How to find out if you are shadowbanned on instagram

How To Check If Your Instagram Is Shadowbanned In 2022

As someone who makes a living from my Instagram small businesses and teaches others how to do it as well, one of the questions I most often receive from my readers is: “My Instagram stopped growing and is losing followers. I’m worried shadowbanned. What can I do?” If you’re reading this article because you’re asking yourself a similar question, I have good and bad news for you. The good news is that there’s an easy and reliable way that you can directly check if you’re shadowbanned that doesn’t require you to resort to a sketchy “Instagram shadowban test” website that’s likely to sell you services to fix a problem you don’t have. The bad news is that the great majority of people whose accounts stopped growing or are losing followers aren’t shadowbanned and their lack of growth is due to other more difficult issues to fix issues (we’ll get into them later.) But before you check if you’re Instagram is actually shadowbanned, it’s important to note that there is a lot of misinformation and misconceptions about shadowbanning out there so it’s worthwhile to get clear the basic concepts of how it currently works on Instagram. Here are a few of the basic concepts I consider are worthwhile clarifying:

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What is an Instagram shadowban?

An account is shadowbanned on Instagram when the company itself places a “flag” on an account to limit that account’s reach. In other words, it uses the Instagram algorithm to greatly limit how often that account’s content is surfaced on the home screens of their followers as well as on hashtag feeds and explorer pages of non-followers so very few (if any) people are able to view that account unless they search for it directly.

How does an account get shadowbanned?

Instagram shadowbans an account only when others users report that account or it’s content as inappropriate (regardless of the report’s fairness).

Instagram does not share the information of how often/frequently an account needs to be reported in order to be shadowbanned (the requirements likely constantly change).

Being reported is the only clearly verified cause for being shadowbanned by Instagram (I know because it happened to me. )

An account definitely begins losing followers when it is shadowbanned but losing followers is not proof that an account has been shadowbanned. There are many much more likely reasons to lose followers on Instagram that aren’t being shadowbanned.

It’s important to note that there are many people who believe that Instagram directly shadowbans accounts that they “don’t like”. There is absolutely no proof of this and it’s very unlikely that they would do this. Instagram exists to maximize profits by maximizing the amount of time we spend looking at their screen. Controversial/outrageous/racy content is the most effective at keeping us looking at the screen for longer and therefore maximzing their profits so they are highly incentivized to keep as much of this type of content on their platform unless its deemed harmful by the community and therefore, reported.

This is why Instagram use the reporting function as the trigger for shadowbanning. It delegates to the users the responsibility of deciding what content is shadowbanned so Instagram doesn’t have to.

How to check if you’re shadowbanned?

Because Instagram gives no access to your account's reported status, the only way to check if you’ve been shadowbanned is to use your Instagram Insights or any other follower growth tracker to review how quickly your account went from gaining followers to losing followers.

If your account went from consistently gaining followers to suddenly losing followers permanently from one day to the next, your account likely got reported by other users and you are shadowbanned by Instagram. It happened to me, and it would likely look something like this in your Instagram Insights:

If your follower change was not sudden and sharp and it gradually went from gaining followers to simply not growing to losing them over months or years, you’re not shadowbanned. This also happened to me and it’ll look like this if you map out your followers through an account growth tracking third party tool, like I did with onlypult:

Having sprouts of follower growth during the general period of lack of growth (like the image above) is another way to know that you’re not shadowbanned. Being shadowbanned by Instagram is mostly permanent and does not go away over time.

How to fix your shadowban?

The only way to get a confirmed shadowbanned removed by Instagram is through contacting their customer service and challenging the validity of why your account got reported.

You can read the full and detailed account of how I did it in this article, but in summary, you’ll have to have a business account in order to contact Instagram’s support team, tell them your account was reported and that you’d like to challenge that report. After that, they’ll ask you for photographic proof of why you’re in the right by challenging it.

If you’re able to provide sufficient proof that your account was unjustly reported and shadowbanned then you’ll likely be able to get the shadowban removed by their customer support team.

If your content did in fact break Instagrams community safety guidelines, you might not be able to get the shadowbanned removed.

If you’re verified that your account is indeed shadowbanned due to reporting, I’d advice against paying anyone who can claim to remove the shadowban from your account. Unless it’s someone who works at Instagram, there’s no way a third-party can technically remove a shadowban unless it’s by talking to Instagram’s customer support.

If your account wasn’t reported and shadowbanned, why are you losing followers?

