TikTok Shadowban: What is it? 

If you’ve heard this word circling or worried about if this dreaded action takes hold on your account, this may be due to a shadowban. In general, a shadowban on social media refers to when a user’s content is suppressed, making it almost impossible for their posts to be visible on the feed. This action can also be found on other platforms including Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.  

On TikTok specifically, this means your videos will stop appearing on the “For You” page or in the hashtag section of the app. When this happens, you can expect likes, views and comments to decline since the platform makes your content invisible in the app. 

The shadowban is TikTok’s attempt to eliminate harmful, spamming or irregular content on the app. Therefore, in order to avoid this, it’s important to know the common ways that can lead to a TikTok shadowban.

How to know if you’ve been shadowbanned on TikTok

Anyone’s account can suffer this if they suspect abnormal activity. If you’ve been shadowbanned on TikTok, unfortunately the app will not notify you of this ban. Therefore, it’s up to you to figure out if your account has been shadowbanned. One major indicator will be if you notice a major decline in your engagement. 

Another way to find out is to log out of your account and search either for your username or a hashtag that you have used in your video. If your content doesn’t show up, this means your account has been shadowbanned. 

If you try uploading a video and it says, “under review” this is another hint that TikTok might not be a huge fan of your account at the moment. 

Common Ways to get Shadowbanned on TikTok

As mentioned above, TikTok will shadowban an account if they believe it violates their community guidelines. Therefore the main reasons leading to a TikTok shadowban include the following: 

• Spam or bot-like behavior 

• Violence

• Illegal activities 

• Hate speech 

• Nudity 

• Copyrighted material 

• Fake information 

TikTok uses AI technology to flag content, therefore content can accidentally be flagged if they believe it violates community guidelines. In order to avoid getting shadowbanned on the app, avoid any of the above, which could trigger the shadowban. 

How to remove a TikTok shadowban 

Since you don’t receive a notification of a TikTok shadowban, you also can’t remove it on your own. Shadowban usually lasts up to two weeks, so the best option is to wait it out. 

However, to increase your chances of eliminating the shadowban as soon as possible, review your content and delete anything that could result in a shadowban. Also, reading the fine print of the Community Guidelines is important, to fully understand the rules. Another trick is to try deleting and reinstalling the app, as it may be a glitch in the app. 

Avoid posting content that is over-promotional, because this could be flagged as spam-like activity. Switch up your content and ensure you aren’t overwhelming anyone with comments. While your account is being reviewed, taking a break from posting may be your best bet. 

After your account is cleared from a shadowban, you will be able to interact and use the app like normal, and your content will once again be visible in the feed. However, if you believe that TikTok has wrongly accused you of a shadowban, you can reach out to their 

Shadowbans are no joke, and these social networks don’t take them lightly either. If you’re worried about receiving a shadowban on TikTok, or any social network for that matter, ensure your content is clean, follows the community guidelines and isn’t too pushy. 

Not sure where to get started on TikTok? I will leave a guide for marketing on TikTok, so you can excel in your short-form videos. 

Anniston Ward , 22 December 2022