How to Find Out If You’re Shadowbanned on TikTok
Views have dropped to zero, likes have disappeared, and your ‘For You’ page is silent?
Don’t panic just yet. In 7–10 minutes, you’ll understand whether you’ve really hit a filter and get a clear plan to restore your reach.
What is a TikTok Shadowban and Why It Matters
TikTok Shadowban is a hidden restriction where your videos remain on your profile but are hardly shown to a new audience. The algorithm turns off the spotlight, and you’re filming for an empty hall.
TikTok Shadowban Doesn’t Exist
The phrase “TikTok Shadowban Doesn’t Exist” is a myth. TikTok calls the filter limited feed distribution, but the essence is the same: reach is cut without notification.
Case Study (Africa)
Aisha from Nairobi ran a handicraft blog. Overnight, her views dropped to 80 — Aisha thought “the algorithm changed.” She checked her analytics, saw “For You — 0 %,” deleted a couple of clips with unlicensed music, and filed an appeal. After three days, her reach returned, and one video gathered 1.2 million views.
Definition and Mechanism of Hidden Restriction
The platform reads a combination of triggers: engagement velocity, complaints, suspicious IPs. A detailed checklist of signals is described in Ahrefs’ study on TikTok SEO.
Main Signs of a Shadowban
Sharp Drop in Views (≤ 100)
Three videos in a row stall at the “99 views” mark — the first warning sign. This may indicate content being filtered immediately after publishing, before hitting the feed.
Video Doesn’t Appear on the ‘For You’ Page
In the Traffic Source tab, the ‘For You’ metric is < 5 %. This usually means TikTok has limited distribution for algorithmic reasons — low Trust Score or suspicion of violations.
Decrease in Likes, Comments, Saves
Average engagement drops threefold, even among subscribers. Content loses reactivity — even ‘regular’ viewers stop interacting, as if you’re ‘invisible’ in their feed.
📊 Quick-Diagnosis Cheat Sheet Table
| Symptom | Threshold/Metric | Where to Check in 2 min | First Action |
| Reach < 100 views | 3 videos in a row ≤ 99 | Analytics → Content → Views | Pause for 48 hrs, delete questionable clips |
| «For You» ≈ 0 % | < 5 % of traffic | Analytics → Traffic Source | Appeal → Report a problem |
| ER − 70 % | Engagement ÷ 3 | Analytics → Engagement rate | Test video without hashtags |
| «I can’t see your video» | ≥ 5 complaints | Recent comments | Re-upload video with new metadata |
Two or more matches — launch your filter exit plan.
How to Check If You’re Banned on TikTok
Built-in Analytics and ‘0 Views’
Open Analytics: if new videos get zero traffic from ‘For You’ — that’s almost a verdict.
Third-Party Services and Manual Checks
Services like Exolyt or Analisa help track reach drops: a sharp downward graph is an alarm signal. Also check manually: go to a video and see if there are likes from ‘non-followers’. Their absence is a reason to think.
Test Video with ‘Clean’ Content
Publish a trending video without hashtags, music, or links: if it gets less than 50 views in 30–60 minutes — the filter is active.
To check if you’ve been shadowbanned, create a ‘clean’ video. For this, choose a popular trend, but avoid using hashtags, music, and any links in the video. This will allow you to understand how the algorithm works without extra factors.
If the video gets less than 50 views in 30-60 minutes, it may be a sign that the filter is active and your content is hidden from a wide audience. In such a case, it’s worth taking a break and analyzing which posts might have caused the problem.
What Gets You Shadowbanned on TikTok
Violating Community Guidelines (18+, Violence, Politics)
Any shock content gets hidden instantly by the system. This includes posts with explicit 18+ content, violence, aggressive politics, or discrimination. TikTok’s algorithms instantly hide such content, severely limiting its reach.
Shock Content
TikTok immediately blocks publications that can be classified as shock content, e.g., violent scenes or disturbing imagery. Such material triggers a negative system response and easily gets filtered.
