How to not be shadowbanned on instagram
Is Your Account Shadowbanned On Instagram? Here's How To Find Out
Instagram Tips & Resources
By Monique Thomas
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Updated on November 16, 2021
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8 minute read
We're sharing everything we know about the infamous shadowban and if it actually exists.
Published November 16, 2021
Over the years, a number of users have pointed to a mysterious Instagram shadowban and its impact on their engagement and reach.
While it has yet to be confirmed by Instagram, we’re diving into the Instagram shadowban, what allegedly causes it, and how you can avoid it from happening.
What Is an Instagram Shadowban?“Shadowban” isn’t an official Instagram term, but we know that Instagram has the power to deprioritize accounts on the app. Posts can be hidden or restricted, often unbeknownst to the user.
This can make your content (or account) undiscoverable via hashtags and the Explore page. And in some cases — the content may be taken down completely.
Everyone tell @tmz that @instagram is muting my voice please. I’ve had over 50 complaints about how followers can no longer find me. Or posts they commented on and their comments removed. I thought we were supposed to be #amplifymelenatedvoices not continuing to silence them.
— Mehcad (@MehcadBrooks) June 4, 2020
Getting shadowbanned can decrease reach, limit who can see your posts, and seriously affect engagement.
And with so many uncertainties surrounding Instagram shadowbans, it can be unnerving for creators and business owners trying to grow their communities and reach new audiences.
My instagram is still shadowban, but is starting to come back to life little by little
— •᷄ɞ•᷅⁷ (@Morgane__arts) June 3, 2021
I still don’t understand why I’m shadowbanned but I guess i will never have the answer pic.twitter.com/8YwTCbUmqn
So what does Instagram say?
In 2018, Instagram’s team claimed: “Shadowbanning is not a real thing,” and stated that they do not hide people’s content for posting too many hashtags or taking other actions.
However, a year later, Instagram acknowledged that posts categorized as “inappropriate for our international community” would not be featured on the Instagram Explore Page — even if they are within Instagram’s Community Guidelines:
Image Source: Instagram Help Page
In summary, shadowbanning may not be an official term at Instagram HQ, but there are measures in place to restrict content that could be deemed as “inappropriate.”
And with over 95 million photos and videos shared on Instagram every day, the app’s moderation process is largely automated.
However, this process can be flawed.
In 2020, Instagram’s Adam Mosseri addressed shadowbanning in response to concerns that Black voices were being silenced on the platform.
In an effort to ensure Instagram is a place where everyone feels free to express themselves, Mosseri shared steps they were taking to improve users’ experiences:
Reviewing how content is filtered on Explore and Hashtag pages
Diving deeper into algorithmic bias and how it may affect Instagram’s products
Releasing more information about the type of content to avoid on the platform
Earlier in 2021, Mosseri wrote that “we haven’t always done enough to explain why we take down content when we do, what is recommendable and what isn’t, and how Instagram works more broadly.
”
He said they were developing better in-app notifications so users know when a post goes against their Recommendations Guidelines.
And keeping to their word, Instagram has now released the "Account Status" tool:
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Later: Visual Social Marketing (@latermedia)
With it, users will now be able to see if their posts have been taken down, flag if they disagree with Instagram's decision, and learn what to do next.
To check your status, go to Settings, tap Account, and then hit Account Status:
In short? Instagram shadowbans — however labelled — are here to stay.
And while the "Account Status" tool is a step in the right direction, we hope the transparency continues as their moderation evolves.
DID YOU KNOW: Later is an official Instagram partner, meaning using our app has Instagram’s stamp of approval.
Easily plan and schedule your content with Later's Instagram Scheduler!
It’s not totally clear how Instagram determines what content gets restricted (or “shadowbanned”) on the platform.
However, these five actions are rumored to significantly increase your likelihood of being penalized:
Violating Instagram’s Community Guidelines or posting inappropriate content. This includes posts with violence, sexually suggestive content, and misinformation.
Fake engagements, such as paying for likes or comments, using bots to increase followers, and participating in engagement pods.
Spammy activity, for instance, using over 30 hashtags in a single post. Some users have also claimed that they’ve been shadowbanned for commenting on too many posts or following too many people within an hour.
Using banned hashtags.
