The Instagram Shadowban: What It Means And How To Avoid It?
Instagram has been around for a long time; first, it was just a social media site. In 2009, they launched InstaSharing, so people share posts on their feed on the page, and then everyone can comment or like the post and openly engage with everyone online. For this reason, Instagram is extremely popular as a social network.
We can see many different posts and activities nowadays on Instagram, with people using Instagram growth service and other means to initiate growth to their profile, as well as some controversial activities that the platform may not allow. This article will discuss what Instagram’s shadowban system is, how it happens, and the tips to avoid creating or getting trapped in it.
What is a shadowban?
Suppose your account has gotten shadowbanned on Instagram. In that case, it may not generate the same level of engagement as it used to, as the Instagram algorithm detects suspicious or wrong conduct on an account, seriously restricting the overall reach their posts can achieve in the future. People looking to grow their accounts may get discouraged by how much money they should invest in Instagram ads.
Although Instagram denies it and states that they do not practice such bans on their platform, people have experienced diminishing growth in their accounts in the past. Most of the time, it was due to them accidentally or knowingly breaching the platform’s terms of the contract or the fair usage practices that are expected from all users.
Characteristics of the ban
It is called a shadowban, as the user will never become aware that they have become banned from a certain region or part of the online community, as Instagram will not send an email or notification explaining the situation. The affected people will not realize why their posts are not generating the same level of engagement as before.
Why you have been shadowbanned
One of the main reasons why your account may have become shadowbanned is because you used illegal software to your profile in trying to boost your account, get more likes, followers, or sharing your posts. Most of such softwares is not allowed by the platform.
Additionally, the user may have tried to increase followers by engaging fake accounts on their profile. These fake accounts are normally bots whose actions are not controlled by actual people, and Instagram does not allow them to exist on the platform.
Any action that breached the terms of Instagram usage may have resulted in your shadowban. Fortunately, there are ways to get your account restored, provided you stop using the practice that created the problem.
How to remove the ban
You should immediately remove all third-party software or apps that may have caused the problem and make your account free from any tool that is not officially allowed by the platform. Fooling the Instagram algorithm is not easy; they will figure out when you may trigger their fair usage terms.
Stop using banned or inappropriate hashtags on your posts, as the platform may have shadowbanned you for that reason. Consider looking at the list of all the hashtags the platform does not allow to avoid misunderstandings.
Lastly, reach out to Instagram support regarding the issue you are facing. Be sure to remove all the wrong material and practices explained before contacting them. It is better not to state you have been shadowbanned. Just inquire about your account’s reduced performance and urge them to fix your issue.
There is a significant chance your profile will get reinstated as a standard account after completing all the steps explained above, with your posts reaching out to the people they are expected to.