Instagram shadowbans are arguably one of the most frustrating experiences a user can encounter on the platform. When a user gets shadowbanned, the effects can be sudden and severe. Their posts become virtually invisible to their followers, leading to low organic reach, few likes, and almost no engagement- even after they stop posting potentially controversial content.
What Is an Instagram Shadowban?
An Instagram shadowban is a restrictive measure imposed on accounts for reasons that are not entirely clear. It limits the visibility of posts, stories, and explore page content, thus significantly reducing the reach of the account.
It is believed to be enforced when an account posts sensitive material or violates platform guidelines in some way, although Instagram denies using such measures. It is particularly insidious that users are usually not informed when their account has been shadowbanned and may only be aware if they observe the lack of engagement themselves.
Shadowbans can be difficult to detect because there are no official means of confirming their existence and lifting them, making it hard for affected users to correct any issues causing them.
How Do They Work?
Ultimately, Instagram shadowbans occur due to violating guidelines. Instagram’s algorithm is a complex system that constantly evolves to help promote user safety and content quality. It uses a variety of signals, such as engagement rates and keywords, to determine the relevance and visibility of each post.
Depending on the signal, posts may appear more prominently or be restricted in reach. Instagram has also established Community Guidelines that detail which types of content are unacceptable and will result in deletion, account disablement, or other restrictions if violated.
This helps protect the platform from abusive behavior while ensuring users have an enjoyable experience. The algorithm is an ever-evolving system that requires regular adaptation to remain effective and ensure users’ safety while still providing them with interesting content.
How Do You Know if You’ve Been Shadowbanned on Instagram?
For many users, an Instagram action block notification is the first sign that they have been shadowbanned; this type of notification appears when Instagram suspects that a bot is running an account due to excessive liking or commenting behavior.
Knowing the signs of a potential shadowban and how to avoid them can help users stay engaged with their followers while avoiding any unpleasant surprises.
An Instagram shadowban can be an incredibly disheartening experience for users, who often feel like the algorithm is actively working against them. Generally, a decrease in engagement on posts and stories with no apparent explanation will be the first sign of a shadowban. Other signs include:
- Followers not being able to see content as they normally would
- Audience insights showing decreased non-follower reach
- Follower counts will stop growing even if they post regularly or use other methods to increase it
This can have an effect on businesses or creators who rely heavily on their account for their success, so it’s important to address any potential issues with the algorithm as soon as possible to avoid a full ban.
As such, if you think you might be affected by a shadowban, try taking steps such as changing up your content and hashtags that are related to your post regularly and ensuring you’re following Instagram’s Community Guidelines.
How Long Does an Instagram Shadowban Last?
The length of any Instagram shadowban can be highly variable, and it is impossible to predict with certainty how long a ban will last. Generally speaking, most users report that after two weeks, their account is back at its usual level of engagement and growth.
However, there are cases where some accounts have never fully recovered even after a year or more in the shadows. It’s possible that Instagram may impose different levels of bans depending on the user or the infraction, meaning that accounts can be restored quickly while others may take much longer to get back to normal.
Whatever the case may be, it is best to ensure all Instagram guidelines are being adhered to in order to minimize the chances of getting banned in the first place.
How To Remove a Shadowban on Instagram?
Shadowbans can be a frustrating problem, but there are steps you can take to resolve it potentially. Start by reviewing any changes you’ve made to your account in the past few weeks – were any of them questionable or against the platform’s rules?
If so, this may be why you’re being shadowbanned. Next, switch up your content and posting schedule; if you’re posting too frequently with similar topics and images, the platform may limit your reach as a form of protection from spam accounts.
Additionally, look into the platform’s service terms and ensure that all posts follow their guidelines.
Finally, experiment with different types of content, such as videos or stories; if your posts aren’t getting visibility in one format, try another to see if that helps!
With some patience and experimentation, these tips will help you regain visibility on the platform again. Listed below are some more specific ways that you can attempt to un-shadowbanned yourself on Instagram.
- Find the post that got you banned, and delete it: In this case, one potential solution might be deleting your post to see if that restores normal engagement levels, although there is no guarantee that will fix the issue. Ultimately, it’s up to each individual person to decide what level of compromise they are comfortable with in order to reach their desired level of engagement on social media.
- Deleting hashtags from past posts: Removing hashtags that are no longer relevant or optimizing post captions to be more engaging for readers may positively affect engagement rates and should be considered when trying to boost social media presence.
