How to Check if You're Shadowbanned on Instagram & How to Fix It

PDF download Download Article
Simple ways to see if you’re in Instagram’s penalty box
PDF download Download Article

Are you trying to figure out if you're shadowbanned on Instagram? Shadowbanning means you can still use your account, but your posts aren't being distributed to other users. In this article we'll go over two methods to determine if you've been shadowbanned, as well as a few things you can do to get un-shadowbanned on Instagram.

Quick Steps

  1. Make a post on Instagram with a random hashtag (ideally one that isn't popular).
  2. Have someone who doesn't follow you search for that hashtag on Instagram.
  3. If your post doesn't show up, you are likely shadowbanned. Repeat this test a few times over the course of a few days for best results.
Section 1 of 3:

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/ac\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/ac\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    You can access your Instagram profile by tapping on your profile picture in the bottom-right corner, and the three-line menu icon is in the upper-right corner of your profile.
  2. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/4f\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-2-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-2-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/4f\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-2-Version-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-2-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    The settings option is the first one in the profile menu.
    Advertisement
  3. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/69\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-3-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-3-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/69\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-3-Version-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-3-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    It's under the More info and support setting near the bottom of the list, between the Help and About menu options.
  4. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/cf\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-4-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-4-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/cf\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-4-Version-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-4-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    If Instagram has removed any of your posts or taken other actions against your account, that will be visible in this menu. [1]
    • From the Account Status menu, you can request a review of your account if you feel like you were penalized unfairly.
    • While the Account Status menu can help, it isn't the only way to check if you've been shadowbanned. Consider doing a hashtag search test as well.
    5. Advertisement
Section 2 of 3:

Hashtag Search Test

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/3\/30\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-5.jpg\/v4-460px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-5.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/30\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-5.jpg\/v4-728px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-5.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    You can also do this yourself if you have two Instagram accounts that don't follow each other, or you can make a new Instagram account to test if your main account is shadowbanned.
  2. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/d1\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-6.jpg\/v4-460px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-6.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d1\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-6.jpg\/v4-728px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-6.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    You can use a hashtag that already exists (but isn't banned) or you can make up something completely unique and brand new.
    • Avoid using popular hashtags, as this will make checking if you're shadowbanned difficult as your post may just be getting bumped off the page due to competition.
  3. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/b2\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-7.jpg\/v4-460px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-7.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b2\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-7.jpg\/v4-728px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-7.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    If you don't see your post show up in the search results, this is a good indicator that you're shadowbanned.
    • For best results, have a few people search for your post, and do this test multiple times over the course of a few days.
    4. Advertisement
Section 3 of 3:

Getting Un-Shadowbanned

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/49\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-8.jpg\/v4-460px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-8.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/49\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-8.jpg\/v4-728px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-8.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    A big reason you could be shadowbanned is by using banned hashtags. There are thousands of banned hashtags on Instagram—some make sense, especially those referring to harmful or hurtful things, but others (such as "#always", "#reel", and "#greatnight") aren't as obvious.
    • There are a few websites that collate all the banned hashtags on Instagram, such as MetaHashtags . Users on the Instagram Reddit page also post banned hashtags when they're found.
  2. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/71\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-9.jpg\/v4-460px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-9.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/71\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-9.jpg\/v4-728px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-9.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    If you're interacting a lot with people on Instagram, you may notice that your account is getting shadowbanned. Instagram allows you to do 500 actions per day, and anything more may trigger their spam detection. Actions include follows, likes, comments, and DMs.
  3. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/fa\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-10.jpg\/v4-460px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-10.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/fa\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-10.jpg\/v4-728px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-10.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    If you're posting content that goes against Instagram's community guidelines or you're breaking Instagram's ToS in some other way, you could get shadowbanned. Stopping any rule-breaking behavior can help you get un-shadowbanned .
  4. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/c1\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-11.jpg\/v4-460px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-11.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/c1\/Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-11.jpg\/v4-728px-Instagram-Shadowban-Test-Step-11.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    If you've gone over your posts for banned hashtags, you've limited yourself to 500 actions or less per day, and you're not breaking any Instagram guidelines, you can report a problem inside the Instagram app.
    • Go to your profile, tap the three-line menu icon in the upper right, then tap Settings and privacy > Help > Report a problem .
    5. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    Why am I shadowbanned?
    Naveh Ben Dror
    Social Media Security Expert
    Naveh Ben Dror is a Social Media Security Expert and the CEO of Spikerz based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Naveh and his team provide social media protection for content creators, businesses, and enterprises. His professional background is in international brand marketing and e-commerce. Naveh received both his Bachelor of Law and MBA from Reichman University.
    Naveh Ben Dror
    Social Media Security Expert
    Expert Answer
    Your Instagram account might be suspended or shadow-banned for various reasons. This includes violating community guidelines by engaging in abusive behavior or spamming, using automation tools, or sharing inappropriate content like violence or nudity. Adhering to Instagram's rules and regulations is crucial to preventing shadowbanning and maintaining a positive experience for yourself and all users.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      You Might Also Like

      5 Easy Steps to Have Invisible Highlight Names on Instagram
      Easily View a List of People You Have Requested to Follow on Instagram
      4 Easy Ways to Download a Picture from Instagram
      How to
      See Your Instagram Stalkers: Stories, Stats, & Apps
      4 Quick Ways to Contact Instagram Support for Help
      How to
      Check Who Doesn't Follow You Back on Instagram
      4 Easy Ways to Login to Instagram Without a Recovery Code
      Find Out Who Shared Your Instagram Posts & Reels to Stories
      11 Ways to Fix Instagram Reels Not Working
      How to
      View Instagram Without an Account
      How to
      Watch Someone's IG Story Without Them Knowing
      How to
      Tell if Someone Has More Than One Instagram Account
      Where to Find Instagram Drafts on Android, iPhone, & iPad
      How to
      Start a Conversation with a Girl on Instagram: 10+ Tips to Get Her Chatting
      Advertisement

      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about using social media, check out our in-depth interview with Naveh Ben Dror .

      References

      1. ↑ https://help.instagram.com/338481628002750

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 11,254 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement