Instagram Shadow Banned: 101 Guide

Has it ever happened that you're uploading trendy content with popular hashtags, but instead of getting more visibility, your account gets shadow-banned on Instagram?

Instagram shadowban is a nightmare for creators, social media managers, and business pages that want to promote their content and services on the platform. But once you know how to prevent the shadow ban, the journey to more visibility and engagement only gets easier.

In this blog, you will understand the concept of shadowbans, why they happen, and how they can be resolved. Let's start with what shadowban is.

What Is Instagram Shadowban?

A shadow banning on Instagram occurs when your content suddenly stops receiving visibility and engagement on the platform without any notification. It's Instagram's way of limiting your reach even after you use hashtags or keep your content trendy.

So, are the Instagram shadow ban and Instagram suspension the same? In short, no. Let's understand how.

Instagram Shadow Ban vs. Account Suspension

Instagram Shadowban: A Shadowban is when your account gets limited visibility due to a drop in engagement and reach, often caused by guideline violations.
Account Suspension: Account suspension occurs when Instagram disables your account, which prevents you from logging in. It's usually due to severe policy violations.

How Long Does A Shadow Ban Last On Instagram?

An estimated Instagram shadow ban lasts for 2 weeks, but that's not always the case. Sometimes, it can also last a few weeks or months. If you take serious action to remove the shadow ban, it can turn into a permanent shadow ban as well.

But before taking action, how can you identify if you’ve been shadowbanned? Our next section explains that.

How To Check If You’ve Been Shadowbanned On Instagram?

Learning how to know if you're banned on Instagram helps you take necessary action on time. This can lift the shadow ban, ensuring your content gets the visibility and encouragement it deserves. Let’s explore the proven Instagram shadow ban detection tips that work.

Check All Your Hashtags

Look for any controversial hashtags in your content that Instagram is restricting for a good reason. If you have used these hashtags unintentionally in your caption, this might have caused a shadow ban on your account.

Test All Your Posts

You can test your content by:

Step 1: Upload your post with a popular hashtag on Instagram.
Step 2: Ask a few people who don't follow you to search for that hashtag on Instagram.
Step 3: Ask them to search for your content in the results. Repeat the same with old posts as well.

If your content appears in the result, it means your account is safe. But if it doesn't, it means your account is facing a shadow ban.

Review Instagram Insights

Give you a thorough check on your Instagram Insights and analyze the impressions and engagement you’re getting. If you see a sudden drop in visibility and engagement, that might signify that your account is shadowbanned, limiting your content reach.

Ask A Friend

You can also ask a friend to help you know if your account has been shadowbanned. To do this:

Ask your friend to remove you from their following.
Post new content but with the hashtags you've used in the past posts.
After a few minutes, ask your friend to search for the hashtags you used in your post to see if your post appears in the search or not.
If it doesn't show up, search from another friend's account, but tell them to unfollow you first.

If your post still doesn’t appear, your account is shadowbanned on Instagram.

Final Thoughts

Getting a shadow ban on instagram can be terrifying if you're focusing a lot on content and strategies but still failing to get visibility. While it typically lasts two weeks, it's important to take action on time to lift the shadow ban and restore your account's reach.

If you're unsure whether your account has been shadowbanned, test all your posts, review your hashtags, and check your Instagram insights to confirm. When facing a shadowban, these steps can help you address the issue promptly and get back to growing your presence on Instagram.

Frequently Asked Questions

If your posts are receiving less visibility and engagement than usual, Instagram might have shadow banned your account. Check for any banned hashtags used, review Instagram analytics, and test all your posts to confirm.

When you get shadowbanned, it limits your posts' visibility so that your content only reaches your followers and not the Instagram audience. This way, the Instagram shadow ban affects the visibility and engagement rate.

Use hashtags not restricted by Instagram and follow the Instagram community guidelines when posting your content to prevent getting shadowbanned. Also, don't use any automated service or bots as they instigate a shadowban.

Yes, you can recover from a shadow ban. Review all your posts and make sure to follow Instagram's community guidelines. Instead of panicking, take a short break from Instagram and let the algorithm reset itself.

Unfortunately, yes. Instagram has a set of restricted hashtags like #followforfollow, #likesforlikes, etc., that Instagram doesn't want to promote. Make sure to avoid these hashtags to keep your account away from getting Instagram shadowbanned.