While Instagram hasn’t released an official list, here’s a blog post with certain hashtags to avoid.Using a hashtag that receives a sudden surge of activity. This occurred in June 2020 when users shared information about #BlackLivesMatter. Instagram’s Comms team claimed it was an error — their technology detected the flurry of activity as spam.
In addition to taking the above points into consideration, Instagram strategist Alex Tooby published a handy guide about shadowbanning with plenty of takeaways.
Here are four tips to keep in mind:
Don’t use software that violates Instagram’s Terms of Service such as bot-like software. Luckily, if you use an Instagram-approved tool like Later, you’ll be a-okay!
Don’t use banned or broken hashtags.
Avoid big surges in Instagram activity. Instagram imposes limits on user activity to crack down on bots.
If you suddenly follow 50 accounts or like too many posts, it may be interpreted as “bot activity”.Avoid spam-like activity, such as copy and pasting the same comment or DM, and following and unfollowing accounts.
Criticisms of the Instagram Shadowban
Many users have spoken out about Instagram’s algorithmic bias and the inconsistency regarding its definition of “inappropriate content”.
The #IWantToSeeNyome campaign was created by model Nyome Nicholas-Williams, photographer Alex Cameron, and activist Gina Martin, after a semi-nude image of Nyome was repeatedly taken down.
The aim of the campaign? To draw attention to the double standard regarding Instagram’s nudity policy.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Later: Visual Social Marketing (@latermedia)
As Nyome stated in a post, “Slim white bodies are praised for being nude and appreciating their form on this platform all the time and never have images taken down.
”
As the movement grew, Instagram’s team responded and officially updated their nudity policy on October 28, 2020.
In another instance, Indigenous activists and creators noticed their educational posts about MMIWG (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls) had disappeared from their followers’ Instagram Stories:
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Later: Visual Social Marketing (@latermedia)
Writer Emily Laurent Henderson told CBC: “It’s very suspicious that it was only missing and murdered Indigenous Women’s Day posts.”
Instagram’s Comms team apologized and said it was a “widespread global technical issue not related to any particular topic.”
Adam Mosseri also tweeted, apologizing for the error:
Yesterday we experienced a technical bug, which impacted millions of people’s stories, highlights and archives around the world.
— Adam Mosseri 😷 (@mosseri) May 7, 2021For people impacted by this bug, they saw their stories that were re-sharing posts disappear and their archive and highlights stories were missing. https://t.co/E2WTcTN7Jt
With conversations surrounding Instagram shadowbans increasing, the need for more tools like "Account Status" is at an all-time high.
How to Remove an Instagram ShadowbanSo, you think you’ve been shadowbanned on Instagram — you’ve followed all of the rules, but your posts still aren’t reaching users, and your engagement is decreasing.
What can you do? Alex Tooby suggests the following:
Report Your Shadowban to Instagram
Remove Apps That Use Autobots
Review Your Hashtags
Take a Break From Instagram
There are two ways to report your shadowban:
With the new "Account Status" tool, you can see if a post has been taken down and then request a review directly from the page.
Use the native “Report a Problem” option within the Instagram app. To do this, go to your Instagram Settings, tap Help, and select “Report a Problem.” A pop-up should appear with a few options. Choose “Something Isn’t Working,” and write a message describing your issue.
We get it: using an Instagram scheduler that automatically posts your photos to Instagram is a great way to save time.
But if you use one that isn’t an official Instagram partner, you can end up on the Instagram shadowban list.
To find out if you have any bot services or unapproved apps linked to your account, head to your Instagram settings, tap Security, and then “Apps and Websites”.
Here, you’ll be able to see all of the active apps your account is using, any that have expired, and those you’ve removed.
TIP: If you’re looking for an approved Instagram Scheduler, you can download and connect Later!
Audit Your HashtagsWe’ve spoken about hashtags a lot, but for good reason! Using a banned hashtag is likely to get you shadowbanned on Instagram.
Review your hashtags and search for them on Instagram. If the “Top Posts” section appears but nothing else, it’s likely it’s been banned.
Sometimes Instagram will even leave a short message on the Hashtag Page explaining that posts have been hidden for not meeting community guidelines.
If a hashtag you frequently use is suddenly banned, remove it from your posts and keep an eye on whether the ban is lifted in the future.
Take a Break From InstagramSome users have said that taking a few days off of Instagram has helped lift their Instagram shadowban.
This means, no posting, commenting, or even logging onto the app. After your break, there’s a chance you can go back to liking and posting as you normally would.
