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Ever wondered why you are seeing a particular Facebook post?

Answer: Now the platform will tell you.

Have you ever scrolled through your Facebook feed and wondered how the platform decides which posts to show you and when? Well, Facebook has decided to let us in on that secret with its new feature, “Why am I seeing this post?”

This new tool is essentially a version of the platform’s “Why am I seeing this ad?” tool, introduced in 2014, for posts. A drop-down menu in the righthand corner of posts in your News Feed will display information as to why Facebook chose to show you that post, e.g., it came from one of your friends or a Page you follow. It will also offer information on what influences the order of posts you see, such as how often you interact with posts from certain people, what type of post you interact with most, etc. Lastly, the tool includes links to settings where you can change your preferences for personalization.

Kate is a senior copy editor in Northern California. She holds a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in professional writing from the University of California, Davis.