Instagram to make public posts searchable on Google,Bing
For a while now, public Instagram posts have been indexed and accessible via Google Search in many parts of the world. Instagram is now expanding this capability, making public posts discoverable through Google in additional regions where it wasn't previously available.
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Instagram is stepping out of its social-media bubble. Starting July 10, 2025, public content from professional accounts, specifically Business and Creator profiles run by users over 18, are appearing in search results on platforms like Google and Bing.
This shift marks a significant departure from the platform’s historical strategy of limiting content visibility to within the Instagram ecosystem.
Eligible content, including photos, Reels, carousels, and videos, uploaded since January 1, 2020, can now show up in web searches. The changes were enabled via both in-app alerts and updates to Instagram’s Help Center, clarifying that indexing applied only to newer, public professional posts.
Other content types such as personal account posts, private profiles, Stories, highlights, comments, and DMs remain excluded.
It is to be noted that for a while now, public Instagram posts have been indexed and accessible via Google Search in many parts of the world. Instagram is now expanding this capability, making public posts discoverable through Google in additional regions where it wasn't previously available.
Indexing will be enabled by default, though users can opt out by switching to a private or personal profile or toggling off the setting in their privacy controls.
For creators and brands, this opens a new avenue for discoverability. Instagram posts can now function as evergreen content that live beyond the feed, a boon for SEO strategies, especially in fields like travel, fashion, food, and local services.
Users are encouraged to pay greater attention to captions, alt text, and hashtags, elements that now matter for search ranking as much as for in‑platform engagement.
Read more: After YouTube, Meta crackdowns on 'unoriginal content'; removes 10 million fake Facebook profiles
This change effectively dissolves Instagram’s former “walled‑garden” approach, bringing its content into conversation with search-centric platforms like YouTube.
