What they are and how to avoid them

Even with the rise of new social media platforms, Instagram remains one of the most popular networks in the world. With an estimated 2 billion monthly users, building a loyal following for your business is something every marketer should strive for.

But what happens when you start to see a sudden drop in engagement, but you don’t lose any followers? It can be frustrating to invest hours of time and effort into creating quality content that will never be seen, but there may be a reason behind this that has nothing to do with the content itself: shadowbanning.

For companies using Social media management software For tracking purposes, a sudden drop in user reach or engagement may indicate that a shadow ban is in place.

The purpose of shadowbans is to hide content that violates the platform’s community guidelines. However, execution is not always straightforward.

The History of Instagram Shadowbans

Since X (formerly Twitter) introduced the term “shadow ban” in 2017, Instagram Keep stating that this practice does not exist on their platform.

However, in 2019, they publicly admitted to surveillance content Use of excessive, irrelevant hashtags, and accounts that appear to be buying followers. Even something as simple as commenting or following too many accounts in one hour could be considered suspicious activity. Any content deemed “spam” will be immediately flagged for consideration.

Although Insta denies that shadowbans actually exist, users continue to report that their posts are banned or hidden from new users who don’t yet follow them.

More latest updates

In 2020, in response to concerns that Instagram was banning Black creators, the platform issued a universal Information about their ranking and the steps they took to create an appeals process.

While they’ve never fully admitted to implementing shadowban technology, Instagram is trying to set up more transparent features so creators can determine if their content is restricted and how to request support in those cases.

How to avoid shadowbans as much as possible

Here are the most common reasons people find themselves shadowbanned.

• Violation of Instagram Community Guidelines. Content containing nudity, violence, or sexually suggestive content will be flagged immediately. However, Instagram has been criticized for some of its decisions, with creators citing clear bias based on gender, race and sexual orientation.
• Use bots to increase followers or engagement. If an Insta account’s follower count doesn’t grow organically and they decide to pay fake users to increase their number, they may get shadowbanned.
• spam activity. Following a large number of users in a short period of time may make Instagram look suspicious and they may think that a bot is performing these actions rather than a human. The same goes for comments and likes on posts. Try spreading your participation throughout the day or week so that you act less robot-like.
• Banned or too popular hashtags. If a hashtag is used for inappropriate content, Instagram may flag it as broken or ban it to limit use. Accounts that continue to add this hashtag to their content may be shadowbanned. The same goes for viral hashtags. In 2020, #BlackLivesMatter content became so prevalent around the world that many users found their accounts banned as a result.

Users should remember to use Instagram in an authentic and authentic way, commenting and liking the posts you want to engage with, and replying to comments on your own posts in a unique way. These actions indicate to Instagram that there is a real person behind the account, not a bot.

How to tell if you’ve been shadowblocked

In 2023, Instagram added an account status feature for creator and business accounts to assist professional accounts in submitting content for review for deleted or flagged posts.

In your profile, you can access this setting under Account > Account Status to see if any of your content violates Instagram’s guidelines and find suggested solutions on how to fix the problem.

If you believe content has been unfairly removed or restricted, you can also “Report a Problem” to have the content reviewed and republished.

Personal account test

If you are still using a personal account, even as a business, there are other methods you can use to test whether you have been shadowbanned. However, nothing is accurate and many tools that market themselves as shadow ban testers are unreliable.

One of the easiest things to check is to post a new story or photo using an uncommon hashtag. After posting, ask 5-10 people who don’t follow your account to search the hashtag to see if your post or story appears there.

If none of these people can see the content, then you’ve most likely been shadowbanned. If at least two or three people see the post, your lack of engagement and reach may be due to other factors than shadow banning.

Even without such testing, you can get indications of shadow bans directly from your own analysis. When viewing Instagram Insights, compare your Discovery details before the suspected ban. See the percentage of your content seen by accounts that aren’t tracking you. A sharp drop over a short period of time could be a sign of a shadow ban.

How to Fix Instagram Shadow Ban

The duration of a shadowban is not clearly defined, but most users who believe they have experienced one say it lasts on average two to three weeks. In some cases, it’s been a month or more.

If you think your shadowban is affecting you, you can try waiting it out or taking steps to encourage Instagram to resolve the issue faster.

Report a problem

For business and creator accounts, using the Account Status feature is the best way to go. If a specific post has been removed from your account, you can use this setting to request a manual review of the content and attempt to repost it.

Additionally, the standard Report an Issue feature is available to all account types. Here you can describe what your issue is, but it is very important not to use the term “shadowban” in your message. Instead, you could say that your posts aren’t showing up on the feed, which is hurting your business.

Remove all automated tools

Not all automated features will result in a shadow ban. In fact, most tools for scheduling or previewing content are fine, but if you think you’ve been shadowbanned, temporarily removing these automated apps can help reset your account.

Log in to your account settings. Under Security > Apps & Websites, delete expired apps and apps you don’t use.

Reset your Instagram habits

For many users, taking a few days away from Instagram can help reset their account and lift their shadow ban. Since many issues with shadowbans stem from Instagram flagging accounts for bot activity, deleting the app and not using it can help you get your ban lifted faster.

If you use Instagram for business, leaving it at any time will feel like you’re wasting a marketing opportunity. But remember, if you’ve been shadowbanned, people are unlikely to see your content anyway. Use this time to invest in other social platforms or different marketing channels, or start planning Instagram content after you come back.

Don’t let your content hide in the shadows

There is no single answer to why an account is shadowbanned and how to fix it. As with anything you post online, you should follow the platform’s best practices whenever possible.

Continue to post useful, informative, and educational content that your followers will want to engage with. By doing this, you’ll be less likely to be shadowblocked, and you’ll find that your Instagram presence increases over time.

Stay up-to-date with social media analytics and be immediately aware when shadowbans are likely to occur Social media analysis software For your business.