Suggested Facebook Content: How to Change What You See on Your Feed
You’re not the only one who finds your Facebook page overflowing with pointless posts and arbitrary recommendations. A lot of users feel overloaded with stuff they didn’t request. The good news? You underestimate your level of control. This tutorial will show you how to modify your suggested Facebook content to make your feed more personalized, relevant, and helpful.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to:
- Understand how Facebook’s suggestion algorithm works
- Remove irrelevant content and stop it from reappearing
- Teach Facebook what kind of content you do want
- Use Facebook settings to personalize your experience
Let’s start with understanding the core issue.
What Is Suggested Facebook Content?
Suggested Facebook content includes posts, Reels, or ads that Facebook thinks you might enjoy. These suggestions often come from pages or groups you haven’t followed. They also include sponsored content, friend suggestions, and event invitations. I’ve noticed how random they can sometimes feel.
At first, I didn’t pay attention to why I was seeing these suggestions. But over time, they started cluttering my feed with irrelevant stuff. So, I looked into how to manage suggested Facebook content and realized I had more control than I thought. Trust me, a few changes can make a big difference.
Suggested Facebook content includes:
- Posts from pages or groups you don’t follow
- Sponsored content (ads)
- Suggested Reels and Stories
- Event invitations and friend suggestions
These suggestions are based on your:
- Browsing and engagement behavior
- Friends’ activity
- Profile information and stated interests
- Third-party data if tracking is enabled
Sometimes, this content feels helpful. Other times, it feels intrusive or irrelevant. This guide helps shift the balance in your favor.
How Facebook’s Algorithm Suggests Content
When I started digging into Facebook’s algorithm, I realized it’s smarter than it looks. The platform tracks every like, share, and video you pause on. Based on this behavior, it suggests content that it thinks you’ll enjoy. However, this doesn’t always align with what we truly want.
The algorithm also relies heavily on our search activity and ad interactions. For example, clicking on one ad may lead to dozens of similar suggestions. That’s why I now monitor my actions more carefully. Over time, these small steps help Facebook show more relevant and less annoying content.
Factors that influence the algorithm:
- Past Engagement – What you liked, shared, or commented on
- Watch History – Reels or videos you paused or watched entirely
- Search Activity – Pages or topics you searched for
- Ad Interactions – Ads you’ve clicked or hidden
Facebook uses this data to build a behavior profile. Then it serves up content it thinks you’ll enjoy based on similar user patterns.
Sprout Social Insights– This comprehensive guide explains the evolution of Facebook’s algorithm, highlighting how it personalizes content based on user interactions, engagement signals, and relevancy scoring.
Why Change Suggested Content on Facebook?
For me, suggested content often feels off-topic or distracting. Sometimes it’s a Reel I don’t care about, or a post I didn’t ask for. Over time, this clutter takes a toll on my attention and time. That’s why I started adjusting what Facebook suggests to make my experience better.
Also, our interests don’t stay the same forever. What I liked six months ago might not matter today. Updating your suggested Facebook content helps the platform stay in sync with your real-life changes. It’s a simple way to improve your mental well-being and feed your relevance.
Lastly, some suggested posts can be offensive or mentally draining. I’ve seen content that genuinely upset me or disrupted my day. So, curating my feed became a small act of digital self-care. Trust me, it’s worth the effort.
You may want to change your Facebook suggestions for several reasons:
- You’re seeing offensive or triggering posts
- Your interests have changed
- You want to cut down distractions
- You want to protect your mental well-being
Whether it’s privacy, productivity, or relevance, adjusting your feed improves your overall experience.
How to Change Your Suggested Facebook Content
Changing your suggested Facebook content helps reduce distractions and makes your feed more relevant. Start by reviewing your recent activity. Unlike old pages or groups that no longer match your interests. Then, follow fresh creators and topics that reflect what you currently enjoy.
Next, engage with useful content more often. Like, comment, or share posts that add value. Use the “Hide Post” or “Snooze” option for irrelevant suggestions. These actions signal to Facebook what matters to you, and gradually improve the suggestions on your feed.
Facebook Help Center – Your Ad Preferences
1. Update Your Interests
Go to your Facebook profile and edit your “Details About You” section.
- Remove old hobbies or outdated interests.
- Add new topics or interests to guide the algorithm.
Pro tip: Follow new pages or creators that represent your current passions.
2. Engage More Strategically
Every interaction you make shapes your content suggestions.
- Like posts from people or pages you want more of
- Comment on valuable content (this strengthens your signals)
- Hide irrelevant content by clicking the three-dot menu
This teaches Facebook what you care about and what you don’t.
3. Unfollow and Snooze
Tired of seeing someone’s updates but don’t want to unfriend them?
- Unfollow them: You’ll remain friends, but their posts vanish from your feed
- Snooze for 30 Days: Useful for temporary detoxes
You can find these options by clicking the three dots on a post.
4. Prioritize What You See First
Facebook lets you choose who or what appears first in your feed.
- Go to Settings > Feed Preferences > “Favorites”
- Choose up to 30 friends or pages
- Their posts will appear at the top of your feed
Use this to surface quality content every day.
5. Manage Your Ad Preferences
Facebook also tracks your ad behavior. Reset your ad interests regularly.