But remember to engage with everyone manually. It might take more time and effort, but it proves to Instagram that you’re abiding by their Terms of Service (and that you aren’t a bot!).
How Long Does an Instagram Shadowban Last?At the moment, there isn’t a concrete answer, but it’s rumored to get lifted within two to three weeks.
However, there are outliers who’ve said it has been a month or longer.
Your best bet? To try and steer clear of an Instagram shadowban altogether.
ICYMI: Later is an official Instagram partner so you can plan and schedule your Instagram content with Later without getting flagged. Start posting today — for free!
About the Author
Monique Thomas
Monique is Later's Editorial Content Marketing Manager. You can usually find her sipping matcha or adding another book to her TBR list. Say hi on Instagram — @wordsbymonique
Plan, schedule, and automatically publish your social media posts with Later.
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The Instagram Shadowban: What It Is & How to Remove It
You’ve probably heard of the Instagram Shadowban by now. Or maybe you’ve seen dozens of posts about Instagram accounts’ reach and visibility plummeting. As well as content not appearing on the Explore Page!
More reports, theories, and complaints pouring onto social media every day, even as Instagram denies its existence.
So is it a cover-up, or is there a much simpler explanation? Looking at statements and articles over the past three years, we think there is a pretty straightforward reason. And, some tips on what to do if you are shadowbanned.
Ready to investigate? 🔍
What is the Instagram Shadowban?Instagram shadowban – what is it? There seems to be more theories and rumors about the shadowban floating around out there than solid fact.
Basically, an Instagram shadowban refers to the platform limiting your content reach by restricting visibility.
The primary “indicator” of a shadowban is your hashtagged content not appearing on Explore pages to anyone but your followers. Your reach and visibility for posts being severely limited is another result.
This is frustrating for personal accounts, creator accounts and business accounts working on their Instagram growth!
Our first important clue? Shadowbanning is a term lifted from a similar action on Twitter. It’s not an official term, but rather a popular one among social media users.
What do Facebook + Instagram Say About the Shadowban?Instagram and Facebook have both denied the existence of a shadowban. Here’s a timeline of statements from the company on shadowban.
2017: Instagram for Business published a message about hashtag search, hinting that this was a result of issues with the system.
2018: Instagram hosted a group of reporters at its headquarters to explain the Instagram algorithm.
They were told the shadowban does not exist.
2019: Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri answered at least two questions related to shadowbans.
Q: Shadowbanning: It’s not a thing, right?
A: “Shadowbanning is not a thing. If someone follows you on Instagram, your photos and videos can show up in their feed if they keep using the feed. Being in Explore is not guaranteed for anyone. Sometimes you’ll get lucky, sometimes you won’t.”
Adam Mosseri
Q: Why I don’t see my post under hashtag?
A: “Some people don’t realize this but we don’t actually show every post with a hashtag under that hashtag. We try to show people the ones that they might be the most interested in. This is to try and keep hashtag pages interesting but also to avoid spam and abuse.
”
Adam Mosseri
Things started to make sense with the Instagram shadowban in 2019. That’s when TechCrunch broke the news on an update from Facebook and Instagram. That update may be the best explanation for what’s actually going on behind the scenes.
And as Carolina Hadas succinctly put it (after her own scuffle with Instagram over hashtag restrictions):
“Shadowban is a term that Instagram doesn’t use. They’ve never used it, they’ve always denied it was a thing. It doesn’t mean that the things included in the shadowban label are not happening.”
Carolina Hadas
This is the element we feel has been missing from the whole conversation around shadow bans on Instagram! It makes sense to deny the existence of shadowbanning, because Instagram doesn’t call it that. However, based on actual user experience, the shadowban experience is definitely a thing.
Let’s dive into what’s actually happening on Instagram, and why posts and visibility are getting restricted.
Understanding “shadowbanning” on Instagram and what that actually looks like takes some research. Let’s look first at their parent company, Facebook’s remove, reduce and inform strategy (Active since 2016.)
This involves removing content that violates our policies, reducing the spread of problematic content that does not violate our policies, and informing people with additional information so they can choose what to click, read or share.” – Tessa Lyons + Guy Rosen, Facebook
Tessa Lyons + Guy Rosen, Facebook App
The important part here is Reduce. As a Facebook Product, Instagram also reduces the visibility of questionable content that hasn’t violated Instagram Community Guidelines outright.
