How to know if you have been 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.
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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!
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.
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.
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:
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.
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).
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.
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.
However, keep in mind these are all in theory, Instagram has never actually confirmed or denied installing a shadowban.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
If you have been shadowbanned and you found a solution, tell us your story!
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How to understand that you are blocked on Instagram: 5 ways
At first glance, it will not work to understand that you are blocked on Instagram, but if you check the search and carefully look at the feed, you can find out exactly who added your account to the blacklist.
In this guide, we will show you step by step what exactly needs to be done.
If your Instagram account has been blocked by another user, you will no longer be able to find their profile in the search. Thus, if you enter the appropriate name, you simply will not see it in the results. However, this situation can also arise if the wanted person simply deleted his account.
Step 1. Checking if the profile is active
To check if the profile of the person who supposedly blocked you still exists, try to find it through a browser (for example, from a computer) by logging out of your account. If the search was successful, and the account you are looking for is displayed in the results of Insta, then you have been blocked.
If the person who blocked you has an open profile, then you can go to his page offline and view his posts and comments. In the case of closed accounts, the situation is more complicated - in them you will not be able to see publications and subscribers, but only their number.
Step 2: Are publications visible?
The second step that will help you find out if you are blacklisted by an Instagram user is to check his feed. If images that were available to you until recently suddenly disappeared from his page, most likely, the person did not delete all publications, but simply stopped showing them to you - in other words, he blocked you. Stories will also disappear.
Step 3. Check the list of subscriptions
After blocking, the user's profile will not appear in your list of subscriptions and subscribers. It is very easy to check this - by searching in your own account. If the right person “unsubscribed”, and at the same time all other signs indicate that he threw you into a ban, most likely it is. Your account will also stop being subscribed to the blocker's profile.
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Step 4.
Looking for direct messages When you block someone on Instagram, the app doesn't hide the following from your direct message. But any new messages that you try to send will not reach the recipient and will not be marked as viewed. At the same time, the user with whom you are in an emergency will also not be able to use the chat with you.
Step 5. Trying to follow
If you are blocked, you will not be able to follow this person, even if you send him a request. In this case, the "Subscribe" button will be active. But pressing it will not work, even if the profile is open, and the user does not have to confirm applications for adding to subscriptions.
On the Internet, you can find many utilities and applications that supposedly can check if you have been blocked. We strongly advise against using them as they can access your account and registration information, spy on other data, and hack into your profile.
See also:
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How to unblock Instagram if it was blocked for some reason
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How to recover an Instagram account after deletion or if you forgot your password
Six ways to understand that you have been blocked on Instagram
If you cannot find a person's profile on Instagram, this does not mean that the account has been deleted.
Perhaps he just blocked your page, and there are several ways to find out if you got banned. The Medialeaks editors figured out which of them work and which are absolutely useless.
You won't be able to find someone else's profile through an app search.
The easiest way to tell if you've been banned from an Instagram user is to try to find their profile through the app.
How to searchIf the nickname is written in the search bar without errors or you are sure that the person you are looking for has not changed it, but Instagram still refuses to show the account, then you are in the black list.
Search screenshotBrowser search returns no results
The second method is less obvious, but just as reliable as the first. In order for it to work, you need to log into your account not through the application, but through an Internet browser and search there. You just have to work a little - you need to write the nickname not in the search bar, but in the link: instagram.
com/*username*.
If you are blocked, Instagram will write that the page is not available.
Page not availableLog out of your account and try again in the browser
If you don't see any search results in your browser, it may mean that the user has deleted their profile. To be sure to check this information, log out of your account, and then repeat the manipulation of the link in the browser. The account will be displayed even if it is closed.
Profile screenshotCheck the comments under your posts
If there is no computer at hand, and it is inconvenient to enter the browser on the phone, then there is a fourth method that definitely works - check your comments. If earlier a user who cannot be found now left you messages under posts, then you can easily check if his profile still exists.
Comment under the post from the blocked user The fact is that Instagram does not delete or hide the user's comments when he blacklists you. And if the account is not deleted, then you can go to it.
Direct messages remain
There is a theory that if your profile is banned, then private messages with the blocked user will disappear. The editors of Medialeaks checked this assumption. However, it turned out to be a myth: the message remained in the direct of both users.
The message has not disappearedHowever, if you write a second message, the addressee will never see it, and the sender will not know about it.
Supposedly delivered messageFollow button appears for a second
Guiding Tech also reports that when visiting a blocked account, a follow button will appear and will not work. This theory also turned out to be inoperative, because the opportunity arises only for a second, until the profile itself is loaded, and it is simply impossible to use it in time.
The button appeared for a second The easiest way, which does not require you to know the intricacies of how Instagram works, is to ask someone to check if the profile of the user who allegedly took you is active.
