Which platform you post on and at what time directly affects how many people see your content. The answer to best posting times by platform varies a little from account to account, but there are general trends and practical time ranges you can use as a starting point. In this article, we offer a quick summary for five major platforms.
Quick summary table by platform
The table below shows the time ranges you can use as a starting point for each platform. Remember to adjust these times by tracking your own audience's data.
| Platform | Best weekday times | Weekend | Best day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram (reels and stories) | 12:00-14:00, 19:00-21:00 | 10:00-12:00 | Tuesday, Wednesday |
| YouTube (video and Shorts) | 14:00-16:00 | 09:00-11:00 | Thursday, Friday |
| Facebook (posts) | 09:00-11:00, 13:00-15:00 | 12:00-14:00 | Wednesday, Thursday |
| TikTok (posts) | 18:00-21:00 | 11:00-13:00 | Tuesday, Thursday |
| LinkedIn (posts) | 08:00-10:00, 12:00-13:00 | Not recommended | Tuesday, Wednesday |
When reading the table, keep in mind that these ranges are a starting line. They can change significantly depending on your target audience's lifestyle, time zone and content type.
What is the Monday explore time?
One of the frequently asked questions is which time zone the explore feed is most active on a given day. In general, short and concise content stands out on Monday mornings due to the intensity of starting work. Around 12:00 on Instagram and the 08:00-10:00 range on LinkedIn are good starting points for Monday. However, performance expectations for Monday may be lower than other days, so we recommend testing scheduled content for Monday publishing.
Instagram reels and story times
Reels and stories on Instagram show different behavior patterns. Midday hours are a period when people open the app during breaks. Evening hours are suitable for longer viewing sessions. A practical method:
- Share short, quickly watched reels on weekdays between 12:00-14:00.
- Try longer story series in the 19:00-21:00 range in the evening.
- Test morning hours on weekends to measure your own audience's behavior.
For more details and different content types, you can check out our guide 2026 Best Instagram Reels/Story Posting Times.
YouTube and Shorts explore times
Ideal times for long YouTube videos and Shorts can differ from each other. It is generally important to choose a time when viewers are likely to receive notifications before publishing a video. The 14:00-16:00 afternoon range and Thursday-Friday are times that perform well on many accounts. For Shorts, a short, eye-catching opening and weekend mornings are also worth trying.
For detailed analysis, you can review our article 2026 YouTube Explore Times.
Facebook, TikTok and LinkedIn times
The user habits of these three platforms are quite different:
- Facebook: Morning and midday posts perform well, especially for community-focused content. Our Facebook guide covers this topic in depth.
- TikTok: Evening hours are generally the busiest viewing period. Test the 18:00-21:00 range for short and fun content. You can find more detail in the TikTok guide.
- LinkedIn: The start of the workday and the lunch break are the best times. Try sharing your professional content on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Our LinkedIn guide includes detailed recommendations for this platform.
Conclusion: Test your own data
General times are a good starting point, but your own audience creates the real difference. Post at different times for two to three weeks on each platform, compare engagement data, and determine the time ranges that perform best.
To make this process easier, you can plan posts across all your platforms from a single calendar with Plexorin, publish them automatically, and track which times work with basic analytics.