“We’ve started to use machine learning to determine if the actual media posted is eligible to be recommended to our community.
”
Will Ruben, Instagram Discovery Product Lead
Instagram moderators label borderline content while reviewing policy violations. Instagram’s algorithm then uses those labels to identify borderline content and suppress its reach.
So yes – Instagram is reducing the reach of borderline content from hashtags and the Explore page. In essence, a shadowban. Which explains the drop in engagement users are seeing as a result.
What is Borderline Content on Instagram?
Borderline content on Instagram refers to content that is inappropriate but does not violate Instagram’s terms of service or Community Guidelines.
Instagram published a brief article in the Help Center in 2019, but it doesn’t really define borderline content.
But the screenshots in the presentation shared by TechCrunch give us some examples:
- Content depicting violence
- Graphic or shocking content
- Sexually suggestive content
- Posts with misinformation
- Spam messages
There’s no way to know for sure what constitutes as borderline content yet. here are some actionable things you can do to avoid posting it.
Plus, some tips on how to fix a “shadowban” on Instagram if you think you’ve been hit with one.
How to Check if You’ve Been Shadowbanned
If you can’t already tell, the “shadowban” policies on Instagram make discovering if you’ve been penalized pretty difficult. There is no sure-fire way to know if you’ve been shadowbanned, but here are a few tests to run that should give you a pretty good idea:
- Test your posts
Send a new post live featuring a very popular hashtag. Have a few people who do not follow you test the content under that hashtag to see if your post shows up. If it doesn’t you might want to look a little deeper.
- Check your hashtags
One thing that Instagram has verified is that there are certain controversial hashtags that they have hidden. If you see a message under that hashtag that is being hidden, you might have used one of these selected hashtags.
- Review your Instagram insights data
If you’re suddenly seeing a huge drop in impressions engagement outside of your follower base, there is a good chance you’ve been shadowbanned.
How to Remove an Instagram Shadowban
So, you think you’ve been shadowbanned. Unfortunately, no one is exactly sure how long a shadowban has negative effects on your account. Several users have said two weeks, while others suspect it could go on for longer.
Here are some things that you can do to hopefully set things to right with your account as soon as possible.
1. Stop Any Activity That Goes Against Terms of Service
This includes using cheap engagement tactics like Instagram pods for likes, comments, and followers. Or using any kind of Instagram bot activity to automate engagement. The Instagram algorithm is hard to fool. Any apps that have dodged the crackdown on bot activity won’t be able to for long.
There’s no concrete evidence that activity like this gets you shadowbanned.
But, it’s better to play it safe. At a minimum, you could have your account locked for 24-48 hours – or be shut down completely.
2. Revoke Permissions For Any Unapproved Third-Party Apps
There are a ton of apps out there that require access to your Instagram to work. Do you use an app to monitor follows and unfollows, look for hashtags or automate engagement? Bad news: these are all major no-nos.
You should only allow permissions from approved and trusted Partners of Instagram who have permission to access Instagram’s API.
Luckily, Tailwind is an Approved Instagram Partner. You can conduct hashtag research, schedule posts, plan your Instagram grid, and monitor analytics right inside our app!
See for yourself with a free trial of Tailwind for Instagram here, no credit card required.
Start a Free Trial of Tailwind for Instagram!
- Schedule photos and videos directly to your Instagram feed with Auto Post.
- Optimize every post for more engagement with SmartSchedule and Hashtag Finder.
- Automatically hide your post’s hashtags in the first comment to keep your caption clean & clutter-free.
- Make your posts more discoverable with user tagging & location tagging.
- Analyze what's working across every post and profile with smart analytics.
No credit card required
3. Avoid Using Banned or Restricted Hashtags
Using restricted hashtags can limit your engagement. Using these hashtags over and over again could result in your Instagram account being shut down.
Always check your hashtags carefully. Make a habit of doing a quick search before adding new hashtags to your mix to make sure they aren’t restricted.
If you do use a restricted hashtag, you can edit your post and remove just that hashtag.
No need to remove all of them – just the restricted ones!
Tailwind’s Hashtag Finder tool is great for staying on top of your hashtags. Plus, you can make sure you’re not posting restricted or banned hashtags.
You can search for a good mix of hashtags related to your image, and save them into lists!
