Shadowbanned on Instagram: If you want your Instagram account to grow, you’re mainly interested in exploring and using hashtags. So it can feel more than a little disheartening when it suddenly seems like your content isn’t showing up anywhere.
You might be Instagram shadowbanned if you notice your posts receiving fewer likes and comments suddenly, or not appearing for certain hashtags or on the Explore page.
Our tips for getting yourself un-shadowbanned will help you identify if you’re shadowbanned.
Has Instagram shadowbanned me?
Post an image that has an uncommon hashtag. (If you use a hashtag that has millions of posts associated with it, it’s hard to determine whether the content is being hidden by competitors or if it has been banned). After you’ve posted, ask five employees or non-followers to look up the hashtag. There’s the possibility that your post won’t show up in those results and you’ve been shadowbanned.
You may simply be dealing with a drop in engagement if one or two employees can see your post. This can be fixed by taking a number of steps.
It’s possible that this method isn’t feasible for your business even if it is a simple way to see whether you’ve been shadowbanned. Your small business may have only one owner and employee.
Seeing the hashtag feeds of employees and customers isn’t feasible in that case. The following are other methods you can use to find out if you have been Instagram shadowbanned.
Test of shadowbanning on Instagram
An Instagram shadowban on Instagram cannot be determined with a foolproof test. Although they claim to be able to do this, these tools are not trusted. Here are some steps you can try instead.
You should check your hashtags.
You may have been shadowbanned if you see posts that have been hidden on hashtag pages you regularly use. You may notice Instagram is hiding your content with this hashtag (even if it does not violate any community guidelines) because users reported recent posts using this hashtag that did not meet Instagram’s community guidelines.
Take a look at Instagram Insights.
When you suddenly and sustainably lose engagement on Instagram, it might be because you’ve been Instagram shadowbanned. You should keep an eye on how many accounts you reached who weren’t following you.
Compare how the two posts under “discovery” differ. Previously, they reached 70K accounts, 32% of which weren’t following them, now they’ve reached just over 40K, of which only 4% aren’t already following them. Bloggers found out that their account was shadowbanned through this drop.
We have a solution for you if you’ve been shadowbanned.
I got shadowbanned, why?
You could be Instagram shadowbanned for a few reasons. Let’s talk about some things you might have done that led to being shadowbanned so this doesn’t happen again.
1. The growth of Instagram is automated with bots or other software.
You will not grow a following if you don’t put in the work yourself. Instagram frowns on this; in their statement above, they recommend that users find the correct audience and connect with them. It is spammy to use bots, and a shadowban could be imposed.
2. Your hashtags are broken.
Occasionally, a popular hashtag becomes flooded with inappropriate content. Instagram has the right to remove or limit the use of the hashtag if this happens. It could result in a blocked account if you use a broken hashtag.
3. Reports about your account are frequent.
In the event repeatedly reported accounts are found to post inappropriate content or violate Instagram’s terms of service, Instagram will assume you post offensive content. Your account may be disabled or it may be shadowbanned.
4. Too many posts, comments, engagements, or follows have been made too soon.
Following, unfollowing, liking, commenting, or posting on Instagram is limited to once or twice per hour. The bot is likely the one following 80 people on Twitter within an hour, not you.
In the short run, these actions might help you grow your following, but they aren’t going to help you connect with the right people, which is why you are on Instagram in the first place. Those behaviors may also lead to shadowbans, which severely restrict your ability to reach new audiences.
How to Get Shadowbanned Back
Reversing the damage will restore your account to its former state. How to:
Stop and delete any bot or automated service you’re using immediately.
Ensure you’re not still associated with the accounts by clicking “Edit Profile” on your desktop Instagram, and then “Apps and Websites”. The bot accounts that you see under the Active tab can be removed by clicking the “Remove” button.
Spend two days away from work.
It’s worth taking a break from social media for 48 hours so that your system can reset and get you back on track, isn’t it?
Be sure to follow Instagram’s rules and regulations.
Make sure you read and follow Instagram’s Terms of Use, Community Guidelines, and Recommendation Guidelines. Here are a few takeaways:
- Don’t share content you didn’t create or that you are not authorized to share
- Posting false or misleading content is prohibited
- If you wish to share content, make sure it is appropriate for anyone to see
How to Avoid Being Shadowbanned on Instagram
Whether you’re growing an audience on Instagram or posting content for it, staying on top of best practices is the quickest way to avoid getting shadowbanned. While doing this will take longer, it will be well worth the wait as long as it does not get shadowbanned.