Instagram shadowban: What it is and how to remove it

Harnessing the power of visibility is crucial to your success on Instagram. So when engagement dips out of nowhere, you’re right to be worried.

Maybe all of your posts used to receive handfuls of likes, comments, and new followers — which made it clear that you were on your followers’ feeds and Instagram’s Explore page. But now your posts and Reels are receiving abysmal numbers, and it feels like you’re flushing great content down the drain.

If you’ve been experiencing this unexpected downfall with your engagement, it could be a sign your account is shadowbanned. Read on to learn what an Instagram shadowban is and how to fix it.

What is an Instagram Shadowban?

Although “shadowban” isn’t an official Instagram term, avid users have coined the phrase to describe what happens when any social media platform seems to deprioritize their accounts and posts from reaching a wider audience. And when you count on Instagram’s algorithm to build a loyal audience for your business or personal brand, shadowbanning can throw a big wrench into your process.

Shadowbanned content appears on your profile, but users can’t see it anywhere else, making it nearly impossible to grow your following. Even if you create exceptional content, potential followers won’t find it on their Explore page or even through hashtags. Unfortunately, Instagram doesn’t inform users about these kinds of restrictions, so there’s no official way to know if it’s happening to you. However, shadowbanning generally only happens to users who have violated Instagram’s Community Guidelines or have produced inappropriate content.

Why did Instagram shadowban me? Possible causes

Restricting users’ content is how Instagram filters out accounts that oppose their terms or guidelines. This doesn’t necessarily mean the app has a vendetta against specific creators — it just wants to ensure all users receive helpful and relatable content.

Every action you take on Instagram is automatically on the app’s radar. If you’ve taken any risky approaches to growing your following, such as buying inauthentic followers or using unrelated hashtags, Instagram could label your account as spam. When that happens, the platform might restrict your content.

But the reasons behind shadowbanning aren’t always apparent, and you may have been doing things without realizing they weren’t allowed. Although it’s unclear exactly what causes Instagram to shadowban someone, here are some possible reasons to watch out for:

1. Violating Instagram’s Community Guidelines

Violating Instagram’s Community Guidelines is a quick way to get flagged. This includes sharing sexually suggestive content or posts that portray violence or misinformation. It’s best to strictly follow the app’s guidelines to protect yourself against a shadowban and make sure your content is safe for everyone on the platform.

2. Participating in fake engagements

Building a following on Instagram takes a lot of work, and buying engagement to lighten that load might be tempting. But purchasing likes, comments, and followers is more harmful than helpful, providing you with inauthentic engagement and potential restrictions on your account.

Participating in engagement pods on Instagram may also lead to a shadowban. Engagement pods are groups of creators who share their content within a private chat to boost their engagement by receiving likes, comments, and shares from other group members. Although being a part of a supportive group can be fun, Instagram could label this activity as spammy or inauthentic.

3. Conducting spammy activity

When growing your following, you may have resorted to drastic measures such as commenting on a stream of posts too quickly or following many accounts at once. At the time, you probably didn’t realize that could cause damage to your account — otherwise, you wouldn’t have done it.

Using over 30 hashtags on a single post and interacting with countless accounts too quickly are two actions Instagram considers spam.

4. Using banned hashtags

Although the phrase “banned hashtags” sounds sinister, it refers to hashtags that you can’t use anymore because they go against Instagram’s Community Guidelines. When you use a banned hashtag on one of your posts, Instagram will flag it and hide your content from users.

Luckily, you can scope out banned hashtags. All you have to do is enter the specific hashtag into the search bar and see if there’s a disclaimer at the top of the page mentioning whether the hashtag falls into this category.

How do I know if Instagram shadowbanned me?

Accounts can underperform for several reasons, from posting inconsistent content to failing to actively engage with followers. Use these tricks to conduct an Instagram shadowban test if you’re suspicious your account is being restricted:

1. Use Instagram’s Account Status feature

You can test whether the algorithm is recommending your content to new users by using Instagram’s Account Status feature.

To check your status, follow these steps:

1. Open the Instagram app
2. Visit your profile
3. Click on settings in the top right corner
4. Tap “Settings and privacy”
5. Scroll to the bottom and click “Account status” under “More info and support”

This page displays parameters Instagram uses to manage your actions and activity on the app, including:

• Removed content
• What can’t be recommended
• Monetization
• Features you can’t use

If you have green check marks next to each indicator, your account abides by the Community Guidelines and is active with other Instagram users. If you don’t have the green checkmarks, click each option to discover what content has violated the Community Guidelines.

You can edit or delete the affected content to remedy a guideline violation or request Instagram’s review team to take a look at your post.

2. Use a low-volume hashtag to test your account’s status

Another way to verify whether or not your account is under a shadowban is to create a post and use a low-volume hashtag. This hashtag can be pretty much anything, as long as it isn’t too popular. The goal is to place your content at the top of the hashtag’s search page, and if dozens of other posts come first, it’ll be harder to find.

Make a quick feed post and ask someone who doesn’t follow you on Instagram to search for the hashtag. If they see your post, your account status is active, and if they don’t, you’ve likely been shadowbanned.

3. Check on your Instagram Insights

The Instagram Insights tool allows you to measure your posts’ impressions and verify how many new users view your content. It’s a helpful way to check engagement, but it can also spot discrepancies.

To test this, select a recent piece of content and compare the insights to a post from several months ago. Under the “Discovery” section in your Insights, you can view how many new accounts your content reached and how users found it, such as through hashtags or their home page.

If your latest impressions are significantly less and your account reaches fewer new accounts, it could indicate that Instagram is shadowbanning you. But it could also mean it doesn’t think your content is as valuable as before. If you spend some time making quality content and the numbers still don’t rise, a shadowban is more likely.

How long does an Instagram shadowban last?

It’s unclear how long shadowbans last, but some say they can be 2–4 weeks. If you take the proper precautions and remove content that violates Instagram’s Community Guidelines, your account should return to its normal state.

How to remove a shadowban on Instagram: 4 tips

Once you’ve established that a shadowban is affecting your account, it’s time to take measures to remove it.

Here are several ways to try and get back on the map:

1. Remove banned hashtags: If you’ve accidentally used banned hashtags on your content, edit your caption or delete comments to remove them.
2. Delete automated applications: If you’re using automated applications to engage with other creator’s content or using apps to buy followers, delete them immediately.
3. Remove content that violates Instagram’s Community Guidelines: If you’ve spotted content violating Instagram’s Community Guidelines on your account status page, select it and either edit or remove the post.
4. Take a two-day Instagram break: Some creators have reported that taking 48 hours away from Instagram can reset your account. While this sounds scary to social media lovers, it’s worth trying.

How to avoid an Instagram shadowban

If you’re unsure what content could land you in hot water, here are some tips for playing it safe and reducing your chances of being shadowbanned:

• Verify if a hashtag is banned before using it on a post
• Avoid making a spammy impression by interacting with too many new accounts at once
• Don’t buy likes, comments, or followers
• Post authentic and helpful content
• Follow Instagram’s Community Guidelines.

Make the most of your socials

When it comes to shadowbans on Instagram, try not to sweat it. If you follow Instagram’s guidelines and consistently produce valuable content, your account will receive the engagement it deserves.

There’s still a lot to learn about optimizing your time on the app, whether you want to create an effective bio, learn proper linking etiquette or discover how to delete messages. The Linktree blog is an excellent resource for exploring all things social media. If you’re curious about your active followers, learn how to see who views your story or expand your reach through trending hashtags.

If you spread your content across multiple platforms, why not link it? Join other creators on Linktree to make the most of your link in bio and direct your audience to everything that matters most.