If your account wasn’t reported and shadowbanned but you’re still losing followers please know that you’re not alone. This is happening to more and more people on Instagram and it’s because you’ve either inorganically gained Instagram followers in the past or that your Instagram niche is in its decline phase or that your audience’s tastes have changed but your account hasn’t. You can check out my article about all of these topics to learn more about then and how to fix them but please know that these are all much more likely reasons to be losing followers than being shadowbanned.

It’s important to be able to verify or dismiss the fact that your follower decline is due to a shadowban because continuing to think that you’re losing followers because of a shadowban, when you’re not, only distracts you from being able to get to the bottom of your problems and working towards resolving them.

Hope you find this helpful and remember, growing on Instagram isn’t about being “cool” or social or even creative (in a traditional sense), it’s about learnings to execute the activities that lead to growth. Anyone can do it!

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PS — If you have to use Instagram for your business or work or personal reason, treat it as a tool and spend time researching what Instagram really is, how the Instagram algorithm works, and focus on learning about activities that you need to do to have a well-executed and “successful” Instagram (specifically, being able to create engaging Instagram content, a differentiated Instagram grid, posting consistently, or using an Instagram bot to automate the time-consuming but effective tactic of maximizing your daily interactions). If you can, use it as little as possible and spend your time on other activities that bring you well-being.

Has Your Instagram Account Been Shadowbanned?

‍‍If your Instagram account has been shadowbanned, it could be killing your engagement, reach and potential to grow your following. This in turn could be gravely affecting the success of your business.

What is a shadowban? How do I know if I’ve been shadowbanned? Why have I been shadowbanned? Can I fix it? Read on for all the answers!

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What is a shadowban?

‍An Instagram showban essentially blocks your account from being viewed by anyone but your current followers. All those hashtags you’ve been working hard on? Useless during a shadowban. Users whom aren’t your followers, those you are trying to reach by using hashtags, cannot see your content.

If potential followers cannot see your content, then your potential to grow your account is immediately squandered.

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How do I know if I’ve been shadowbanned?

‍Shadowbans have been designed in such a way that the user will not know it has happened to them, unless they’re looking for it.

To test if you’ve been shadowbanned, create a post with a few uncommon hashtags (to make this test easier for you) in the caption and others in the first comment. Look for your post on this hashtag from a few accounts that don’t follow you. If your posts appears under the hashtags, you’re safe, however if it does not appear, it’s likely you’ve been shadowbanned.

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Why have I been shadowbanned?

‍Shadowbanning was designed to filter out content and accounts that don’t comply with Instagram’s terms. A few examples of actions you may have taken to get shadowbanned include:

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Using automated bots

Instagram has a strong dislike for bots; using automated bots to follow, comment and like other user’s posts, to create fake profiles to follow you, or potentially even to schedule and post your content (ensure the one you’re using abides by Instagram’s terms), it could cause Instagram to shadowban your account.

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Irrelevant or broken hashtags

Using irrelevant hashtags that don’t match your content or brand, the same hashtags over and over again, or broken hashtags (banned by Instagram).

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Unorthodox content that’s been reported

‍This can range from posting nudity to “spammy” content. If your content has been reported, usually more than once, this may alert Instagram into thinking your account is inappropriate and block it from being seen.

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You’ve exceeded your limit

Instagram has put limits in place to find and remove bots and spam accounts, for example on how often you can follow, unfollow, like, comment or post within an hour and day. If you exceed these limits, Instagram will see it as using their platform inauthentically or with the use of bots and result in a shadowban.

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However, keep in mind these are all in theory, Instagram has never actually confirmed or denied installing a shadowban.

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Can I fix it?

Stop using bots or other automated services

Ensure these accounts aren’t still linked with your account by logging into your Instagram account on your desktop, clicking the “Settings” cog on your profile page, selecting “Authorized Apps” and revoking access to anything you’re not actively using.

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Check if your hashtags are broken

‍A hashtag can be blocked if it becomes popular and therefore inundated with inappropriate content - it could be as seemingly innocent as #beach. A tedious process, but you can check if a hashtag is broken by typing it into your search bar and it doesn’t show up, it’s broken.

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Take a break

Some users have reported taking 2-3 days break from their Instagram account has reset the system. Stop posting, engagement and sign out of your account on all devices and programs completely - then resist temptation!

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Follow Instagram’s Terms and Guidelines

“We want Instagram to continue to be an authentic and safe place for inspiration and expression. Help us foster this community. Post only your own photos and videos and always follow the law. Respect everyone on Instagram, don’t spam people or post nudity.

