How long a viewer's screen stays on a post before scrolling away, used as a ranking signal because it is harder to game than likes or comments.
Platforms can measure not just whether you tapped like, but how long the post held your attention. Dwell time, sometimes called reading time, is that measurement, and it has become a load-bearing signal precisely because it resists manipulation. You can ask for likes; you cannot ask someone to genuinely stop and read.
For content, dwell time rewards substance over hooks. A punchy opening that fails to deliver produces a fast scroll-away, which reads as a weak post even if the first line earned a tap. A post that keeps people reading to the end signals value.
It also explains why formats like documents and long text posts can outperform links: they keep the viewer on the post rather than sending attention elsewhere, which lifts the dwell signal the ranking model sees.
Frequently asked questions
Does dwell time matter more than likes?
On modern feeds it often carries more weight, because it is harder to fake. Likes are a declared signal; dwell time is a revealed one.
How do you improve dwell time?
Deliver on the opening line, keep the middle worth reading, and use formats that hold attention on the post rather than pushing viewers to an external link.