Shadowban: What It Is and How to Avoid It
Have you ever heard of shadowban?
In this article, we will explain in detail what it is and how you can avoid it.
- What is shadowban?
Have you noticed a drop in engagement, a decrease in followers, or that your photos no longer appear under hashtags? You might be a victim of the dreaded Instagram shadowban without even realizing it.
In simple terms, shadowban is the act of blocking a user on an online platform without them realizing it. Although it's not an official term, it's widely used among social media users.
On Instagram, shadowban hides your posts from people who don't follow you, which can hinder your account's growth and reduce the chances of gaining new followers.
More specifically, if you're hit by shadowban and use hashtags in your posts, only you and your current followers will be able to see those posts when searching for those hashtags.
This phenomenon indicates that the platform is limiting the visibility of your content, significantly reducing its reach.
The main sign of a shadowban is that your content, even if tagged with hashtags, won't appear in the Explore pages for those who don't follow you, which can be very frustrating, especially for personal accounts, content creators, or businesses aiming to grow on Instagram.
In fact, if someone who is not among your followers searches for one of those hashtags, they won't be able to see your post, defeating the entire purpose of using strategic hashtags to expand your community on Instagram.
Since hashtags are essential for getting your profile discovered, being affected by shadowban can be a real problem, as growth and engagement may slow down or even decline. And if you use Instagram for business, it could mean fewer clients and less revenue!
- What causes Instagram shadowban?
Shadowban was introduced to discourage certain behaviors on Instagram, such as generating spam, adopting inappropriate or even offensive attitudes. In theory, it should only affect users who engage in spammy or inappropriate behaviors.
However, what's interesting is that even "correct" actions can be penalized, such as repeatedly using the same hashtags multiple times.
In this regard, Instagram released a statement through a post on Facebook:
Translation: “We understand that many users are experiencing difficulties in searching for hashtags, which results in posts not being found. We are continually working to improve our system with the available resources.”
When creating content, we recommend focusing on your business goals rather than on hashtags. Having a growth strategy that targets the right audience is essential for success on Instagram.
Good content on Instagram is fundamentally the result of good creativity. Follow the same three creative principles you would apply to any other marketing channel:
- Visually stand out: Include your logo, a distinctive brand element, a brand color, or even a product you are known for, so that your content is recognizable and easily identifiable by the community.
- Tell a story: Create a narrative that supports your business goal. Whether you want to raise brand awareness or boost sales of a specific product, make sure that the images and text align with your main objective.
- Invest in your creativity: Structure your content in a way that captures attention. This doesn’t mean you have to create additional content exclusively for Instagram, but rather that you should put effort and care into what you publish to inspire others.
We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding.
Thank you, The Instagram Team.
The post was subsequently removed.
This was the only instance in which Instagram confirmed that there is an issue with hashtag search.
However, instead of acknowledging the implementation of shadowban, Instagram simply describes it as "improvements to our system" and provides suggestions on how not to rely solely on hashtags to grow your account.
When further details about the issue were requested, Instagram provided the following explanation:
Translation: “We understand your frustration, *username redacted for privacy reasons*. Currently, we do not have the resources needed to address the issue with hashtag search. We encourage you to continue reporting the situation to our technicians, as this is the best way to inform them of your experience on Instagram. Thank you – Chelsey.”
Why does Instagram penalize accounts that repeatedly use the same hashtags?
Some argue that this is a way for Instagram to limit influencer marketing and force business accounts to invest in paid advertising.
If we think about it, hashtags are designed to allow your content to be discovered; if Instagram wants to quickly increase revenue from ads, what would be the best strategy?
Probably limiting an account's ability to reach a broader audience through the use of hashtags.
But don’t lose hope!
With our growth packages, you can steadily and positively increase your organic reach, thus reaching more people interested in your content.
- How to avoid shadowban on Instagram
Alex Tooby, Instagram marketing expert, recently published an article on her blog, which highlights several important points that shed light on the reasons why your account may have been banned and how to prevent it from happening in the future.
Here are some tips to consider:
- Don't use banned hashtags in your posts.
It's difficult for Instagram to monitor everything that users share and the hashtags they use. Often, an seemingly harmless hashtag can be compromised by inappropriate content. An example is the hashtag #kansas, which was banned by Instagram due to an excessive number of posts that violated community guidelines.
In situations like these, Instagram decides to block the hashtag, making it impossible to search or limiting its use. Additionally, it appears that using even a single banned hashtag in your post can prevent your content from appearing under all the other hashtags you have used!
- Avoid being reported by other users.
According to Alex, another reason for receiving a shadowban on Instagram is being reported by another user. It's important to know that a report alone is not enough for Instagram to take action against your account; it must be proven that you have actually violated their terms of service.
However, if Instagram determines that you are at fault, they may completely disable your account or, alternatively, apply the shadowban.
- How to avoid shadowban on Instagram
If you've been shadowbanned, here's how to deal with the situation in three simple steps:
- Remove banned hashtags from your previous posts
Carefully review all the hashtags you use, one by one, and make sure none of them are restricted by Instagram.
If a hashtag has been restricted, you will either see no results (the entire tag will be removed), or a page of images will appear, accompanied by a notice stating that the tag has been hidden due to abuse.
If you find hashtags like this, remove them from your posts and make a note not to use them in the future.
Don't have a set of hashtags that you use consistently?
You will need to check all hashtags each time before adding them to new posts.
Finally, if you discover a broken hashtag, go back to your previous posts and remove the tag by editing the caption or deleting the comment containing it.
- Report the problem to Instagram
Contacting Instagram and Facebook can be difficult, but it's worth a try. You can do it directly from the Instagram app: go to your profile, tap the gear icon in the top right to access Settings, then scroll down until you find "“report a problem“. Select “something is not working” and write a short message about the problem you are experiencing.
A small one suggestion: It's a good idea to mention that your posts aren't appearing in the hashtags you're using, rather than pointing out a decrease in engagement, as this may not pique Instagram's interest.
Don't hesitate to repeat this process several times a day.
- Switch from a business account to a personal account
Alex Tooby theorizes there's more to this phenomenon: Instagram is owned by Facebook, which is known for limiting engagement and reach to incentivize you to buy ads.
Business accounts are more likely to be shadowbanned, as they require significant engagement to generate sales. Because they're shadowbanned, they may be more likely to invest in ads directly on Instagram.
Therefore, by switching from a business account to a personal one, you may be able to circumvent this problem.
- Quick Questions
What is shadowban?
Shadowbanning is a phenomenon that consists of obscuring your posts, thus limiting the reach and visibility of your content.
What causes the shadowban?
Shadowbans are used to prevent unwanted behavior on Instagram, such as spam and posting offensive content. However, they can also affect users who repeatedly use the same hashtags.
How to avoid it?
To prevent shadowbans, it's crucial to avoid using banned hashtags in your posts and to avoid being reported by other users.
How do I recover my profile after being shadowbanned?
To restore your profile after a shadowban, you can: remove banned hashtags from previous posts, report the issue to Instagram, and consider switching from a business account to a personal one.
- Conclusions
While a shadowban isn't easily identifiable, it's crucial to pay attention to your behavior on the platform to avoid penalties.
Following these tips will help you maintain a good level of visibility and engagement, allowing you to grow your Instagram account!