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Report the problem

Instagram is notoriously difficult to get in contact with, believe us, we know! However, reporting your shadowban will only take a few moments and is definitely worth a shot. In your app click the “Menu” icon in the top right, “Settings”, “Help”, “Report a Problem”, “Something Isn’t Working” and type a short message explaining your issue.

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Switch from business to personal

‍As Facebook acquired Instagram and their main goal is to monetise it, switching from a business account to a personal account could help. The theory behind this is that they’re more likely to place shadowbans and restrictions on business accounts, who then have to purchase ads to be seen by customers.

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If you have been shadowbanned and you found a solution, tell us your story!

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Have any questions? Contact us on [email protected] or (03) 9088 2036.

Instagram shadowban: how to get out (10 methods)

Here you have written a super-text, picked up a cool photo, posted a post on Instagram, set hashtags and got ready for a flurry of likes, comments and saves. However, instead of the expected effect, one has to be content with the meager activity of subscribers. Tadaaaam, congratulations, you are in the shadowban...

A shadowban is a reduction in coverage or restriction of showing your content to users who are not subscribed to you.

In other words, if you are in the shadowban, then your posts are in the recommended, by hashtags, etc. are not shown. And in the feed of subscribers there will be fewer of them than usual.

How to check a hit

Statistics help to recognize a ban. To notice it, you must connect a business profile or an author account. I hope you have no problems with this, so I'll get to the point.

How can you still check your account for a shadowban and understand whether you have been touched by the anger of the Instagram administration or not. In fact, everything is quite simple. The signs of a shadowban are as follows:

Post and story coverage has plummeted, subscriber activity tends to zero;
In the post statistics, hashtag coverage is catastrophically small;
Publication is not visible by personal or low-frequency (up to 1000 publications) hashtag;
Third-party statistics services show a sharp decline in reach, likes and engagement.

In the picture below you can see the difference in account statistics with and without a ban.

Statistics

If we compare the pictures, it is obvious that the hashtag coverage has dropped significantly. Accordingly, all blog statistics are also a loser.

Important. If you plan to order advertising from a blogger, then checking for a ban is a mandatory event. To do this, request account statistics, or rather check it yourself through statistics services, such as LiveDune (30% discount + 7 days of access using the promo code "INSCALE").

Breaking down the bones

Is there a ban? Yes, there is. And by the way, until recently, Instagram developers did not recognize the phenomenon of a ban. But in February 2019years, on their official page, they made a statement indirectly confirming all the speculations of users.

But the devil is not as scary as he is painted, you just need to comply with the norms of the social network. Therefore, I tell the whole truth about the shadow ban: why you can get into it, how to get out of it correctly and prevention methods.

1. Reasons for getting banned

There is quite a common answer to the logical question: "Why was my account banned?" Getting into the shadowban is a measure of punishment for violating the rules of the social network. In this way, Instagram is trying to filter out low-quality content and "keep a friendly community."

Most users puzzle over the reasons and speculate: "Why was my account shadowbanned? I didn't break any rules." So let's figure out what actually affects the shadowban on Instagram.

Cause	Description
1. Bot cheat	That is, one-time and in large quantities at once. This does not give a positive effect for promotion and is severely punished by Instagram. If you are going to cheat, then do it gradually and systematically, and when registering for cheating, use virtual number services to receive SMS.
2. Use of third party services	For example, for mass liking, mass following, mass looking or auto posting. The social network can define such methods as "suspicious activity" and block them.
3. Bulk unsubscribe	If dozens and hundreds of users suddenly start unsubscribing from you, which happens very often after a giveaway, then you will be banned. Because once you unsubscribe so much. This means that the account is not interesting.
4. Complaints about account	It's hard to track down why this happens - it's the content or the detractors, but Instagram strictly monitors the community environment. Therefore, a huge number of complaints can be the reason for the shadowban.
5. Exceeding limits	Temporary filters are applied to every action on Instagram. This is how the administration calculates suspicious activity. If an account likes more than 60 posts per hour or subscribes to 80 accounts, it is obvious to the system that the person could not do this.
6. Same hashtags	This means that you use the same hashtags under each post, while applying more than 30 at once and duplicating them in the comments. Instagram policy welcomes the uniqueness of texts and photos. This also applies to hashtags.
7. High frequency hashtags	The case when there are already more than a million publications under them. Probably, your goal was to get a large reach, but Instagram algorithms work according to their own scheme. It is believed that popular hashtags are often used for irrelevant content. Therefore, Instagram removes them or limits their use. At the same time, other harmless hashtags that you use may also stop working.

