Shadow ban: How to raise account stats again
Getting Shadow Banned on Instagram as a Business or Blogger is Not Only Frustrating, But Also Unprofitable
When your profile is your main source of income, platform restrictions can reduce your revenue and harm your business.
In this article, we’ll explain what a shadow ban on Instagram looks like, how to get out of it, and how to improve your account’s statistics after the ban.
Does the Shadow Ban on Instagram Really Exist?
Let’s begin by understanding what a “shadow ban” means on Instagram.
A shadow ban on Instagram refers to a temporary restriction on the visibility of a user’s content after violating the platform’s rules.
This restriction means your posts no longer appear in Explore, hashtag results, or location searches. Additionally, your new posts may stop appearing in your followers’ feeds. As a result, engagement drops, reach decreases, and organic growth slows down.
So, does Instagram really implement shadow bans? There is no official statement from the platform, but many users have confirmed through experience that it exists.
Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, has stated that the platform cannot guarantee consistently high reach, attributing this to the complex ranking rules of content. He also emphasized that Instagram is constantly working to improve notifications to alert users when their content violates the community guidelines.
What’s most frustrating is that a shadow ban is applied without warning. So how can you tell if your account is under a shadow ban? Let’s look at the main reasons a business account may fall under this restriction.
Reasons Why a Business Account May Be Shadow Banned
If you want to protect your business account on Instagram, it’s important to know these common causes:
1. Violation of Community Guidelines
Instagram prioritizes valuable and safe content and strictly enforces a friendly environment. While a single violation may not affect your account much, repeated or frequent violations increase the risk of being banned.
You can review the following documents to stay updated:
Instagram’s Community Guidelines
Instagram’s Terms of Use
Facebook’s general platform policies
2. Use of Automation Services
Using external services for actions like mass following or mass liking can lead to account restrictions. These “grey hat” methods of promotion are not welcomed by Instagram.
Conclusion: Avoid artificially increasing likes, comments, or followers.
3. Banned or Repetitive Hashtags
There’s no official list of banned hashtags, but experienced SMM specialists believe certain types can trigger a ban.
Avoid:
Hashtags with sexual implications
Hashtags promoting violence or aggression
Hashtags that violate Instagram rules
Do not post the same hashtags in both the caption and comments—Instagram may consider that spam.
4. Suspicious Activity
Excessive comments, likes, or mass messaging may appear bot-like to Instagram’s algorithm.
A sudden surge in followers, often after giveaways, may also be flagged as suspicious.
Likewise, mass unfollowing can lead to restrictions.
5. Reports on Your Content
Any of your posts, Stories, or Reels can be reported by users—either competitors or dissatisfied viewers. You likely won’t know the reason. The only way to protect yourself is to strictly follow Instagram’s rules.
Daily and Hourly Action Limits on Instagram
| Action | Accounts older than 3 months | New accounts |
|---|---|---|
| Stories | 20–40 per day | 20–40 |
| Likes | 60 per hour | 30 per hour |
| Comments | 60 per hour | 30 per hour |
| Follows | 60 per hour | 30 per hour |
| Unfollows | 60 per hour | 30 per hour |
How to Tell if Your Business Account is Shadow Banned
Monitor Your Analytics
Check the following:
Total reach
Hashtag reach
Number of likes, comments, saves
Check a Post with a Rare Hashtag
Use a low-frequency hashtag (less than 1,000 posts) and ask friends to search for it. If they can’t see your post, your account might be banned.
Share the Post in Your Story
Repost your post in your Story and ask followers whether they saw it in their feed.
Signs of a Shadow Ban
Sharp drop in reach
Significant decrease in activity (likes, comments, saves)
No new followers via hashtags
Note: These symptoms may also result from technical issues. Track your statistics for a few days to be sure.
Types of Instagram Restrictions
Ban – Your account is completely hidden and all actions are blocked
Shadow Ban – Visibility is limited, but features remain accessible
Action Block – Temporary block of specific tools/functions
Duration of a Shadow Ban
There is no official information, but based on user experience, a shadow ban can last from 2–3 days to 2 weeks, and in rare cases, up to 3 months. Continued violations may extend it up to 6 months.
How to Get Out of a Shadow Ban
Revoke Access to Third-Party Apps
Log in to Instagram on desktop, go to “Apps and Websites”, and remove access to any suspicious third-party services.
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