Ever seen an Instagram influencer re-post a grid photo on their story? Or wondered why you haven’t seen your fave account post in so long? They could be suffering from an Instagram shadowban. Here’s how you can avoid the same fate.
Instagram is often utilized as a platform of free expression, education and community. But are we really able to post anything we want?
Accounts who choose not to follow the app’s community guidelines could see their accounts suspended, restricted or shadowbanned. Although, multiple users have reportedly been shadowbanned despite conforming to the rules.
What does it actually mean to have a shadowban placed on your account? Are there ways to avoid it?
What is a shadowban?
While you’d typically be informed if your account was about to be suspended, accounts can be shadowbanned without warning.
Hubspot state that a shadowban may be applied to your account if your content is deemed “inappropriate.” Instagram users such as Nyome Nicholas-Williams have previously disputed their shadowban as they’ve claimed to follow the community guidelines.
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If an account is shadowbanned, the owner is still able to post as much content as they’d like. They may, however, see a significant decline in engagement. This is because Instagram will hide their content from other users, meaning that posts are unlikely to reach the explore page.
How do I avoid a shadowban?
There are a number of reasons an Instagram account might be shadowbanned – and they don’t stop at the community guidelines! Using (un)follow apps, broken or “banned” hashtags such as “like4like” might get you the chop as well.
Its always worth reviewing the app’s guidelines to make sure you’re not posting anything dodgy. The guidelines state that your content should always be “your own,” and should never contain “nudity” or offensive imagery. “Spam” is also against the rules, so make sure you’re only posting a reasonable amount of times per day.
As long as you’re sticking to the guidelines and only using trustworthy external apps, you should be safe!
