What Is TikTok Shadowbanning & How Can You Avoid Getting Banned?

TikTok is easily one of the best apps around for those who want to get social via video shares. So the fact that it’s also easily one of the most popular should come as no surprise. What some users may find surprising, however, is how TikTok bans its users and why. Including shadowbanning. But what, exactly, is shadowbanning and how can you avoid getting banned on TikTok?

Well, that’s exactly what this guide is here to discuss. And we’ll also go over what you should do if you do get banned or shadowbanned on TikTok. So, if you’re new to the platform or just looking to build your account up without issues, read on.

What is Shadowbanning on TikTok and how does getting banned impact users?

Now, getting banned — on TikTok or any other service — is fairly straightforward, and learning how to avoid it is too, but shadowbanning may be a new term for many so it’s important to first understand what it is.

Summarily, a shadowban is not at all like a typical permanent or temporary ban. Rather than denying access to service, a shadowban is more subtle. And most platforms don’t shadowban users in any noticeable way. There’s no official outline for how TikTok does it, either but shadowbanning works almost exactly as you’d expect without being banned outright. Namely, what it does is reduce your visibility.

You won’t be told you’ve been shadowbanned either. Instead, you’ll likely just notice that your videos aren’t garnering as much traffic. That’s in terms of views, shares, and likes. And that boils down to the fact that your videos won’t show up as recommendations. So users won’t see them on the TikTok apps’ “For You” segment. Or, at the very least, they won’t be appearing as often as they may have before.

What makes all of this difficult is the fact that a shadowban is easily missed. The results of a shadowban are not dissimilar to a natural loss of audience and traffic. So it’s easy to mistakenly think your videos are just not making the cut anymore, compared to other content creators’ videos. As opposed to losing out because of a shadowban.

But, of course, if you think you’ve been shadowbanned, there are some things you can do to try and circumvent or overcome it, too. And that’s precisely what this guide looks to help with.

Here’s how you can avoid getting banned

Now, TikTok doesn’t outright call its temporary visibility reductions “shadowbanning” but what it does can still impact users as though they’ve been banned. At the very least, for those who are making a livelihood creating content. The company has stated some ways users might see this happen to them, however.

According to TikTok, “spam, videos under review, or videos that could be considered upsetting or depict things that may be shocking to a general audience” can result in “reduced visibility.”

The company, of course, lays out its terms fairly clearly otherwise. And, for violations of its terms, it issues temporary bans, account penalties, and permanent bans. And, of course, it may also choose to restrict accounts so that they can only watch, rather than create content.

More obvious violations include depictions of self-harm and eating disorders. With a particular focus on normalizing or glorifying those. It also includes content that contains nudity. Hoaxes, games, dares, pacts, and similar content related to those things are also expressly prohibited. So those things will result in an outright ban or other restrictions, in most cases.

Shadowbans aren’t explicitly addressed but it’s fairly safe to say that the above-mentioned spam is included in content that will get users banned in that way. As will content that other users are flagging, when it upsets them. But since there are a lot of gray areas left there, the best way to avoid a shadowban is going to be to avoid posting content that could be construed as violating those terms. Even if it doesn’t violate TikTok’s more explicit terms.

…and some ways to potentially bypass or avoid a shadowban on TikTok

Now, if you do find your content is suddenly not getting as much engagement — or if your followers point out that they don’t see your content in their feed as often anymore — there are some ways to potentially remove the shadowban. At the very least, there are a few methods to bypass it, according to TikTok users.

1. The most obvious solution is to remove any recent videos that may have violated terms or that users may have flagged
2. You may also want to try uninstalling and re-installing TikTok itself. That will install any app updates you may be missing and that could potentially be the reason you’re not seeing as much engagement
3. Re-upload the content that you uploaded most recently — if it doesn’t violate TikTok’s terms. That will garner extra engagement for the same content without having to create new content
4. Switch to a “Pro” account to analyze your video content via the built-in “Analytics” tool. The tool provides metrics that can help you see which videos are getting engagement and where they aren’t. That way, you can focus on content that people are still seeing and avoid content that your audience doesn’t want
5. Finally, while there is a trend toward following every user you engage with, in a bid to gain new followers, TikTok views that as spam-like behavior. So if you’re going to follow every user you engage with, take your time instead of trying to “follow” everybody all at once

What to do if you’re permanently banned on TikTok?

If TikTok does outright ban your account, there are several reasons it may do so. And you’ll definitely know about it because TikTok will tell you that you’ve been banned. If you feel like the ban isn’t warranted, you’ll need to reach out to TikTok support. The process of removing the ban, if it is to be removed, is a long one. Often taking several days. But it is worth it if you haven’t violated any of the company’s terms.

One of the most common reasons for a ban, conversely, is that there’s been no age verification. TikTok has been called out on several occasions and even paid fines for violating regulations about handling the data of minor users. And an age verification can clear up any misunderstanding if your content isn’t necessarily suitable for a younger audience. Or for younger users to be posting, for that matter.

So another common method for overcoming a ban or a shadowban is to provide the company with verification of your identity and age. This can be done as part of the customer support process. And proof via a government-issued ID is the fastest way through the process.