- Deactivate your account and reactivate it shortly after: Deactivating an account on a platform may be a way to help users get around a shadowban, although there is no guarantee this will work. However, it should be noted that deactivating an account is only a temporary solution and could result in users losing followers or missing out on posts they follow during their absence. Additionally, when reactivating an account after deactivation, the shadowban may still persist.
- Take an Instagram break: Taking a break from Instagram can effectively reset your account and potentially clear a shadowban. For the best results, aim to take at least two or three days off completely away from the platform.
Ways To Avoid an Instagram Shadowban
Even though Instagram shadowbans are becoming a bit common, there are ways in which social media lovers can avoid being shadowbanned. The list we will provide below can help you do what you can to mitigate the issues of being shadowbanned before they happen.
Be Aware of Community Guidelines and Don’t Violate Them
When using Instagram, it is important to create a positive environment for everyone. This means being respectful in all communications, including private messages or DMs. It is not acceptable to post content that could be considered inappropriate or promote violence in any way.
Additionally, companies should ensure they own the copyright or have permission for everything they post on the platform.
According to Instagram’s Community Guidelines and terms of service, this includes content such as images, videos, graphics, music, logos and other material. Failing to do so could result in serious legal consequences, so it is important to take extra precautions before posting any content that may belong to another party.
Being aware of these guidelines and regulations can help ensure users respect the platform and its community while avoiding unnecessary issues.
Don’t Act Like a Bot
The best way to be safe and avoid getting your account frozen is to take things slow. This means limiting how many follows, likes, and comments you do each hour – not only for Instagram but also for other social media platforms.
It’s generally recommended that users stick to around 100 total actions per hour or fewer, depending on their individual account activity. If you want to go above that, it’s important to space out your posts as much as possible in order for them to appear natural.
When it comes down to red flags, an account can be flagged if there are too many automated responses or if the interactions are too concentrated within a short period of time. It’s essential that you pay attention to the frequency of your posts in order not to trigger any red flags and get yourself into trouble with Instagram’s spam policy.
So remember: keep it slow and steady to avoid acting like a bot!
Be Consistent On Instagram
Posting several times per week ensures followers are seeing content in their feeds and helps to bring in new followers too. If posting is done haphazardly, the result could be a lower engagement rate and a possible shadowban.
It is also important to consider the type of content you post, as it should be relevant and engaging for your current followers. Experimenting with different posts such as polls, pose questions or sharing images, can also help with improving engagement rates and bringing in new followers.
Keeping an active posting schedule with interesting content that resonates with your current audience can be incredibly beneficial in helping to improve engagement metrics on social media accounts.
Watch Out For the Banned Hashtags
Hashtags are a powerful tool, allowing Instagram users to quickly join conversations and reach wider audiences. However, it’s important to remember that the platform can ban hashtags at any time.
Banned hashtags appear in searches as unavailable and any posts associated with them will have significantly reduced visibility. It’s important to keep up-to-date on all your usual hashtags and regularly search for them in order to avoid using ones that have been deemed inappropriate or problematic by Instagram.
Inappropriate hashtags may include profanities, offensive language or topics related to illegal activities; however, even seemingly innocent words such as ‘pushups’ have been known to be subject to bans from time to time.
If you discover a hashtag you commonly use has been banned, it’s important to remove it from your posts right away to ensure your content is not being shadowbanned.
Use a Content Warning for Sensitive Topics
When talking about news stories or violent events, it is important to be aware of Instagram guidelines when posting on the platform. It’s best to block or blur images depicting violence or sensitive content and include a warning in both the graphic and text associated with it.
Additionally, if seeing the original image is important to raise awareness of a situation, it is advisable to link to an external site that has the full news story but ensure that your message remains clear and does not appear pro-violence.
Furthermore, providing more details and facts in your post can help provide additional context for readers by creating higher semantic richness. This allows them to form their own opinion on the topic while understanding why you are raising awareness about it.
Don’t Buy Followers or Use Questionable Apps
It’s important to remember that if you want your account to stay in good standing, you should avoid any practices or behaviors that violate Instagram’s content guidelines. This is similar to what we touched on in the first point, but this point includes trying to buy followers or using unapproved third-party apps to automate likes, follows, and comments.
Not only is this a violation of the platform’s terms of service, but it can also jeopardize the credibility of your account. Furthermore, you should be wary of DMs requesting information like codes or passwords – these are often malicious and can compromise the security of your account.
To ensure a safe and secure experience on Instagram, always stick to official Instagram partners and double-check before entering sensitive information into messages.
