How do I know if I am shadowbanned?

Signs of a shadowban include: sudden drop in reach and impressions, posts not appearing in hashtag feeds or search results, engagement rate crashing overnight, and content only being visible to existing followers. Use our free checker to analyze these signals across Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

How long does a shadowban last?

Most shadowbans last 14-30 days if you stop the behavior that triggered it. Minor violations may lift in 24-48 hours, while severe or repeated violations can result in indefinite suppression. Stop using banned hashtags, remove automation tools, and post original content to recover faster.

What causes a shadowban on Instagram?

Instagram shadowbans are triggered by using banned hashtags, rapid follow/unfollow behavior, using unauthorized automation or bot tools, posting content that violates community guidelines, receiving too many user reports, and using engagement pods. Instagram calls this reduced distribution rather than shadowbanning.

Can you get shadowbanned on TikTok?

Yes. TikTok uses reduced distribution to suppress content that violates guidelines. Common triggers include posting copyrighted music, spam behavior, community guideline violations, and posting identical content repeatedly. A TikTok shadowban typically lasts 1-2 weeks.

How do I fix a shadowban?

To fix a shadowban: stop using banned or restricted hashtags, remove any third-party automation tools, take a 24-48 hour posting break, delete any content that may have triggered the ban, then resume posting original high-quality content consistently. Use a social media scheduler to maintain a healthy posting cadence.

Is this shadowban checker free?

Yes, completely free with no signup or account connection required. Check your shadowban risk across all major social media platforms unlimited times with instant results.

Diagnostic Tool

Free Shadowban Checker

Check if your account is shadowbanned on Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads, YouTube, Facebook, or LinkedIn. Analyzes engagement, reach, and hashtag visibility signals.

Enter your account stats

How it works: We analyze your engagement rate, reach-to-follower ratio, reach trends, and hashtag visibility against Instagram benchmarks to estimate shadowban risk.

Check for shadowban

Enter your account stats and we'll analyze engagement, reach, and visibility signals to determine if you might be shadowbanned.

What is a shadowban?

A shadowban is when a platform silently reduces your content's visibility without notifying you. Your posts still appear on your profile, but they stop showing up in hashtag feeds, search results, and the Explore/For You page. Your followers may also see less of your content in their feeds.

Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and X/Twitter use content suppression to penalize accounts that violate community guidelines or use spammy tactics. The term “shadowban” is unofficial — most platforms deny it exists while openly acknowledging “reduced distribution.”

Common triggers include using banned hashtags, rapid follow/unfollow behavior, automation tools, posting duplicate content, and receiving many reports. Track your engagement health with our engagement rate calculator.

Signs you might be shadowbanned

Sudden reach drop

Your posts go from reaching thousands to reaching hundreds overnight, with no change in content quality.

Posts invisible in hashtags

Search for a hashtag you used — if your post doesn't appear (even for small hashtags), you may be suppressed.

Only followers see your content

Your content stops reaching non-followers entirely. Check your insights for the follower vs non-follower split.

Engagement rate crashed

If your engagement rate dropped below platform benchmarks overnight, distribution may be limited.

Search suppression

Your account doesn't appear when people search your exact username. This is the most severe form of suppression.

Recover your reach with consistent, quality content

The best way to recover from a shadowban is posting high-quality, original content consistently at optimal times. Use PostEverywhere to plan and schedule your recovery strategy across all platforms. Generate fresh content with our AI content generator.

Learn About Cross-Posting →

How to Use the Shadowban Checker

Select your platform

Choose from Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads, YouTube, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Enter your account metrics

Input your follower count, average views, likes, and comments per post.

Answer behavioral questions

Tell us about recent reach changes and hashtag visibility.

Get your shadowban risk score

See your overall risk score with a signal-by-signal breakdown and recovery steps.

Shadowban Checker FAQ

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