TikTok explains why videos appear in For You

The incredibly effective and engaging TikTok algorithm has been the subject of much discussion and study since the video-sharing platform’s meteoric rise.

It seems to have an uncanny ability to assess our likes and our interests and deliver a highly personalized stream of video content for users.

Businesses and marketers have been scrambling to crack the code of the TikTok algorithm in the hopes it will give them an edge and give them the chance to create the next viral sensation.

However, it would seem like TikTok is prepared to reveal its secrets on its own, some of them at least.

Users will now have access to an option on videos in their For You feed that will explain some of the reasons why that particular video is being shown to them. These reasons include things like:

• User interactions (likes, shares, watches, comments, etc)
• Accounts followed or suggested follows
• Content from a user’s region
• Popular content from a user’s region

This list is by no means comprehensive, but it does work to give both users and marketers an insight into how the algorithm works and why certain videos are prioritized over others. The algorithm is certainly far more complex, but this move could indicate that TikTok is more willing to reveal it secrets than we previously expected.