"What Are the Traffic Rules of the Xiaohongshu (RED) Platform?"

Section 1: Introduction to Xiaohongshu
  • Platform Significance: As China's leading content-commerce community with over 260 million monthly active users, Xiaohongshu bridges content discovery and consumer decision-making. It has become a core channel for brands and creators to reach target audiences, especially Gen Z and young millennials.
  • Operation Objectives: Build audience loyalty through valuable content, improve content exposure and engagement rates, and ultimately achieve conversion goals (e.g., brand awareness, product sales, or fan growth).
Section 2: Note Review Mechanism
Subsection 2.1 Review Methods
  • Dual-review system: Machine Review + Manual Review
(Initial screening by AI algorithms, followed by human verification for suspicious content)
Subsection 2.2 Review Duration
  • Standard review: Completed within 1 hour normally.
  • Extended review: Up to 48 hours (mostly within 24 hours) if content is suspected of violations.
  • Revision impact: Notes modified after successful publication or re-edited after rejection will reinitiate the full review process.
Subsection 2.3 Review Process
  1. Machine Review: Initial screening for sensitive content, plagiarism, and format violations.
  1. Manual Review: In-depth inspection of content flagged as suspicious by the AI.
  1. Publication Decision: Approved content goes live; non-compliant content gets rejected.
  1. Detailed Workflow: After submission, notes first undergo machine review. Approved notes publish immediately. Suspicious notes trigger manual review—approval leads to publication, while confirmation of violations results in rejection.
Subsection 2.4 Self-Audit for Notes
  • Align with official rules: Refer to Xiaohongshu Community Guidelines (Path: Profile → Settings → Community Guidelines).
  • Violation word check: Use recommended tools—Lingke Word Checker, Juyi Network, and Hongshu Editor (Chinese-language tools specializing in Xiaohongshu compliance checks).
Subsection 2.5 Supplementary Notes
  • Notes submitted for secondary revisions must go through the review process again, which may affect publication timeliness and traffic potential.
Section 3: Traffic Source Analysis
Subsection 3.1 In-Platform Traffic
Traffic on Xiaohongshu is primarily categorized into in-platform traffic and off-platform traffic. Key in-platform sources include:
  1. Follow Page: Direct access for followers to view new notes. Traffic volume is relatively limited but has high engagement potential.
  1. Discovery Page: The main traffic source and core battlefield for creators. The algorithm analyzes user behaviors (likes, saves, comments, click-through rates) to deliver personalized content. Every user interaction is counted to refine preference profiles and content recommendations.
  1. Search Page: Features long-tail effect—notes with top-ranked keywords receive sustained clicks. Optimize titles and covers using search bar dropdown terms and trending topics. Search results are ranked based on keyword relevance, content freshness, and engagement rate.
  1. Profile Visits: Users may navigate to your profile from notes they are browsing, generating additional exposure for other content.
  1. Location Page: City-based recommendations. Adding location tags increases visibility to local users through the "Nearby" section.
Subsection 3.2 Note Indexation Check
Step 1: Confirm Review Status
If a note fails to publish within 2-3 hours (or several days), it is likely unindexed by the platform.
Step 2: Check Indexation Status
  • Method 1: Manual Search
Enter the note’s keywords or full title in the search bar. If the note appears in results, it is indexed. Note: Due to Xiaohongshu’s personalized algorithm, indexed notes may not rank high. If not found after scrolling 100+ results, the note has negligible visibility (effectively unindexed).
  • Method 2: Data Tools
Use Xiaohongshu-specific mini-programs like "Shushu Show" to automate indexation checks.
Step 3: Tips to Improve Indexation Rate
  1. Optimize Content Quality
  • Ensure originality and high quality: Use high-definition, authentic images (avoid stock photos or staged product shots).
  • Advertorial compliance: Avoid excessive selling points or exaggerated claims to prevent being marked as marketing content.
  • Information value: Verify accuracy, eliminate sensitive/non-compliant language, and maintain content authenticity.
  • Keyword placement: Strategically insert keywords in titles and body text. Use data tools to identify trending terms in niche areas.
  1. Boost Account & Note Authority
  • Enhance account authority: Improve account level, maintain activity, and publish consistent content in a specific niche.
  • Increase originality: Use real, scenario-based photos and high-quality written content (avoid plagiarism of text or images).
  • Hashtag strategy: Use relevant hashtags (especially trending ones) to expand exposure.
  1. Manage Publishing Rhythm
  • Avoid concentrated posting: Mass publishing in a short period reduces indexation rates even for high-quality content.
  • Data-driven adjustments: Use analytics tools to monitor performance and refine publishing strategies.
  1. Minimize Revisions
Post-publication edits trigger secondary reviews and may cause traffic restrictions or indexation issues. Revise only when necessary, preferably when engagement is low.
Section 4: Traffic Distribution Mechanism
Subsection 4.1 Tiered Recommendation
  • Core workflow: Initial Exposure → User Interaction (likes/saves/comments) → Algorithm Rating Upgrade → Expanded Push Scope
(Notes start with a small test audience; strong engagement triggers wider distribution to larger user pools)
Subsection 4.2 Matching Distribution
  • Underlying logic of organic traffic: Xiaohongshu’s algorithm prioritizes user preference matching and content quality. It analyzes user interest tags (e.g., beauty, fitness, food) and content tags to deliver highly relevant notes.
  • Key distribution factors: Content relevance, engagement rate, account authority, and content freshness.

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