4. Reach Out to Instagram Support
Followers can’t see your feed posts or find you on the Explore page? It’s worth dropping a note to Instagram Support to see if they can review. To do this, Go to your Profile > Menu > Settings (Cog icon) > Help > Report a Problem.
Don’t mention a shadowban, just let them know your followers can’t see your posts and it’s negatively impacting your business.
5. Don’t Act Like a Bot
It’s true – posting, commenting, and liking too frequently in a short time frame will get you put in Instagram timeout. This is also true for following and unfollowing accounts rapidly.
Instagram considers this unusual engagement rate bot activity. It will put a hold on your account to prevent you from engaging for anywhere from 24 hours to 7 days!
6.
Avoid Getting ReportedReporting is one of the main ways content is flagged. Or, the algorithm might mistake your post for borderline content. Make sure you’re posting content in line with Community Guidelines. Furthermore, make sure your content is in line with your follower’s interests.
7. Take a Break From Instagram
According to most users who suspect they’ve been shadowbanned, taking a break from Instagram was the most effective fix. Avoiding the app for a few days is worth it for a fresh start!
Just remember: when you come back, proceed with caution.
Have you had any experience with shadowbanning or having your reach reduced? Let us know in the comments below! 👇
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Definition, reasons, checks and ways out
In the 21st century, maintaining an Instagram account requires time, creative ideas that can attract the attention of thousands of people, and financial resources.
It happens that the activity of subscribers suddenly decreases and indicators fall. Engagement and reach suffer the most. This usually means that your account has been shadowbanned.
What is a shadowban
A shadowban is a blocking of displaying content to users who are not subscribers without the knowledge of the account. This means that only subscribers will be able to see your posts, and only the hashtags you use will be displayed in their feed. If you see that the coverage has dropped dramatically, this may be the case.
Although the term itself appeared about fifteen years ago, it has recently gained wide popularity. Similar methods of optimizing the work of a social network are used not only on the Instagram platform. First of all, a shadowban is used to get rid of accounts that do not comply with the terms of the policy. Therefore, a shadowban is needed to ensure that users only see acceptable, authentic, and authentic content.
Promoting an Instagram account requires a lot of effort and resources, such as time and money.
Even if money is not an issue, it takes months and years to become popular and gain thousands of followers. Some bloggers use dishonest methods, such as irrelevant hashtags or auto promotion services. For security purposes, the administration identifies "dishonest users" and puts them in a shadowban. The user is not informed about this. Only when the number of views drops sharply, you can understand that something is wrong.
Typically, a shadowban affects reach among users who are not your followers. This can manifest itself in different ways:
- Other users (not your followers) do not see your posts in the recommendation section;
- Posts are blocked in hashtag searches.
In this case, you can keep the existing audience. But increasing the number of subscribers becomes much more difficult. Some bloggers are sure that with a shadowban, content disappears even from the subscribers' feed.
Sudden and significant declines in performance, such as coverage, may also be due to other causes.
Instagram is constantly changing the algorithm for displaying profiles in the "Search and interesting" section. Updates were released in June 2016. Since then, many influencers have noticed a significant drop in audience engagement. This is mainly reflected in the search for hashtags. The administration of the social network acknowledged the existence of such a problem in February 2017.
They even gave advice on how to create unique content that would comply with the policy.
If there are obvious violations of the rules, the platform may simply remove the content. In such cases, the account owner will receive a notification:
Am I shadowbanned on Instagram? How to check it?
When managing a business account, it is important to take the appropriate approach. Analytics is a good tool for assessing the real potential and current state of an account. It also helps to determine if your account has been shadowbanned. This is indicated by the following indicators:
- Decreased number of likes and comments.
Sudden decline in engagement. This scares away subscribers who are already interested in your content. If an account is shadowbanned, it will affect several posts. - Insufficient coverage of a new audience through hashtags. If this is a very popular hashtag and you are an average blogger, then this is not surprising. However, you need to be careful when it comes to less popular hashtags. Unfortunately, users outside your circle of followers will not be able to see your account when searching for hashtags.
- Reduced coverage. It is difficult to achieve high performance in this parameter, but it is an important criterion. If your reach drops significantly within two or three days while you're following your usually successful strategy, your posts may not be showing to a wide audience.
It is important to understand that judging by only one factor, it is impossible to say whether an account has been banned. The situation can be explained by a change in the algorithms (which was briefly described in the previous section).
Whether you are 100% sure or not, there are several ways to check if your account has been shadowbanned or not.
