Systems and methods are described herein to search for content recommendations, and in particular, for generating emoji-based metadata for content and processing an emoji-based query using the emoji-based metadata. A system identifies a content item posted via one or more social platforms. A system may retrieve a quantity of instances of a reaction to the content item. The reaction may correspond to an emoji. A system may retrieve a comment posted in association with the content item via the one or more social platforms. A system may map the comment to the emoji based on a rule. The system may generate a factor associated with the content item and the emoji based on the quantity of instances of the reaction and based on the mapping of the comment to the emoji. The system stores the factor in a database in association with an identifier of the content item to facilitate processing of an emoji-based query.