Spam Actions and ‘Artificial’ Activity Boosting
Mass following or grey-area services easily trigger the filter. It’s safer to apply honest promotion without risk.
Duplicating Others’ Videos and Copyright Strikes
Re-uploading someone else’s content without changes is a direct path to a ban. TikTok strictly monitors copyright infringement, and if you use others’ videos without permission, you may receive a strike. The platform’s systems automatically filter such content, making it invisible to users.
Case Study (Australia)
Liam from Melbourne uploaded surfing tournament starts with popular tracks, unaware of licensing. After a week, his reach crashed, and searches for the hashtag #SurfAus didn’t show his videos. Liam deleted the ‘pirated’ clips, used music from the library, and within 14 days returned to the FYP with +18 % engagement.
How Long a TikTok Shadowban Lasts and How to Know You’re Out
Typical Durations — 72 hrs, 7, 14, and 30 days
Initial check — 72 hrs; severe cases — up to 30 days.
A shadowban is a temporary visibility restriction for your posts on TikTok. Depending on the severity of the violation, the ban duration can vary. For less serious cases, it’s usually 72 hours, while more severe violations can lead to a ban of up to 30 days.
Exit Metrics: Increase in ‘For You’ Traffic
When you exit a shadowban, the main indicator will be an increase in traffic from the ‘For You’ section. This signals the restoration of your visibility and activity on the platform. It’s also important to monitor changes in your subscribers’ activity, view counts, and likes on new videos.
How to Get Out of a TikTok Shadowban — Step-by-Step Plan
How to Get Out of a TikTok Shadowban starts with a cool head and a precise algorithm.
How to Remove a Shadowban
- Pause for 48 hrs.
- Delete questionable videos.
- Publish a ‘clean’ test video.
Pause Posting and Content Cleanup
Save copies, remove only the risky posts.
When you encounter a shadowban or a potential rule violation on the platform, a sensible step is to pause posting. This gives you time to analyze the situation and correct mistakes. Don’t forget to save copies of all your posts to avoid losing important content.
The main goal of content cleanup is to remove only those posts that may be risky or violate platform rules. These could be controversial or inappropriate publications that could lead to further sanctions. Keep only the posts that comply with TikTok’s standards to avoid further restrictions.
Contacting Support with an Appeal
Report a problem → Appeal. Politely, with screenshots of analytics. Response in 24-72 hrs — TikTok Help Center.
Rebooting Your Content Strategy
Unique videos on a schedule. Risk-free hacks are described in the SEMrush guide to TikTok marketing.
How to Lift a Ban on TikTok and Avoid Repeats
Safe Content Checklist
- No violence, shock, politics.
- Music from the official library.
- Minimal on-screen text — the algorithm reads it better.
Legal Promotion Methods Without Sanctions
Collaborations, trends, hashtags. Or add a proper link on Instagram for cross-platform traffic.
Monthly Account Audit
Review complaints, strikes, comments. Short video trends are described in the Think with Google study.
Case Study (USA)
Jenna from Austin runs a comedy blog. She developed a habit of exporting her Analytics report to Sheets once a month: looking at ER and ‘For You’ spikes. In January, the graph went negative, even though her content was ‘clean’. Jenna noticed that three acquaintances were mass-reposting her videos using auto-apps. She asked them to delete the reposts, strictly limited distribution, and restored her reach within a week.
Conclusion — How to Revive Your Account and Regain Reach
Now you know how to find out if you’re shadowbanned on TikTok and, most importantly, how to get out of it. Follow the checklist, read Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Think with Google, follow the rules — see you on the ‘For You’ page!
FAQ — Quick Answers on Shadowban
- Why do videos on TikTok get 0 views? Video under review or account under a filter.
- How to find out if I’m banned on TikTok? Reach < 100, ‘For You’ ≈ 0 %.
- How many complaints are needed to block an account? There’s no fixed number — the severity of the violation matters.
- What to do to make a video ‘blow up’? Unique video < 15 sec + trending sound.
What can’t you publish? Shock content, hate, politics, others’ clips without rights.
🧠 Are you shadowbanned on TikTok?
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