Use another Instagram account
This option enables hashtag search. This is a pretty easy way. What you need to do:
- Post with unpopular hashtags. This way, your post will be easier to find as it will be among fewer posts.
- Ask four or five non-followers to find this post using the hashtag. You can ask one of the subscribers to unsubscribe for the duration of the experiment.
If this hashtag is in search and the reach is still low, it's probably hidden algorithms. On the other hand, if no one can find a post by the hashtag, there is every reason to believe that the account has been shadowbanned.
Use shadowban checking services
There are many tools that can determine if an account has been shadowbanned. They can be paid or free, with additional features or basic evaluation criteria. To start searching, you need to enter your account information.
Usually, the service checks the last ten posts for viral and banned hashtags. For example, Triberr marks bad hashtags in red and good ones in green. It also lists all the "bad" hashtags so they can be easily removed. In addition, the service gets access to your analytics and gives recommendations on how to increase your reach.
Other services, such as the Instagram shadowban tester, provide a deeper analysis and help determine not only the use of banned hashtags, but also the overall level of compliance with security rules and the overall health of the account. This is the so-called personalized guide to creating healthy content.
Why is my account shadowbanned? What makes Instagram apply a shadowban?
Those who have already experienced the “charms” of the shadowban are trying their best to avoid a repeat of the situation in the future. This information will be useful, including for Instagram business accounts. Here we list the most common reasons for a shadowban.
Use of bots or other automated tools
Instagram's terms of use clearly state the use of automated systems. First of all, this applies to bots that increase your audience and engagement (for example, by increasing the number of likes). Instagress, Followliker, Boostly are examples of apps that offer similar services. The ban of accounts using such services is mainly intended to encourage real influencers and punish those who use dishonest methods.
Auto-posting bots are also considered as a threat to the authenticity of the account. So if you were too lazy to wake up at 8 in the morning to post, it's best to set an alarm. However, this does not include scheduling apps that remind you that it's time to post.
A small note: using bots for one account can negatively affect your other accounts. The reason is that you are using a single IP address.
Using bad hashtags
Hashtags are a common way to reach a large audience. They help increase the chances of attracting real followers.
This is probably why Instagram strictly enforces the rules for using hashtags. Even without an official list, it's easy to check the hashtag yourself. To do this, you need to search for a hashtag. If your search results only show up in the "Top" tab, it's likely that the hashtag has been blocked. In some cases, the Instagram administration may notify that this hashtag does not comply with the policy.
The constant use of certain hashtags can be another trap. Some bloggers use the same hashtags to make their profile easier to navigate, but you need to be careful with this approach. This may be perceived by the social network as spam and, therefore, your account may be shadowbanned.
Your account gets frequent complaints
The easiest way to get technical support attention on your profile is to report it. A complaint means that the content is infringing or inappropriate. In short, your content violates the community guidelines and terms of use in some way.
If the number of complaints is significant, Instagram may place your account in a shadowban or completely block access.
If you didn't break the rules, you have nothing to worry about. Contact technical support to manually check everything.
You post, comment, gain followers or follow other accounts too fast
Instagram has a limit on the number of likes, comments and number of accounts you can follow per hour. This security measure is to identify users who use automation tools. Allowed limits per hour:
- 150 likes
- 60 comments
- 60 subscriptions/unsubscriptions
These are averages for most users. However, the limits may be increased depending on the age of the account. The older the account, the more loyal the rules will be.
In addition to the limits mentioned above, there are limits on the number of hashtags or deleted posts. However, violating these restrictions is unlikely to result in a shadowban. Usually in such cases, you will immediately receive a notification from the platform.
How to get out or avoid the shadowban on Instagram?
To date, there is no panacea for the shadowban.
The situation will change for the better when Instagram talks about the “virus” and suggests concrete steps for prevention. If you understand the reasons for getting shadowbanned, then focus on them in your Instagram shadowban avoidance strategy. The most obvious steps are as follows:
1. Don't use banned or "bad" hashtags
Banned hashtags are like a red rag to a bull. Their use is the surest way to the shadowban. These hashtags will do more harm than good.
Check all your posts for banned hashtags. We have already mentioned ways to check the status of hashtags using Instagram search. Another option is to use the list of banned hashtags on Instagram. Don't forget to check the hashtags in the comments.
