Snapchat says Spotlight is where it shows the most entertaining Snaps from across its community, no matter who made them, in one feed you open from the icon at the bottom of the screen. To post, you record a video Snap of 5 seconds or longer and tap Post on the preview, a button that only appears if you're 16 or older and live somewhere Spotlight posting is enabled.
That's the short version. Below I cover where Spotlight lives in the app, how to post, what to check before you tap the button and how Snapchat says it decides who sees what, all from Snapchat Support's own pages as of Nov 2026.
Where Spotlight lives in the app
Snapchat describes Spotlight as the easiest way to discover the world of Snapchat in one place and see perspectives from across its community. You open it from the Spotlight icon at the bottom of the screen. You can also watch it on Snapchat for Web, and Snapchat says you can view and upload Spotlight content on the web too.
Two newer touches are worth knowing about. On Spotlight posts about a live event or a trend, you may see a suggested search label such as Live or Trending; tap it and Spotlight search opens with related Snaps. Trending sounds and Lenses get a different kind of label, which Snapchat calls Context Cards. Snapchat also has a repost button, and reposts are public: they show on your Public Profile under a Reposts tab and in the Spotlight feed, and you tap again to remove one. Snapchat says both suggested search and reposts are rolling out gradually, so availability varies by country and account.
Posting a Snap to Spotlight, step by step
Snapchat's main route starts from the camera:
- From the Main Camera, record a video Snap that's 5 seconds or longer.
- On the preview screen, tap Post. It shows instead of the Stories button when the video is eligible.
- Add a description, a location or a #topic if you want to.
- Check the Story setting on the New Spotlight Post page (more on that below).
- Tap the blue triangle button to submit.
There are other ways in. From the Send To screen, select Spotlight at the top, tap the edit pencil to add a description, location or #topic, tap Next and then the blue triangle. You can also use Post to Spotlight from My Account, or tap the plus card icon while you're watching Spotlight.
One route surprised me. Snap Comments can go to Spotlight as well: while you're watching a Spotlight post, open the comments, tap the Camera icon, take a Snap or pick one from Memories, and post it. Snapchat says that comment also becomes a new Spotlight post that may appear elsewhere in the app. So a reply on someone else's post isn't just a reply; it's a post of your own.
Four things to check before you tap Post
- Whether the Post button will appear at all. Snapchat says you need to be 16 or older, in a region where Spotlight posting is enabled, with a video of 5 seconds or longer. Miss any one of those and you'll only see the Stories button.
- The Story setting. Your Spotlight post is also shared to your Story by default. If you don't want your friends seeing it there, switch that off on the New Spotlight Post page before you submit.
- Your name. Snapchat says only Snapchatters with a Public Profile can have their display name associated with a Spotlight Snap. If you want the credit, set one up first; my guide to making a Public Profile on Snapchat shows how.
- Remixes. If you're 16 or older you can let others remix your Snap and show it on your Public Profile. Snapchat says it's off by default for 16 to 17 year olds and on by default for 18 and over.
Also worth knowing before you post: Snapchat says Spotlight Snaps may appear in Search results and Stories on or off Snapchat, now or in the future. Treat anything you post there as public.
How Snapchat ranks what people see
Snapchat's ranking article says it uses algorithms to personalise and rank content on Discover and Spotlight, and that it deliberately mixes in a diverse range of content to avoid echo chambers. Each Snap gets a score based on predictions, such as how likely you are to favourite or share it and how long you'll spend watching, and the feed is ranked by score with adjustments for variety.
Snapchat lists the things that tell it a viewer likes something, and the things that say they don't. Read them from the creator's side and they're the reactions your Snap needs:
| Viewer signal | Helps or hurts a Snap | How Snapchat describes it |
|---|---|---|
| Watch time | Helps | How long you watch |
| Finishing the Snap | Helps | Whether you finish it |
| Favourite | Helps | Favouriting it |
| Share | Helps | Sharing a Spotlight with friends |
| Subscribe | Helps | Subscribing to the Snapchatter |
| Skip | Hurts | Skipping it |
| Hide | Hurts | Hiding it |
| Report | Hurts | Reporting it |
Snapchat also lists what matters most for Spotlight, roughly in order. At the top: the viewer's country, language, age and gender; content or creators similar to what they've watched, favourited, subscribed to, shared or commented on; and the Snap's category and details, such as viewing time, creator, location, language and hashtags. Lower down come preferred categories and creator information, and last of all device type, network type, region and friends' engagement.
Content gets labelled too, with tags such as sports, makeup or dogs, by both people and computers, and Snapchat says that includes keywords you use. That's a good reason to write a clear description and #topic rather than leaving them blank. Everything is also checked by automatic moderation and human review.
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The rule that decides reach beyond your friends
This is the catch most new posters miss. Every Spotlight Snap has to follow Snapchat's Community Guidelines, the Spotlight Guidelines, the Terms of Service and the Spotlight Terms. But to be recommended to people beyond your own friends or subscribers, Snapchat's Spotlight Guidelines say content must also meet its Content Guidelines for Recommendation Eligibility. So a Snap can be allowed on Spotlight without being pushed to strangers. If reach is the point, read those guidelines before you post, not after.
Once you're posting, my page on finding your Snapchat insights shows where to see how your Snaps do, and if you want to take a post down, here's how to delete a Spotlight Snap. Getting paid for Spotlight has its own rules, which I cover in Snapchat's monetisation requirements.
Tuning your own Spotlight feed
The same signals work for you as a viewer. Snapchat says to watch content you enjoy for longer, subscribe to creators, favourite what you like, and hide or skip what you don't. In the EEA, the UK and Switzerland, you can also switch off personalised public content recommendations or reset your suggested content, under Settings, then Personalization Controls.
Is Spotlight worth a business's time?
I'd start by watching Spotlight in your own niche for a week, then posting short videos of 5 seconds or more with a clear description and #topic, because Snapchat says it labels content partly from the keywords you use. I'd set up a Public Profile first so your name sits on the Snap. Skip posting anything you wouldn't want on your Story until you've checked that default setting, and skip chasing reach until you've read the Recommendation Eligibility guidelines, because they decide whether strangers see your work at all. Snapchat doesn't promise views, and neither will I.
Frequently asked questions
What is Snapchat Spotlight?
Snapchat says Spotlight is where it highlights the most entertaining Snaps from across its community, no matter who created them. You open it from the icon at the bottom of the screen.
Who can post to Snapchat Spotlight?
The Post button appears if you're 16 or older, in a region where Spotlight posting is enabled, and your video Snap is 5 seconds or longer.
Does a Spotlight post also go to my Story?
Yes, by default. Snapchat says you can switch that off on the New Spotlight Post page before you submit.
Why isn't my name on my Spotlight Snap?
Snapchat says only Snapchatters with a Public Profile can have their display name associated with a Spotlight Snap.
How does Snapchat decide who sees a Spotlight Snap?
Snapchat ranks Snaps by predicting actions such as favouriting or sharing and how long people will watch. Skipping, hiding and reporting count against a Snap, and reach beyond your friends needs the Recommendation Eligibility guidelines.