Steps:
- Go to Settings > Ads > Ad Preferences
- Remove advertisers or topics that no longer interest you
- Turn off categories like politics, alcohol, or parenting if irrelevant
Also, opt out of interest-based ads in your account settings.
6. Clear Activity and Search History
Old searches influence new suggestions. Clean them out monthly.
Steps:
- Go to Activity Log
- Filter by search history
- Delete entries you don’t want Facebook to remember
Also, clear video watch history and off-Facebook activity.
7. Disable Third-Party Data Sharing
Facebook collects external data from apps and websites.
- Go to Settings > Off-Facebook Activity
- View which apps and sites share data with Facebook
- Disconnect and clear history for better privacy and accuracy
Doing this limits how much Facebook can track your behavior outside the app.
8. Use “Why Am I Seeing This?”
Every time you see a weird suggestion, click the three dots and select “Why am I seeing this?”
This option:
- Shows what triggered the suggestion
- Let’s you block future similar suggestions
The more you use it, the smarter your feed becomes.
Real-Life Example: Cleaning Up a Cluttered Feed
Meet Ayesha. She started seeing conspiracy theories and unrelated ads after clicking on one controversial post. Her feed spiraled from there.
She took the following actions:
- Hid conspiracy pages
- Followed verified science and news outlets
- Cleared her ad preferences and search history
- Marked educational channels as “See First”
Within 2 weeks, her feed became informative and peaceful again.
This proves that small actions make a big impact over time.
Now, let me share my own experience. I once interacted with a few cooking videos out of curiosity. Suddenly, my feed was filled with recipe Reels and food ads I didn’t care about.
So, I hid those pages, unfollowed unrelated food creators, and marked tech pages as favorites. I also reset my ad preferences to remove food-related interests. After that, my feed started showing tech news, productivity content, and useful updates again.
These small but intentional changes made my Facebook experience more enjoyable and aligned with my actual interests.
Additional Tips for Better Feed Control
I’ve found that browser extensions like Social Fixer help improve my Facebook experience. They let me filter out annoying or irrelevant topics. For example, I once blocked celebrity gossip, and my feed instantly felt cleaner. Tools like this give me more control over what I see.
Additionally, I use Facebook lists to organize my browsing. I created one for work, one for news, and one for family. When I want focused updates, I check only that list. It keeps distractions low and relevance high.
Turning off certain notifications also helped me a lot. I disabled birthday reminders and memory pop-ups. This reduced unnecessary interruptions and made my feed feel calmer. You’d be surprised how much this simple step improves your focus.
Use Keyword Filters (via browser extensions)
Some browser add-ons let you block posts with specific words or topics. These aren’t Facebook features but can enhance your experience.
Examples:
- Social Fixer (for Chrome)
- FB Purity (Firefox compatible)
They let you mute specific topics like politics, sports, or celebrity gossip.
Create Lists for Focused Browsing
You can categorize friends and pages into lists.
Steps:
- Go to “Friends List”
- Create new list (e.g., Work, News, Family)
- Assign contacts/pages to each list
This lets you browse content by interest groups.
Limit Notifications
Notifications can pull you into the wrong content loop.
Steps:
- Go to Settings > Notifications
- Disable non-essential alerts (e.g., birthdays, memories)
The less noise, the more focused your interactions will be.
Final Thoughts
Facebook is a powerful platform, but only if you take control. By following the steps in this guide, you can change your suggested Facebook content to match your actual interests and needs.
The algorithm works for you when you teach it what matters.
Stop wasting time on content you don’t care about. Personalize your feed, reclaim your time, and enjoy a better social experience.
Ready to take full control of your Facebook experience?
I started by reviewing my activity log and hiding posts I didn’t care about. This small step immediately reduced clutter. Then, I updated my interests and followed pages that truly reflect what I enjoy now. These actions helped Facebook understand my current preferences better.
Over time, I noticed more relevant content on my feed. Also, I made it a habit to revisit my feed settings every month. This way, I fine-tune what shows up and avoid annoying distractions. It’s a continuous process, but totally worth the effort.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How long does it take for Facebook to update my feed?
From my experience, Facebook starts updating within a few days. However, it depends on how you interact. So, keep liking, hiding, and following relevant posts. Over time, Facebook learns what you prefer and adjusts accordingly.
Can I reset my Facebook feed completely?
You can’t fully reset it, but you can simulate a reset. I cleared my history, updated my interests, and unfollowed pages. Gradually, the algorithm shifted. Eventually, I started seeing posts that actually mattered to me.
Will Facebook suggest better content automatically?
It improves, but only with your input. You need to guide it by hiding what’s irrelevant. Then, follow useful pages. These actions tell Facebook exactly what you want on your feed.
Can I remove suggested Reels and Stories?
Not entirely, but you can reduce them. I consistently hide irrelevant Reels and Stories whenever they pop up. Over time, their frequency drops. It’s not perfect, but it works better than doing nothing.
Can I make Facebook stop suggesting pages I don’t follow?
Yes, you can reduce those suggestions. I always unfollow irrelevant pages and hide unwanted content. Then, I follow pages I care about. Gradually, Facebook starts suggesting more of what actually interests me.