of www.threads.com and of www.threads.net contains the group "User-agent: * Disallow: /" — the site is closed to all robots, and ClaudeBot is listed separately. The Threads help centre… source, checked 2026-08-05
Which signals are named. The platform does not name ranking signals on the accessible pages. The only official description of the feed is from the launch announcement: "Your feed on Threads includes threads posted by people you follow, and recommended content from new creators you… the robots.txt of www.threads.com and of www.threads.net contains the group "User-agent: * Disallow: /" — the site is closed to all robots, and ClaudeBot is listed separately. The Threads help centre… source, checked 2026-08-05
What is said to reduce distribution. Only one thing is directly promised not to be recommended — political content from accounts you do not follow: "On Threads, we aim to not recommend political content from accounts you don’t follow." There are no other promises to reduce distribution on the accessible pages the robots.txt of www.threads.com and of www.threads.net contains the group "User-agent: * Disallow: /" — the site is closed to all robots, and ClaudeBot is listed separately. The Threads help centre… source, checked 2026-08-05
What the reader can change. Two feeds and custom feeds are named. Word for word (the descriptions of the help centre pages): "You can switch between the For you feed or Following feed"; "You can create a custom feed on Threads to see posts about certain topics or from specific people".… the robots.txt of www.threads.com and of www.threads.net contains the group "User-agent: * Disallow: /" — the site is closed to all robots, and ClaudeBot is listed separately. The Threads help centre… source, checked 2026-08-05
TikTok
Is there a ranking document. There is no separate document about ranking in the help centre — there is a post in the platform's own newsroom: "How TikTok recommends videos #ForYou" (https://newsroom.tiktok.com/how-tiktok-recommends-videos-for-you?lang=en, 18 June 2020) and a… the robots.txt of www.tiktok.com directly lists ClaudeBot, Claude-User, Claude-SearchBot and anthropic-ai with "Disallow: /". The domains support.tiktok.com and newsroom.tiktok.com are open: in their… source, checked 2026-08-05
Which signals are named. Word for word: "Recommendations are based on a number of factors, including things like: User interactions such as the videos you like or share, accounts you follow, comments you post, and content you create. Video information, which might include details… a post in the platform's own newsroom, "How TikTok recommends videos #ForYou", of 18 June 2020. The help centre support.tiktok.com redirects to www.tiktok.com, and that one is closed by robots.txt to… source, checked 2026-08-05
What is said to reduce distribution. Reduced distribution is named by the words "ineligible for recommendation". Word for word: "Reviewed content found to depict things like graphic medical procedures or legal consumption of regulated goods, for example – which may be shocking if surfaced as a… the second and the third groups of quotations are from https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/introducing-a-way-to-refresh-your-for-you-feed-on-tiktok-us; on… source, checked 2026-08-05
On reposting. The direct rule about unoriginal content lives in the community guidelines at www.tiktok.com/community-guidelines, and that address is closed by robots.txt to Claude's agents — it was not read. On the platform's open pages only a short statement is made: "We… the second quotation is from https://newsroom.tiktok.com/evolving-our-approach-to-content-enforcement-us?lang=en. It was not possible to read the full rule about originality: the robots.txt of… source, checked 2026-08-05
On hashtags. Hashtags are named as one of a video's signals and at the same time as a means for the viewer to control the feed. Word for word: "Video information, which might include details like captions, sounds, and hashtags"; "Your For You feed isn't only shaped by… no quantitative rules about hashtags were found on the platform's open pages; the help centre section about hashtags lies on www.tiktok.com and is closed by robots.txt source, checked 2026-08-05
What the reader can change. Word for word: "you can simply long-press on a video and tap "Not Interested" to indicate that you don't care for a particular video. You can also choose to hide videos from a given creator or made with a certain sound, or report a video that seems out of… the refreshing of the feed was announced on 16 March 2023; it is stipulated that it does not cancel settings and subscriptions already made source, checked 2026-08-05
What the platform says about its own opacity. There is no direct "we do not disclose"; on the contrary, the platform stresses that it shows the workings of the system to selected people. Word for word: "Note: At the TikTok Transparency Center in Los Angeles, invited experts will have the opportunity to… the source code is promised not to everyone but to "invited experts" at the Transparency Center; the page of the Center itself lies on www.tiktok.com and is closed by robots.txt to Claude's agents source, checked 2026-08-05
Twitch
