A Comprehensive Guide to Instagram Account Bans: Types and How to Avoid Them

Instagram account blocking is a common situation when we conduct social media marketing, but in fact, the platform’s ban can be divided into several different types, each of which has its own reasons. This article will list several common types and ways to avoid account blocking to help everyone achieve safe account operation.

I. Types of Instagram account bans

1. Temporary ban

(1) Reasons:

• Too high operation frequency: A new account likes, follows, comments or private messages a large number of times in a short period of time, triggering the system's anti-spam mechanism

• Frequent IP switching: using unstable proxy IP or frequently changing login regions

• Abuse of third-party tools: using automated software (such as followers-boosting tools) or unauthorized third-party applications

(2) Performance:

• During the temporary ban, Instagram will restrict your use of certain functions (such as likes, comments, follows, etc.), but the account itself will not be deleted and the restrictions will be automatically lifted within a certain period of time.

2. Shadow Ban

(1) Reasons:

• Violation of community guidelines: usually minor violations, such as using too many popular hashtags, or posting content that does not comply with platform regulations, but not to the extent that it requires a direct ban.

• Frequent operations: Frequent automated or spammy behavior, as well as frequent changes in IP addresses or use of unstable networks, may cause Instagram to shadow ban your account.

(2) Performance:

• Visibility will drop significantly: Your content will no longer appear on the Hashtag pages and Explore Page, and the chances of others searching for your account or content will be greatly reduced.

• Decreased Engagement: Due to decreased visibility, you will notice a noticeable decrease in engagement (likes, comments, follows, etc.).

3. Function blocking

(1) Reasons:

• Excessive interaction: Frequent likes, comments, follows, unfollows, etc., especially performing a large number of operations in a short period of time, the system will consider it as robot behavior.

• Automated tools: If you use third-party tools to perform excessive operations, Instagram will restrict these unnatural operations.

(2) Performance:

• When restricted, some functions (such as commenting, liking, following, etc.) cannot be used, and a system prompt will usually appear, but the account itself is not banned.

4. IP Banning

(1) Reasons:

• Automated behavior: When Instagram detects automated behavior (such as likes, comments, etc.) on an IP address, it will block access to that IP address.

• Mass reports: If an IP address is associated with multiple violating accounts or posts a large amount of spam, Instagram may ban the IP.

(2) Performance:

• Unable to access and log in to Instagram: The blocked IP can no longer access Instagram and it will show unable to connect.

5. Account deactivation

(1) Reasons:

• Serious violations: such as publishing prohibited content such as violence, pornography, hate speech, fake news, or engaging in fraud, false propaganda, etc.

• Multiple account association: If you have multiple accounts logged in on the same device/IP, IG may identify it as an anomaly.

(2) Performance:

• Account cannot be restored: A permanent ban means that the account cannot be used permanently and all data (including posts, following, fans, etc.) will be lost.

• Unable to log in: The user cannot access the account again.

  

II. How to prevent Instagram account from being blocked

Account suspension often brings great losses. For brand operators, account suspension may lead to decreased brand exposure and even loss of customer trust. Next, I will introduce some methods to help you operate your account reasonably, avoid suspension, and protect your account security:

1. Frequent operation is strictly prohibited

• Avoid excessive interactions: After registering a new account, the frequency of interaction is limited. Do not perform frequent operations immediately after the account is registered. The upper limit of the number of followers per hour for a new account is 30. Once this range is exceeded, there is a risk of account closure.

• There are also restrictions on likes and comments. It is recommended that new accounts should be within 25. Also, be careful not to comment on the same content continuously. You must simulate real-life operations, otherwise the newly registered account will be blocked immediately.

• Avoid robot behavior: The posting frequency of a new account should not be too high. No more than 7 posts in 24 hours. Do not post at fixed times. It is best to post at least three hours apart. Too regular behavior will cause the platform to identify you as a robot.

2. Reduce the use of third-party tools

• Fan analysis tools/automated tools. These tools will cause IG to blacklist you. It is recommended to only use official tools, such as Creator Studio.

3. Establish a secure and independent IP environment

• Don’t use shared IPs. Instagram has very high requirements for IPs. Using an unsafe IP environment will directly lead to account blocking, especially for matrix account users. If you use an unsafe IP, this will lead to a batch blocking of your account.

The best way is to create an independent and isolated environment for each account to avoid losses caused by account suspension. It is recommended to use a combination of fingerprint browser + IPFoxy to efficiently implement matrix account management.

4. Carefully review before publishing

• Instagram's latest algorithm can already intelligently identify a variety of sensitive elements. Please carefully review the content before publishing it, and avoid posting sensitive topics such as politics/religion/medical advice. You can consider using AI tools to conduct a preliminary review of the article to avoid high-risk words. If you have the capacity, you can conduct a manual review.

• Also be careful not to directly copy unauthorized content. Instagram has very strict copyright requirements. Infringement will result in a permanent account ban, so using the official music library will be more secure.

III.Conclusion

Different types of Instagram bans require different details to be paid attention to. When conducting overseas social media marketing, you should avoid overly frequent operations. It is best to simulate real-life behavior and ensure that your account behavior complies with Instagram's community guidelines to avoid huge losses caused by account bans.