TikTok Shadowbanning: What It Is and How to Avoid It

A possible reason for low views and engagement on TikTok could be a shadowban if you face this issue.

Becoming a TikTok sensation and gaining immense popularity is achievable through accumulating likes, views, and shares on your videos, which can lead to viral success. Nevertheless, TikTok can elevate you to stardom and reduce your audience drastically or restrict your reach on the platform if you don’t comply with its regulations.

Shadowbanning is the term used to describe the limited reach of a user’s content. If you are a TikTok user unfamiliar with this concept, this article is intended to inform you.

To acquire a comprehensive understanding of TikTok shadow bans, ways to prevent them, and effective techniques to recover from them if you have already been shadowbanned on TikTok, continue reading.

What Is a TikTok Shadowban?

A TikTok shadowban involves reducing your visibility on the platform without official notification, which sets it apart from an actual ban and is why it’s called a “shadow” ban.

Your videos will appear less frequently on TikTok’s “For You Page” (FYP) than they did before, causing the impression of the spotlight being suddenly taken away without any prior notice.

It’s common for shadowbans to remain undetected until another user coincidentally comes across the video and brings it to your attention. Nevertheless, if you pay close attention to your TikTok performance metrics, you can identify them yourself.

How Do You Know if You’ve Been Shadowbanned on TikTok?

Experiencing a sudden decrease in the reach and engagements for your posts is a sign that you may have been shadowbanned on TikTok. As a result, your likes, views, and shares will likely decline.

On the other hand, it’s possible that you’re not shadowbanned but rather naturally experiencing a decrease in your audience, which is unfortunate.

Being shadowbanned does not equate to a permanent ban, as it is a temporary measure.

The idea of shadowbanning is not novel in the realm of social media. Other platforms have also faced allegations of engaging in this practice, although it is often difficult for users to identify whether it is happening directly.

The same principle applies to TikTok as well. While a decrease in popularity could result from a shadowban, it might also indicate a decline in the quality of your content relative to other creators. One clear indication of a shadowban is when your content stops appearing in the For You feed.

Why Is Your TikTok Shadowbanned?

TikTok has not issued a formal explanation of shadowbanning techniques.

The most logical explanation is that the app shadowbans users who create TikTok videos that breach its community guidelines, such as those featuring nudity, drugs, hate speech, copyrighted music, fake news, and other similar content.

TikTok’s community guidelines state that certain types of content may have reduced visibility while others are ineligible for the For You page (FYP). These categories include dangerous stunts and sports, overtly sexualized content, tobacco and alcohol products, violent and graphic content, spam, inauthentic content, unoriginal or low-quality content, and QR code content.

Moderators may opt for a shadowban when the content is ambiguous and prefer not to issue a removal or temporary ban. In this case, the post’s visibility is restricted.

TikTok implements multiple tiers of enforcement to maintain its community standards. These include temporary bans, limiting account access to the view-only mode for a specific duration, and imposing account penalties. Additionally, a permanent ban can also be issued. Creators are notified about these enforcement actions through their Account Updates section, which includes a summary of their account violations in their Inbox.

How Can You Remove Your TikTok Shadowban?

You can take various steps to remedy the situation if your TikTok account has been shadowbanned.

Here is some advice on how to get “unshadowbanned” on TikTok:

1. Uninstall and Reinstall TikTok

Deleting your recent video should be the initial step you take.

If the issue persists, consider uninstalling and reinstalling your TikTok application. Your app may require an update to restore its full functionality.

Assuming it complies with the guidelines, repost the video, and voila! You have the desired engagement.

2. Switch to a Business TikTok Account

It’s possible that you have yet to be shadowbanned, and rather, you should concentrate on your analytics.

TikTok, like Instagram, allows users to access account analytics, allowing them to track changes in engagement levels. This feature can be particularly useful for identifying opportunities to grow your audience. To convert to a Business account, follow these steps:

1. Open your TikTok account Profile.
Tap the hamburger menu in the top right.
To switch to a Business Account, go to “Settings and Privacy,” select “Manage Account,” and then follow the subsequent steps provided.

3. Don’t Post Content That Goes Against TikTok’s Community Guidelines

Creating videos that contravene TikTok’s posting policies could lengthen your shadowban or permanently suspend your account. TikTok’s community guidelines enumerate all the forbidden content on the platform that may result in suspension or permanent banning your account.

In addition, it may be helpful to focus on generating content that boosts your ranking in the algorithm, resulting in increased views. You can determine this by reviewing your video analytics.

4. Avoid TikTok Spam Behavior

It may seem harmless to rapidly increase your TikTok followers by following many people quickly. However, this spammy behavior could lead to shadowbanning. It’s best to slow down on your follows to avoid this consequence.

How to Know if Your TikTok Account Is Permanently Banned

As previously stated, repeatedly posting and distributing content that violates TikTok’s community guidelines can negatively affect your account. In addition to receiving shadowbans, you may face the risk of being permanently banned.

It is easy to determine if your TikTok account has been banned. Once your account is banned, the app will notify you and provide a reason for the ban.

Why Is Your TikTok Account Permanently Banned?

Following a violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act by TikTok, the company was obliged to pay a settlement exceeding $5 million. Subsequently, numerous accounts were banned to safeguard children’s privacy.

Getting your account permanently banned could be possible even if you are of legal age but have no means to verify your age.

In addition, you may have shared content that violates TikTok’s regulations and community standards. If this has occurred multiple times, a permanent ban may be imminent, making it difficult to retrieve your account. However, keep hope, as there may still be a chance to restore your account.

To regain access to your banned TikTok account, consider implementing the following two steps:

1. Contact TikTok’s Customer Support

Once your account has been banned on TikTok, you can contact their customer support team. However, after receiving an email from TikTok, you may have to wait a day or two before your account can be restored.