Is there a ranking document. There is one — a separate document, "Recommendations On Twitch" (https://www.twitch.tv/p/en/legal/recommendations-on-twitch/), broken down by place of display: the main carousel, the shelves of the home page, the left column, the browse page, the search bar… of the twelve platforms Twitch is one of four with a separate document specifically about recommendations (alongside YouTube, Dzen and Pinterest as regards the limiting of distribution). The document… source, checked 2026-08-05
Which signals are named. There is a separate document, "Recommendations On Twitch". Word for word: "Shelves, shelf order, and channels within the shelves are selected based on your device, engagement with Twitch, language, login state, and region. They are also based on your watch… the document is marked "Last modified on 09/22/2025". The document is open at the address https://www.twitch.tv/p/en/legal/recommendations-on-twitch/, which redirects to legal.twitch.com; the… source, checked 2026-08-05
What is said to reduce distribution. The platform does not promise reduced distribution as a separate measure; removal is named. Word for word: "Our recommendation systems are designed with focus on your safety, so we may remove content that we determine has violated Twitch's Community… the community guidelines, where measures such as the limiting of distribution might be, lie on safety.twitch.tv and help.twitch.tv — both return only the script stub, the content has not been read.… source, checked 2026-08-05
On hashtags. Twitch has no hashtags in the usual sense — there are channel tags, and they are named as a means of search, not of increasing distribution. Word for word: "you can search for content either by category or tag (short descriptors of the creator or their… neither a number of tags nor a statement about their influence on recommendations is present in the accessible document. The document is open at the address… source, checked 2026-08-05
On posting time. The platform does not write directly about the time of going live, but states that a live broadcast gets an advantage over a recording: "For all Twitch shelves, and for all the left navigation, browse page, and search bar discussed below, live channels are… the platform names neither "best hours" nor days of the week. The document is open at the address https://www.twitch.tv/p/en/legal/recommendations-on-twitch/, which redirects to legal.twitch.com; the… source, checked 2026-08-05
What the reader can change. Word for word: "Twitch gives logged-in users the ability to control their experiences. After logging in, you can remove channels, categories, and other recommended items from shelves and mobile content feeds. To do so, you can click the three vertical dots… it is stipulated that the control is available only to those logged in: "Twitch gives logged-in users the ability". The document is open at the address… source, checked 2026-08-05
What the platform says about its own opacity. There is no direct admission of "we do not disclose the mechanics"; the document itself is built as a disclosure. Word for word: "This article goes over our approach for making content and creator recommendations and provides information on how you can… the document is open at the address https://www.twitch.tv/p/en/legal/recommendations-on-twitch/, which redirects to legal.twitch.com; the robots.txt of www.twitch.tv does not forbid that path and… source, checked 2026-08-05
X (Twitter)
Is there a ranking document. Judging by the addresses in search results, the platform has a whole help centre section, "Recommender systems" (help.x.com/en/resources/recommender-systems/: for-you-home-timeline-recommendations, search-recommendations, account-recommendations… the help centre and the blog of X are closed by protection from robots, and it must not be circumvented: help.x.com and blog.x.com return 403 with the splash page "Just a moment... Enable JavaScript… source, checked 2026-08-05
YouTube
Is there a ranking document. There is, and not just one. The help centre: "YouTube’s Recommendation System" (https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/16533387), "How YouTube recommendations work" (https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/16089387), "How YouTube… three help centre pages plus the platform's own site howyoutubeworks; the pages are updated and alive as of 5 August 2026 source, checked 2026-08-05
Which signals are named. Recommendations. Word for word: "The algorithm is learning from audience signals. These signals can be categorized into: Viewer Personalization: This takes into account the signals that help us understand a user’s preferences. Content Performance: This is all… a separate help centre page, "YouTube’s Recommendation System". Search is analysed separately: see the ranking_page row source, checked 2026-08-05
Which signals are named. Search. Word for word: "YouTube’s system prioritizes three key elements for best results. The importance of these elements may vary by search type. The elements are: Relevance, Engagement, Quality"; "To estimate relevance we look into many factors, such as… the page "How YouTube search works". The personalization of search: "our system may also consider your search and watch history; if you have it turned on" source, checked 2026-08-05
Which signals are named. the platform names as signals: user behaviour, likes and dislikes, subscriptions and feedback (including from surveys), and channel reputation and quality. For search — relevance, engagement and quality The platform publishes no numerical weights for the signals source, checked 2026-07-28
