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Version: 4.55.1

Lens Discovery

Across Snapchat, AR experiences are discovered and engaged with in the form of Lenses. In fact, the Snapchat app is the only social platform that opens directly to the camera, instead of a feed or messages. Building Lenses that inspire people to interact and engage is an important part of building your brand on Snapchat and increasing followers.

How Your Lens Can Be Discovered on Snapchat

This Snapchat Lens Discovery tutorial will help you learn where Lenses are discovered across Snapchat and will share a few simple tips to improve reach and engagement of your Lens.

Lens Discoverability

Every Lens Developer has an equal opportunity to be seen on Snapchat. However, there are a few things that a Lens Developer can do to positively impact how their Lens can increase their reach and discoverability.

A key component to having your Lenses seen by more people in more places is Snap's ranking algorithm. It prioritizes Lenses that are highly engaging, which in this case means more sends, saves, and posts.

Ranking Best Practices

Here are some best practices we can share to help you find success:

  • Create new and exciting experiences that haven’t been seen before.
  • Use authentic and engaging Lens names.
  • Use high-quality Lens assets.
  • Use original and compelling images for your Lens preview icons.
  • Avoid explicit self-promotion in your Lenses.
  • Share your Lens with the broader community.

What Not to do to Improve Discoverability

It is important that you keep the following things in mind when building Lenses as these will negatively impact how Lens will be discoverable on Snapchat.

  • Do not copy viral Lenses
  • Do not copy viral Lens names, such as "Shook" and "Crying"
  • Do not use poor quality assets.
  • Do not copy icons of existing Lenses
  • Do not use the Lens Studio icon.

Understanding Lens Traffic

Ranking is an important mechanism to help your Lenses get surfaced in more places, so now let’s take a look at some of the most popular places for organic Lens discovery on Snapchat. The majority of Lens traffic comes from three main sources:

  • The Camera Carousel
  • Lens Explorer
  • Search
  • Lens Page
  • Snapchat for Web
  • Lens Categories

The Camera Carousel is located in the main camera when a Snapchatter opens Snapchat. Lenses that are big hits on Snapchat get featured in the carousel, globally, and help catapult your Lens to virality. The Camera Carousel selects Lenses using a ranking algorithm based on popularity and user interaction history. Advertisers can pay to have their Lenses promoted. Lenses opened via a Snapcode are also visible in the carousel for 48 hours after launch.

Every Lens has an equal opportunity to appear in the main carousel if it has been approved by AR Moderation.

Your Lens Icon impacts how much your Lens is interacted with. Try to use a compelling icon image that users wouldn't not want to swipe pass.

Lens Explorer

The Lens Explorer can be accessed by selecting the Explore button represented by a magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the main screen.

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The Lens Explorer is Snapchat’s feed of organic AR Lenses, and another important mechanism for Snapchatters to find your Lenses. Categories make it easier for Snapchatters to quickly swipe and discover more Lenses, and the search bar at the top makes it easy for Snapchatters to find your work. The higher the engagement, the higher the ranking within the feed. Snapchat surfaces over 100 Collections of Lenses in Lens Explorer where your Lenses can be featured.

The Lens Preview is very important, as this is the first thing seen by a Snapchatter. The clearer the preview is, the more likely it will be interacted with.

Search allows Snapchatters to find Profiles and Lenses. Results appear based on relevancy, match to the keywords searched, and popularity. Lenses can be searched by name, creator or search tag.

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To improve discoverability of your Lenses, add relevant search tags, and choose an interesting Lens names.

Lens Page

Snapchatters are more likely to engage with your Lens if they are able to see how it is used in the wild and understand how they can create their own content. When you navigate to the Lens Page from the Camera, you can see public Spotlight Snaps that utilize your Lens.

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While it may be that a lot of Lens usage is not posted publicly, such as people sending Snaps with your Lens to friends, this is still a good place for Snapchatters to see how others are using a particular Lens on Snapchat. The more your Lens is used has an impact on ranking.

Snapchatters are more likely to engage with your Lens if they can see how it’s used by others.

Snapchat for Web

Snapchat for Web is another area where your Lenses can be discovered. Snap is constantly working on new features for Snapchat for Web.

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Lens Categories

Snapchat introduced categories from the Lens Explorer directly to the Camera. “Recents” is a new category to help Snapchatters find and re-engage with Lenses they recently interacted with but maybe didn’t add to Favorites.

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Snapchatters can quickly find the Lenses they are looking for, without leaving the main camera.

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