Systems and methods for engagement mapping based on counterfactual experiments are provided. In example embodiments, a network system receives parameters for one or more counterfactual experiments or tests. Based on the parameters, the network system selects one or more users of a social network platform to subject to the test(s) and selects edges of a social network of each of the one or more users to block. The network system then filters out notifications and feed items from the selected edges of the one or more users. Behavior data of the one or more users based on the filtering out of the notifications and feed items is aggregated, whereby the behavior data indicates engagement of the one or more users on the social networking platform based on the filtering of the notifications and feed items. Recommendations are derived based on the aggregated behavior data and presented to the users.