What is said to reduce distribution. A direct promise to reduce distribution exists only in the platform's own blog and concerns "borderline" content: "this past January, we announced we’d begin reducing recommendations of borderline content or videos that could misinform users in harmful ways"… a post in the YouTube blog of 3 December 2019; a more recent official document about reduced distribution was not found on the help centre pages. On hashtags — https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6390658 source, checked 2026-08-05
On reposting. It is stated in the monetization rules, not in the distribution rules. Word for word: "If you’re making money on YouTube, your content should be original and "authentic". This means that we expect your content to: Be your original creation. If you borrow… the consequence is named as the loss of monetization, not as reduced distribution: "channels where content feels interchangeable from video to video are not allowed to monetize" source, checked 2026-08-05
On hashtags. Hashtags help content to be found, but their number is limited. Word for word: "Hashtags allow you to easily connect your content with other videos or playlists which share the same hashtag on YouTube and YouTube Music. Hashtags also allow viewers and… the threshold is named exactly: more than 60 hashtags — all hashtags on that video are ignored source, checked 2026-08-05
On posting time. The platform states directly that the time of publication does not affect the long-term fate of a video. Word for word: "Don’t overthink your publish time: The algorithm aims to deliver the right content to viewers whenever they visit YouTube, regardless of… a rare case: the platform directly refutes the widespread belief about the "best time to post" source, checked 2026-08-05
What the reader can change. The viewer's own control signals are listed word for word: "“Not interested” feedback selections: Videos you mark as “Not interested” helps to inform what to avoid recommending in the future"; "“Don’t recommend channel” feedback selections: Our system uses… the second quotation is from the page https://www.youtube.com/intl/ALL_en/howyoutubeworks/product-features/recommendations/ source, checked 2026-08-05
What the platform says about its own opacity. There is no direct admission of "we do not disclose the mechanics" on the help centre pages. There are indirect turns of phrase: "Our recommendation system is constantly evolving, learning every day from over 80 billion pieces of information we call signals.… the pages 16089387, 16533387, 16090438 and https://www.youtube.com/intl/ALL_en/howyoutubeworks/product-features/recommendations/ were checked — there is no explicit refusal to disclose the mechanics… source, checked 2026-08-05
VKontakte
Is there a ranking document. There is no separate document about ranking; there is one short help centre article, "What do the algorithms of the VKontakte feed take into account?" (https://vk.com/faq23939), and next to it "How to set up recommendations in the feed?"… the help centre index vk.com/support?act=home opens without signing in; individual articles open at an address of the form vk.com/faqNNNNN. The full list of the section's questions requires signing in to an account Quoted text is our translation from Russian. source, checked 2026-08-05
Which signals are named. There is a short but direct help centre article, "What do the algorithms of the VKontakte feed take into account?". Word for word: "The algorithms take into account your activity in comments, likes, viewing time, clicks on links, reposts, views of content… this is the whole text of the article, without abridgement. The platform names neither weights nor an order of importance of the signals. The robots.txt of vk.com does not mention Claude's agents and does not close off the help centre pages Quoted text is our translation from Russian. source, checked 2026-08-05
What is said to reduce distribution. The platform does not describe reduced distribution as a separate measure; what is described is a refusal of recommendations for short videos. Word for word: "All videos in VK Clips go through moderation after the author uploads them... Your video will not… nothing of the kind is said about the feed of posts. The numerical threshold is from https://vk.com/faq20112. On prohibited means of promotion: "To use programs or tools for the "inflation" of… source, checked 2026-08-05
On reposting. It is said only about short videos, and directly. Word for word: "do not upload to VK Clips videos that have previously been published on other platforms. Create unique content"; and among the reasons for not passing the check: "The clip contains unoriginal… no rules about the uniqueness of posts (what is called "Nemesis" outside the platform) were found in the VKontakte help centre; everything found about uniqueness concerns VK Clips Quoted text is our translation from Russian. source, checked 2026-08-05
On hashtags. Hashtags are named as a means of being found, not of increasing distribution. Word for word: "The use of hashtags and of geolocation. This will help potential subscribers find your community more easily." A warning for videos: "Give up clickbait titles and… the first quotation is from the article "What free tools for promoting a community exist?", the second from https://vk.com/faq20112 Quoted text is our translation from Russian. source, checked 2026-08-05
