Instagram is letting search engines like Google and Bing index public content from professional accounts. Starting July 10, any photo, reel, or video posted by an eligible professional user can appear in public search results. This is a shift for a platform that has traditionally kept most of its content contained within its app.

In recent days, Instagram began sending notifications to professional users alerting them about the change. The message reads, “Search engines will be automatically enabled to display all photos and videos on their results pages.” Public professional accounts could have their visual content begin to show up across the open web.

Accounts eligible for the new change

According to Instagram, the new change only applies to users who are:

• Over the age of 18
• Using a professional account
• Have their profile set to public

Personal accounts, private profiles, or content posted before January 1, 2020 are excluded. The platform also noted that users can choose to opt out. To prevent content from showing up in search engine results, users can:

• Switch their account from professional to personal
• Set their profile to private
• Disable indexing manually through their privacy settings

Instagram also noted on its official site that, although Meta does not control how third-party search engines use indexed content, it “requests” that engines do not index stories, highlights, or content outside of posts and reels. However, once a post is indexed, people can view and share its content freely.

What the new Instagram change means for marketers and creators

Right now, most Instagram discovery happens within the app through hashtags, explore tabs, or followers sharing posts. But from July 10, the reach of public content may extend beyond the app. That includes being visible to users who aren’t logged in and even to those who don’t use Instagram.

The change opens the door for content to show up in broader Google results, alongside YouTube videos, news articles, or blog posts. In its notifications to users, Instagram notes that “more people could discover your professional account content outside of Instagram.” That could include people looking up a product, a name, or a topic on Google and landing on an Instagram post.

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