Where these times come from
The heatmap is built from patterns that show up again and again in published studies by social media scheduling and analytics companies. They look at millions of posts and find when engagement tends to be highest, in the audience's local time.
Those studies don't always agree, and they average across every kind of account. Treat the darker cells as good places to start testing, not rules.
The general patterns by platform
A few patterns are consistent enough to plan around:
- Instagram and Facebook: weekday mornings into early afternoon, strongest Tuesday to Thursday.
- TikTok: afternoons and evenings, when people have time to scroll.
- LinkedIn: working hours, especially Tuesday to Thursday mornings. Weekends are quiet.
- X and Threads: weekday mornings, when people catch up on news.
- YouTube: early to mid afternoon, a little ahead of the evening viewing peak, plus weekend mornings.
- Pinterest: evenings and weekends, when people plan and browse.
Your audience's time zone matters more than yours
If you live in London and most of your followers are in New York, the right time is their lunch break, not yours. Set the audience time zone to where most of your followers are (your app's analytics shows top cities or countries) and the heatmap shifts into your local time for you.
If your audience is spread across the world, pick the biggest group, or alternate times across the week.
Find your own best time
Your own numbers beat any study. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook all show when your followers are most active in their insights.
- Pick two or three windows from the heatmap that fit your schedule.
- Post similar content in each for two to four weeks.
- Compare reach and engagement in the first 24 hours, not just likes.
- Keep the winners, then test one new slot at a time.
Consistency beats the perfect minute
Apps like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube don't only show posts in time order. A good video can find its audience days later. Posting on a steady rhythm your followers can expect usually does more than chasing the exact best hour, so pick times you can keep up week after week.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to post on Instagram?
Studies usually point to weekday mornings into early afternoon, around 9am to 1pm in your audience's time zone, with Tuesday to Thursday strongest. Check your own insights to confirm.
What is the best time to post on TikTok?
Afternoons and evenings tend to do well, roughly 12pm to 9pm local time on weekdays. Because TikTok's feed isn't strictly chronological, consistency matters more than the exact minute.
Does posting time really matter?
It matters most in the first hour or two, when a post gets its first engagement. A good post at an average time still beats a weak post at the perfect time.
Which time zone should I use?
Your audience's. Set it to where most of your followers live and the tool converts the windows to your own clock.