Skip to main content

You may be familiar with the terms shadowbanning or ghost banning on platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. TikTok is no exception to the elusive phenomenon. 

TikTok’s algorithm makes it a platform where any video has the potential to go viral. Nothing can be more discouraging than seeing a steep drop in your performance with no warning. Businesses rely on social media to create a community. When they lose part of that community, they feel a loss of support. The last thing a business or influencer wants is to be isolated. 

A shadowban on TikTok looks like a sudden drop in views and no longer showing up on the user’s “For You” page. Does this sound familiar? Don’t worry; we’re here to help you shine a light on the mysterious shadowban once and for all.  In this guide, we’ll help you determined if you’ve been shadowbanned, why you’ve been shadowbanned and what to do about it. 

How Can I Tell If My TikTok Account is Shadowbanned? 

TikTok has a “For You” page that users land on when they open the app. This is where content is recommended to them. It could be TikTok users that they follow or it could be completely new TikTok accounts they’ve never seen before. 

When your videos are showing up on the “For You” page it’s like having your video put on stage. When you are no longer reaching people’s “For You” pages, it feels like you have lost your spotlight and are left in the dark. 

Usually, you don’t know this is happening to you until another TikTok user finds you and points out that they no longer see you on their “For You” page. If you are no longer showing up on this page then your views will drop. 

Your views will also drop if you are naturally losing your audience. It is normal for a TikTok account to go through changes with its content and audience so a shadowban is not always to blame. If you are not giving your followers what they want you will lose their engagement. When videos are not popular, TikTok doesn’t want to put them on stage.

Why am I shadowbanned on TikTok?  

TikTok may limit your content’s visibility for a few reasons: your TikTok account is acting like spam, or your TikTok account is posting inappropriate content. 

If your content is getting positive attention, TikTok will want you on their “For You” stage. If your content is getting negative attention, they don’t want you on their stage.

Spam Behavior 

It might be tempting to follow a large number of people in hopes that they would follow you back. However, if you follow a large number of users in a short period of time, TikTok may mistake you for a robot or a spammer. 

If you follow more than 50 TikTok accounts in a day, you might want to reevaluate that strategy. If you are liking more than 100 posts a day, you might want to slow down.

Inappropriate Content 

Posting content that goes against the TikTok community guidelines can get you permanently banned or shadowbanned. 

TikTok considers the following content inappropriate:

  • nudity
  • drugs
  • violence
  • hate speech
  • copyrighted music
  • fake news 

TikTok strives to make its platform an inclusive and safe space. If you’ve experienced a drop in engagement or views, reassess your recent content.  Look for anything you’ve posted in the past that falls under what TikTok deems inappropriate.

How to Lift a TikTok Shadowban

If you think that you really did get booted off that stage, don’t worry. A TikTok shadowban is temporary. Most users report a shadowban not lasting more than two weeks. 

One thing to try if you think you are experiencing a shadowban is to switch to a Pro Account. This gives you access to analytics for your posts. You can see how people are finding your posts. If they are finding your posts on their “For You” page it will show up on your analytics. 

The only way to lift a shadowban if you have posted content that TikTok didn’t like is to clean up your account and refresh. 

This means you need to delete the videos that got you shadowbanned in the first place. You may not know exactly what video it was but you are probably aware of when your views started dropping so you can delete the possible offenders. 

After you delete the content, clear the cache, close your app, make sure your app is updated, and then put TikTok on hold for a few days. Coming back after you have cleaned up your account and taken a needed social media break, might get you out of the shadows. 

Of course, when you return to posting content, you need to stay far away from the inappropriate line. Your account has already been flagged for something, so you need to try even harder to behave. If you go back to posting the same type of content that got you banned in the first place, you will be booted off the stage again. 

TikTok is a great marketing tool. The content created with TikTok is very fun and interactive. You just need to make sure that you are an account that TikTok wants to have in their community so you don’t lose your limelight.

Influencers:

Looking to partner with industry-leading brands? Create your free profile today. 

Marketers:

The world’s biggest brands trust IZEA. Find which of our influencer marketing software or managed service solutions are right for you.

 THE CREATOR MARKETPLACE® 

Find your next great collab.

Browse creator listings now

 THE CREATOR MARKETPLACE® 

Find your next great collab.

Browse creator listings now

 THE CREATOR MARKETPLACE® 

Find your next great collab.

Browse creator listings now

 THE CREATOR MARKETPLACE® 

Find your next great collab.

Browse creator listings now