As a content creator or entrepreneur on Instagram, you rely on your visibility to gain more followers and expand your business. Nowadays, an increasing number of Australian brands use Instagram as promotional tool. However, becoming shadowbanned can seriously affect your reach and connecting with new audiences can become close to impossible.
But don’t worry, we’re here to help! In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps of how to remove shadow ban on Instagram and get your account back up and running.
Read on for all the details!
What Is Instagram Shadowban?
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of removing a shadowban, let’s first take a step back and understand what it is.
A shadowban refers to Instagram restricting its users’ visibility to new audiences by banning specific posts that seem to go against their Community Guidelines. Not only that this can affect users’ content reach, but it can also be hard to detect.
This means that even though you’re still actively posting content and using hashtags, your posts are not visible to anyone aside from your followers.
Note: Instagram is not the only platform where users have been shadowbanned. YouTube and TikTok creators have also reported being temporarily banned from the platform for up to a month.
But does the Instagram shadowban actually exist?
Instagram doesn’t acknowledge the existence of shadowbanning. Instead, the company states that once a post violates its policy and guidelines, it becomes removed from the platform for safety purposes. Still, many users saw a steep decline in their posts’ engagement, either through the Explore page or hashtags.
In order to remove the shadowban, it’s important to understand why it happens and in what instances.
How to Remove Shadowban on Instagram
Removing a shadowban cannot be done instantly, but there are some things that you can do to make the ban last as little as possible:
Follow Instagram’s Community Guidelines
Instagram takes strict measures to prevent its users from being exposed to inappropriate or disturbing content. That’s why their Community Guidelines prohibit certain types of content and user behaviour.
Some examples of content that goes against Instagram’s guidelines include:
- Nudity or sexually suggestive images;
- Violence or graphic images;
- Hate speech or derogatory comments;
- Spammy or misleading content.
Always refrain from creating content that displays any of the items prohibited by Instagram’s guidelines. In addition, make sure to stay respectful of others while commenting on posts so as to avoid or remove an existing shadowban.
Avoid Spammy Behaviour on the Platform
There are a few things that may be considered spammy behaviour on Instagram. They include posting repetitive comments, constant tagging on photos that don’t belong to you and sending mass direct messages.
Creating fake accounts is another form of spammy behaviour on Instagram. When a user steals images of another user and posts them as their own, or even impersonates them entirely, Instagram uses its algorithm to detect this behaviour and prevent it from further happening.
Remember, if you want to avoid being flagged for spam, it’s important to be thoughtful about your interactions with others on Instagram. Take some time to genuinely engage with your audience, and don’t overdo it with the tags and comments, and focus on producing quality content and posting it at the right time to get more engagement.
Stop Using Banned or Spammy Hashtags
Instagram has a long list of banned and spammy hashtags, and it’s updated frequently. If you want to avoid being shadowbanned, you should check the list on Google and see if you’ve used any of the newly banned hashtags on your existing posts.
This can sometimes be exhausting, especially if you post regularly and use numerous hashtags. That’s why there are service providers that will check and look for banned hashtags on your account for a price.
If you want to check specific hashtags by yourself, you can tap on the Search tab and type in the hashtag sign (#) before typing the name of the hashtag itself.
You’ll know if the hashtag has been banned if you see a message displayed on the screen informing you that the hashtag in question has been hidden due to its failure to meet the Community Guidelines.
Avoid Using Bots
Using bots won’t necessarily get you shadowbanned from Instagram if you use them wisely. There are some bots that will gain you exposure without radiating spammy behaviour. The service provided to you by the bots must follow Instagram’s rules.
For instance, Instagram tracks your activity and compares it to the limited number of likes and comments that you can do per hour without raising suspicion. If the bot surpasses those limits, it will attract attention, and that can get you shadowbanned or excluded from the platform.
Reach out to Instagram for support
If you can’t figure out the reason for the problem you’re experiencing, it might be a good idea to contact Instagram’s support team and ask them for advice.
You can reach out to Instagram the traditional way; by reporting a problem. To do so, follow the steps below:
- Go to Settings;
- Tap Help;
- Select Report a Problem;
- From the provided options, select Something Isn’t Working;
- Write a message describing the problem.
