[FAQ]

My reach and engagement have suddenly dropped off a cliff over the last week and I’m starting to panic. My Reels are getting almost no non-follower views and I’m pretty sure my posts aren’t showing up for the hashtags I’m using.

I’ve been reading about the “shadowban” and the symptoms seem to match what’s happening to my account. Is there a reliable, definitive way to check if your account has actually been restricted by Instagram?

I just want to know if this is a real penalty I need to fix, or if my content is just suddenly terrible. Any reliable advice would be amazing.

[Jeff Bullas]

Trying to diagnose a reach problem systematically is much better than panicking.

Short Answer: The “shadowban” isn’t a real term Instagram uses, but you can definitively check if your content’s reach is being limited by using the ‘Account Status’ tool in your settings.

Before you assume the algorithm is penalising your image and video content, you must use the platform’s own tools to rule out any actual violations.

Instagram has been clear that a secret, unappealable “shadowban” is a myth. However, your account’s reach can absolutely be restricted. To check this, go to your Settings, then Account, then Account Status. This is Instagram’s official diagnostic tool, and it will tell you directly if any of your content is being prevented from reaching non-followers and why. If that tool shows no issues, the hard truth is that in almost all cases, a drop in reach is not a penalty. It is usually a sign that your recent video or image content is simply not performing as well as previous posts, generating weaker signals like lower watch time or fewer shares, which causes the algorithm to stop distributing it. You should always analyse your content metrics before assuming there is a technical penalty against your account.

Cheers,

Jeff.

[Author]

Posts