Shadowbanning

Shadowbanning happens when a platform quietly limits the visibility of a user’s posts, making them harder to discover but without officially banning the account. It’s the silent punishment of social media, usually triggered by content that violates guidelines, overuses hashtags, or feels too spammy.

For example, if an Instagram post suddenly gets significantly less reach than you’d expect, shadowbanning might be in play. The frustrating part is there’s usually no notification – it just happens out of nowhere. Creators can avoid it by following platform rules, restricting hashtag use, and avoiding risky actions like keyword spamming or excessive follow/unfollow tactics.