Once you reach out, try to avoid mentioning a shadowban. Simply state that you have a significant drop in engagement and ask if they can help you with that.
Put Instagram to Rest for A While
Try engaging less, as Instagram can view your constant liking, commenting, and posting as spammy behaviour. Even if you’re shadowbanned, you can still interact with people; just try to do it moderately for the time being.
Continuing with your activity as before can only prolong the period of your shadowban. Try taking a rest from Instagram and only like and comment on posts that you find extremely relevant or important.
If you’re unsure about whether you’ve been shadowbanned or not, there are some Instagram shadowban tests that can help you determine that.
Instagram Shadowban Test
If you’ve been using Instagram for a while now, you know how many people are viewing your stories, how many followers you have, and what percentage of them are liking your posts or commenting on them.
If you notice a sudden decrease in your follower count, fewer likes and story views, and an overall significant drop in engagement and reach of your posts, it’s a good idea to check whether you’ve got shadowbanned.
While there are no official ways of knowing whether you’ve been shadowbanned or not, you can try and figure it out yourself by doing a few simple tests:
- Check whether your account is still public – If it’s private, you’ve most likely been shadowbanned. One thing you can do is check if you’ve posted something against the guidelines or if you’ve used banned hashtags recently in your posts;
- Check your Instagram Insight – By checking your Insight, you can determine if there has been a noticeable decline in the percentage of people that you reach and your follower count. If your normally steady rates change drastically, it’s a strong indicator that you’ve been shadowbanned.
- Check whether your posts are visible on the Hashtag Page – If your posts can’t be found on the page displaying all the posts that use the specific hashtag, chances are, you’ve been shadowbanned.
To do this, follow these simple steps:
- Post a picture or a video with a hashtag that isn’t overused;
- Wait for a few minutes to pass to allow the Hashtag Page to be updated;
- Ask someone who doesn’t follow you to search for the hashtag, and check whether they can find your post.
How Long Does Instagram Shadowban Last
The good news is that a shadowban is not permanent. Instagram users report that the shadowban lasts anywhere around 14 to 30 days.
After the shadowban is revoked, try to figure out what post was violating community guidelines and policy. In addition to that, check whether you were spamming with likes and comments in the recent period. To avoid shadowbans in the future, make sure you’re following Instagram’s Community Guidelines.
How to Prevent Shadowban on Instagram
Instagram’s algorithm decides on which content gets seen by the audience by picking up on small indicators of spam and lowering the reach of such content.
That’s why, when posting or even just commenting on Instagram, you should avoid doing certain things that the algorithm may deem undesirable.
That being said, preventing a shadowban can be more complicated than it seems. If you’re trying to grow your account, you have to be quite active on the platform, which means lots of posting, liking, following, commenting, and engaging.
If you cross the normal ranges on any of the activities mentioned above, you’re risking getting shadowbanned.
One thing you can do is avoid using lots of hashtags in your posts, especially the ones that are extremely broad and overused. Additionally, before posting, make sure that the hashtags are not banned, and only post the ones that are most likely to bring you traffic.
Bottom Line
Shadowbanning can significantly impact business owners and content creators on Instagram. Additionally, avoiding behaviour that leads to banning can be difficult, especially when you’re trying to grow your account and extend your reach. That’s why, if preventative measures fail, you should know how to remove the shadowban on your Instagram.
FAQs:
1. How long does Instagram shadowban last?
While there isn’t an official period made explicit by Instagram, users state that the shadowban usually lasts anywhere from 14 to 30 days.
2. Is shadowban permanent on Instagram?
Luckily for all the users trying to grow their Instagram accounts, the shadowban is not permanent, and once the ban has been lifted, you can continue with your normal activities.
3. How to check if you’re shadowbanned on Instagram?
As mentioned in the guide, if preventative measures fail, you should know how to remove the shadowban on your Instagram. If you want to check whether you’ve been shadowbanned, you should open your Insight Page and check your audience reach. Another thing to do is check whether your posts with specific hashtags reach the Hashtag Page.