On posting time. The platform does not write about the best time to post; scheduled publication is described only as a technique for organizing work. Word for word: "If you have shot a great video but its time according to the content plan has not yet come, use the scheduled… there are no hours, no days of the week and no statements about the influence of time on distribution in the help centre. The second quotation is from https://vk.com/faq23982 Quoted text is our translation from Russian. source, checked 2026-08-05
What the reader can change. The smart feed can be turned on and off. Word for word: "To set up recommendations, turn on the smart feed... In the Order of posts in the news feed field select Interesting first. In this case, besides posts from your communities and friends, recommendations… the chronological order of the feed is named directly as a setting; the second quotation is from https://vk.com/faq18273, the third from https://vk.com/faq23939 Quoted text is our translation from Russian. source, checked 2026-08-05
What the platform says about its own opacity. There is no direct admission of "we do not disclose the mechanics"; but the disclosure is extremely short as well — the whole article about the algorithms fits into two paragraphs, and the platform names neither weights nor an order of importance of the… https://vk.com/faq23939, https://vk.com/faq21235, https://vk.com/faq18273, https://vk.com/faq20112, https://vk.com/faq21238, https://vk.com/faq23982 and https://vk.com/faq24130 were checked — there… source, checked 2026-08-05
Dzen
Is there a ranking document. There is, and two documents at once. A legal one: "On the rules for the application of recommendation technologies by the content platform Dzen" (https://dzen.ru/legal/ru/recommendation-technologies/index.html). A help centre one: "Models… of the twelve platforms Dzen has the clearest link "violation → display model" Quoted text is our translation from Russian. source, checked 2026-08-05
Which signals are named. Dzen has a document made obligatory by Russian law, "On the rules for the application of recommendation technologies by the content platform Dzen". Word for word: "The data used by Dzen's algorithms to take the decision to recommend one or another information… the target quantity is named directly: the probability of a full view. The second group of quotations is from https://dzen.ru/help/ru/models.html Quoted text is our translation from Russian. source, checked 2026-08-05
What is said to reduce distribution. Reduced distribution at Dzen is not a hint but a named model. Word for word: "In Dzen there are different models of content display... we have formed requirements for content and implemented two display models: Recommended in the feed, Recommended to… the quotation about clickbait is from https://dzen.ru/help/ru/requirements/clickbait.html, the last one is from the legal document about recommendation technologies Quoted text is our translation from Russian. source, checked 2026-08-05
On reposting. It is set out in more detail than at most platforms, and with a direct consequence for distribution. Word for word: "Materials are considered duplicates: republished on the same channel; deleted from Dzen and published anew. Such posts will be shown only to… it is separately stipulated that publishing one and the same thing on several of one's own channels also counts as borrowing Quoted text is our translation from Russian. source, checked 2026-08-05
What the reader can change. Word for word: "Users can influence the fact and the order of display of information materials, raising or lowering their rating, including by means of the following actions within the functionality provided: “like”, “subscribe”, “hide all posts of the… no separate help centre article about setting up recommendations was found; the list of actions is taken from the legal document about recommendation technologies Quoted text is our translation from Russian. source, checked 2026-08-05
What the platform says about its own opacity. Dzen states the opposite directly — that it does disclose the mechanics. Word for word: "These Rules describe the mechanisms and principles of operation of Dzen's recommendation algorithms, and also disclose exactly what information about users is collected… the document was issued in fulfilment of the Russian law on recommendation technologies; the legal address for enquiries is abuse@dzen.ru Quoted text is our translation from Russian. source, checked 2026-08-05
How to use this
- Tell a signal from a piece of advice. A platform names what it takes into account; it almost never tells you what to do. Turning the first into the second is the work of an article's author, not of the platform.
- Reduced distribution is announced less often than boosted. Where a platform has listed outright what reduces reach, that list is more useful than any reasoning about what raises it.
- Almost nobody names a «best time to post». Any precise figure on the subject is almost certainly not the platform's own — check it against the official document before you plan.
- Silence is neither permission nor prohibition. It means exactly that there is nothing to check against, and you cannot plan on it.
On method. Only the platforms' official pages: help centre, their own blogs, pages for creators, transparency documents. Quotations are verbatim: in this subject a paraphrase quietly turns into conjecture.
See also: frequency and limits · material requirements · platform restrictions