Abstract: Given the increasing relevance of algorithms, how to implement the main responsibility of platforms has become a focal issue. Based on the perspective of affordance theory, the study analyzes the relationship between algorithms, the platform environment, and user perception through mixed research methods to clarify the role of platforms in the process and the problems that arise. The research results show that the algorithm reshapes the platform environment through specific encoding programs, multi-objective optimization, and billions of feature vector combinations. For ordinary users, the algorithm is invisible, uneditable and inaccessible. The platform initially constructs the visibility mechanism of the algorithm through interface cues, but the effect is limited. The research, combined with the embedding logic of the algorithm, provides policy recommendations to promote user algorithmic knowledge, which has certain theoretical and practical significance.

Key words: Algorithm recommendation, Web content platforms, Platform affordance, Perceived affordance, Algorithmic knowledge