Shadowbanning happens to hashtags, or accounts, on Instagram when someone does something dodgy using a hashtag. Usually triggered by the Instagram community reporting a hashtag or account. Accounts that use shadowbanned hashtags run the risk of getting their accounts shadowbanned.
What is shadowbanning?
Shadowbanning is also called stealth banning, ghost banning or comment ghosting. Shadowbanning is an act of hiding, blocking, or restricting a user’s content to appear from some or all online communities. Instagram will rarely inform the account holder that it is happening.
So, it’s important for Instagram account holders to check for shadowbanned hashtags when they do their monthly social media content planning.
How to check if a hashtag is shadowbanned?
The primary “indicator” of a shadowban is your hashtagged content not appearing on Explore pages to anyone but your followers.
You may also see a sudden limit to your reach and visibility across Instagram and Facebook. If you notice a big drop, chances are you are using a shadowbanned hashtag.
So what causes content to be shadowbanned? Pretty much anything that goes beyond Facebook’s community standards is fair game. Generally, the following content may be considered by Instagram as inappropriate, which may result in shadowban.
- Content depicting violence
- Graphic or shocking content
- Sexually suggestive content
- Posts with misinformation
- Spam messages
But, we have here some tips on how you can check if you may be using shadowbanned hashtags.
- Test your post by sending a new post live with the hashtag. Then, log into another Instagram profile (or ask someone to log into theirs for you) and make sure the profile doesn’t follow your IG account. If the post shows up, you’re safe.
- Go to Instagram’s Explore tab and type in the hashtag you want to use, then click on it. If it’s a shadowbanned hashtag, you’ll see a message from IG that recent posts have been disabled.
- Review your Instagram insights data and if you see a huge drop in impressions engagement outside of your follower base, you might be using shadowbanned hashtags.
- It’s also a good idea to have a look at recent posts using your hashtags. If someone has started using a hashtag against their dodgy images, it won’t be long before that hashtag is flagged by Instagram.
When you use shadowbanned hashtags, the audience will not see your posts because Instagram will limit your reach and restrict your visibility to a wider audience.
But, if you use multiple shadowbanned hashtags, Instagram may do the following:
- Flag your account
- Remove your account
- Limit your account
What to do if you have been using a shadowbanned hashtag?
If you are shadowbanned, don’t worry!
Our first tip is to check your hashtags and remove any shadowbanned hashtags from your published content.
Better to be safe than sorry. Here’s what to do to avoid getting shadowbanned:
- Check your hashtags before you use them to make sure you are only using working, approved hashtags that will show your post to more users and potential Instagram followers.
- Do not use bots on IG, and ensure that you maintain your credibility.
- Use hashtags sparingly or strategically. Yes, IG may allow us to use 30 hashtags per post, but it is advisable to use as few as five hashtags per post.
- Write only genuine comments and content. If you are using generic comments a lot, IG may flag you as a bot.
- Do not use third-party apps when commenting on a post on Instagram. Third-party apps have a higher risk of shadowban.
- Read and follow the Terms of Use and Community Guidelines of IG and ensure you don’t violate them.
List of shadowbanned hashtags for 2023
Check out this list of shadowbanned hashtags we’ve found. We will keep updating this list as we find them…
A
- #abdl
- #addmysc
- #adulting
- #alone
- #always
- #armparty
- #asiangirl
- #ass
- #assday
- #assworship
B
- #beautyblogger (**Note: #beautybloggers plural works.)
- #besties
- #bikinibody
- #boho
- #brain
C
- #costumes
- #curvygirls
D
- #date
- #dating
- #desk
- #direct
- #dm
E
- #edm
- #eggplant
- #elevator
- #embraceyourage
G
- #girlsonly
- #gloves
H
- #hardworkpaysoff (**Note: #hardworkpaysoff💪works.)
- #hawks
- #hotweather
- #humpday
- #hustler
- #healingyourself
I
- #ice
- #instasport
- #iphonegraphy
- #italiano
K
- #kansas (**Note: #kansascity works.)
- #kickoff
- #killingit
- #kissing
L
- #loseweight
- #lulu
M
- #master
- #mileycyrus
- #milf
- #mirrorphoto
- #models
- #mustfollow
N
- #nasty
- #newyearsday
- #nudity
O
- #overnight
- #over50andfabulous
- #over60andfabulous
Q
- #quotestoliveby
P
- #parties
- #petite
- #pornfood
- #prettygirl
- #pushups
R
- #rate
- #ravens
S
- #saltwater
- #samelove
- #selfharm
- #single
- #singlelife
- #skateboarding
- #skype
- #snap
- #snapchat (**Note: #snapchat👻works.)
- #snowstorm
- #sopretty
- #stranger
- #streetphoto
- #sunbathing
- #swole
- #shower
- #shit
- #selfhealing
T
- #tag4like
- #tagsforlikes
- #tanlines
- #todayimwearing
- #teens
- #teen
- #thought
U
- #undies
V
- #valentinesday
W
- #workflow
- #wellness
Y
- #Youngmodel
Want to know more?
Save yourself the hasstle of trying to chase down IG or Facebook after you’ve already been shadowbanned. Take some time out of every month to check your hashtags.
If you’re looking for some professional advice, head to our contact page and book a strategy call with our CEO Kathryn Dellar today.
