How Fake Followers Affect Instagram’s Engagement-Based Ranking？

Instagram’s ranking system relies heavily on engagement signals to decide how widely a post should be distributed. These signals include likes, comments, shares, saves, and how long users spend viewing your content. Fake followers usually don’t interact with posts, which means they contribute nothing to these signals. When a significant portion of your audience is inactive, your engagement rate drops, making it harder for posts to pass Instagram’s initial distribution test.
This doesn’t mean Instagram penalizes your account — it simply has less evidence that your content is interesting. As a result, your posts may appear to fewer people in feeds or on Explore. The effect is mathematical rather than disciplinary. If your real audience remains engaged, the algorithm still picks up positive signals and can continue recommending your content beyond your follower base.