It's best to stop using hashtags in comments altogether. This practice increases your chances of getting into a short-term shadowban.
Don't be surprised if this helps bring your account back to normal reach. Before using an "unknown" hashtag, check it out.
Thus, you will be able to avoid getting into the shadowban and develop your business steadily.
2. Take a break
Inactivity on Instagram for a few days can help you get out of the shadowban. This applies to likes, comments, and even logging into the app itself. On average, it is enough to be absent from the social network for 48 hours. To increase your chances, try extending your break to 72 hours.
After returning, we advise you to follow the Instagram rules 100% of the time. Some also point out that reducing activity (such as giving fewer likes or leaving fewer comments) for a while can also help solve the shadowban problem.
3. Report your shadowban to Instagram support
It is known that getting a response from the Instagram administration is not easy, but reporting a problem can be effective. It's best to send a request from the app itself. This can be done from any device. You need to go to the profile section, click on the gear icon in the upper right corner, select the "Help" section, and there "Report a bug".
The best description of the shadowban problem is "something is not working right". After choosing this option, you will have the opportunity to describe the problem in more detail, so that it is easier for technical support to understand the situation. It is important to remember that Instagram does not officially acknowledge the existence of this problem. Therefore, it will be useless to complain about the decline in engagement and other indicators. One of the best options is to say that posts are not identified in the search by the hashtags used.
In any case, you can contact support an unlimited number of times, so you can experiment. Remember that you won't always get a response, much less a quick one.
4. Switch from a business account to a personal account
Switching to a personal account is a rather controversial decision. There is no evidence that it is effective. Although some users claim that it works. Potentially, the reason may be that a business account automatically assumes the role of a marketing tool, which means making a profit.
Some say that ever since Facebook bought Instagram, social networks have focused on monetization. Business is the main resource. A popular way to earn your place on Facebook is through paid advertising. The ability to constantly expand the audience and increase the level of engagement using existing free tools limits the ability of the social network to earn from paid advertising. It can be assumed that the shadowban arose precisely for this reason.
5. Avoid complaints about your account from other users
Although the Instagram representative is difficult to contact, their technical support responds quickly. Not for questions, but for complaints. Obviously, we are talking about complaints from users. This is a sure sign that something is wrong with your content. Typically, complaints come about inappropriate content or spam.
Social media policies must be strictly followed to avoid complaints. There are two main categories: Terms of Use and Community Guidelines.
In short, the content must be genuine, non-offensive and appropriate (i.e. without any form of harassment, no nudity, etc.) This guide also covers ways to promote an account. Only manual and predictable methods are allowed.
If you have been reported, this does not always mean that the account's reputation has been destroyed. However, a reduction in coverage, engagement and other indicators is guaranteed. In more serious cases, access to the account may be lost forever.
Instagram banned hashtag list
The first Instagram banned hashtag list was published in 2018. Previously, all banned hashtags had to be checked manually using a search, as mentioned above. Listings cannot guarantee 100% quality. This does not mean that the compilers made a mistake. The fact is that a hashtag ban can be temporary.
The list may seem too varied. It includes the most popular hashtags like #alone, #always, #italiano, #popular etc. Many of them are related to the topic of sexuality or popular trends on Instagram like #likeforlike.
Here you can find the current list of prohibited Instagram hashtags.
Shadowban in other social networks
The term "shadowban" is gaining popularity in all social networks. Giants such as Twitter and Facebook have been hit by accusations over this issue. Although none of them have confirmed the use of the shadowban, several updates have been posted regarding changes to the algorithms.
Twitter has announced that it will implement a special rating to get rid of "bad" users. The rating is based on the authenticity of the content and profile usage. Facebook, in turn, is flooded with news publications. In an attempt to detect false news, random accounts are placed in the ban.
They claim to rely on complaints from users and fact checkers. However, both platforms may still limit engagement and reach if the account was overly active or violated the rules.
Youtube is also known to use shadowban. In addition to the usual blocking due to non-compliance with the rules, this platform also hides some comments.
They are marked as spam and are visible only to the author of the comment and the owner of the video.
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 the reach or restriction of showing your content to users who are not following you.
In other words, if you are in the shadowban, then your posts are 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.
StatisticsIf 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 2019, they made a statement on their official page 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 a quite usual 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.
| Reason | Description |
| 1. Cheating bots | 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. Account complaints | It's hard to track down why this happens - it's content or 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?
- 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.