And by the way, about hashtags. The list of bad hashtags is over 120,000. Therefore, if you are offered to buy such a "banned" list so that you never get into the shadowban, be careful. Perhaps they are trying to deceive you.

2. Can promo posts be banned?

There may be cases of blocking your advertisements, only attention - this is not a shadow ban, but inconsistency with the rules of advertising.

Advertising block. It is these materials that have not been moderated by Instagram and will not be shown to any user;
Shadowban. The social network allows publication, but minimizes its possible coverage.

And there can be many reasons for such blocking - from the amount of allowed text on the creative to its content. Instagram strictly prohibits the promotion of medicines and dietary supplements, network business, fraudulent enrichment schemes, gambling and other socially unacceptable things.

You can see the exact reason for the refusal in your Facebook advertising account.

3. Duration

Since there is no official instruction from the Instagram administration, it is impossible to say exactly how long the blocking lasts. As practice shows, the shadowban lasts from 2-3 to 14 days. This is also confirmed by the responses of technical support to user requests.

But there are times when the ban lasts quite a long time. I remember how one major blogger tried to get out of it for more than 3 months.

Therefore, we can only wait and hope. And, of course, take into account that the duration of the punishment depends not only on the violation, but also on other factors. For example, the age of the account, your daily activities, the engagement of subscribers, the ratio of active and inactive audience, etc.

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4. Consequences of blocking

Getting rid of a ban is not difficult, the problem is in the consequences. And if you look from the technical side, then there are no problems: there is no blocking for posting, stories, live broadcasts and videos on IGTV. But no one except your subscribers will be able to evaluate this content.

One way or another, the account statistics will deteriorate, which may affect the financial result.

Also, you won't be able to use free promotion tools in the form of hashtags or geotags. They just won't work. Putting tags, of course, is not forbidden, but you will not see publications under them.

But there is good news. After you remove the shadowban, everything will return to its place. Hashtags and geotags will work again, reach can be grown to the previous level.

Correct exit

As I said, it's better not to get banned than to remove it and face the consequences. But anything can happen... Therefore, if you suddenly found out that you were blocked and do not want to wait two weeks, then I have good news.

You can remove an account from the shadowban yourself, and even quite quickly. The main thing is to do everything carefully. Therefore, I am telling a complex (they act in aggregate) of fail-safe measures:

As an advertisement

Stop all activity for 48 hours - don't post, like or reply in direct;
Suspend all ways to promote your account, take away access to your account from all third-party services;
Log in only from a phone or tablet, do not use new devices;
Temporarily switch a business account to a personal one, but keep in mind that the accumulated statistics will be reset;
Remove all hashtags from the last 10-20 posts, and high frequency and irrelevant ones from all posts;
Change the profile header, radical changes are not needed - just replace one word;
Write to technical support, it may be possible to influence the unlock through it;
Verify your identity through a hacked account complaint;
Do not post within two days, and after the expiration of the period, make a publication without hashtags and geotags;
Make 2-3 posts without hashtags, but with geotags. If you can't see it by geolocation, keep cleaning hashtags.

Fuuuh .. How to get out of the shadowban on Instagram figured out. And as practice shows, the algorithm described above helps to return the account in a couple of days. If it doesn't work, you'll have to wait two weeks. During this time, the shadowban on Instagram should be removed automatically.

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Briefly about the main thing

Instagram is a social network completely subordinated to algorithms. To make cooperation pleasant, and you have heard about the shadowban only on the forums, you need to play by the rules. So the conclusion is:

Use the allowed promotion methods;
Do not cheat subscribers, reach, likes and comments;
Do not violate activity limits;
Post socially acceptable content;
Be careful with hashtags;
Watch statistics;
Create interesting content for subscribers.

I think you still have a question, is it possible to deceive Instagram? Yes, you can try. But is it necessary? When there is a risk of losing your account forever or getting into an eternal shadowban, it is better to use only official promotion methods. And you will be happy.

Instagram shadowban: how to get out (10 methods)

A shadowban is a reduction in coverage or restriction of showing your content to users who are not subscribed to you.

In other words, if you are in the shadowban, then your posts are in the recommended, by hashtags, etc. are not shown. And in the feed of subscribers there will be fewer of them than usual.