Instagram expands Guides to all users, enables keyword search

Instagram is expanding ‘Guides’ to all users after testing it out with creators earlier this year. Guides on Instagram are essentially curated lists featuring your favourite products, places and posts. Instagram has also enabled keyword search in select countries.

Instagram launched Guides earlier this year in May with focus on well-being tips. Guides are now available on Instagram, and everyone can start creating them. You can create one by going to your profile, tapping on the ‘+’ icon and selecting ‘Guide’. Here, select the Guide you wish to create that can be either places, products or posts. Instagram lets you add places you’ve geotagged on your profile. You can search for products from popular brands on Instagram which can also be added to Instagram Shop.

Guides have a dedicated section on your Instagram profile. You can share them on Stories and DMs as well.

Instagram users in the UK, US, Ireland, and Canada will now be able to search for content using keywords. Instagram search currently works only with hashtags or accounts which becomes quite difficult in most cases. The new update can help in finding things on Instagram easier. Posts that don’t have hashtags but contain words from the search will now pop up in the results section.

Instagram explained to The Verge that it will consider the “type of content, captions, when it posted” as factors in showing the most relevant posts. At launch, Instagram will show grid posts for keyword search. Instagram also said it uses machine learning to find and show the “highest quality content” for users. But we all know better than to trust Instagram’s recommendations.