What a TikTok shadowban actually is
A restriction that stops your videos from being recommended on the For You feed while your account still looks normal to you. Followers may still see posts, but new viewers do not. TikTok calls this content being not eligible for the For You feed.
Signs you might be shadowbanned
- Views drop suddenly to a small fraction of your usual numbers, across several videos.
- In a video's analytics, For You traffic falls close to 0% and most views come from your profile or followers.
- New videos do not appear under hashtags or in search.
- The drop starts right after a warning, a removed video, or a burst of unusual activity.
Put your numbers into the free TikTok shadowban checker for a quick read.
How to confirm it
Open Settings and privacy, then Account, then Account status. TikTok lists violations and any videos that are not eligible for the For You feed, with the reason and an option to appeal. If this page is clear and reach is down, the problem is more likely content or timing than a penalty.
Common causes
- Community guideline violations, even borderline ones.
- Unoriginal or reposted content.
- Spam behavior: mass following, mass liking, copy-paste comments.
- Many accounts on one device or network.
- Buying followers or engagement.
- A VPN or proxy that jumps between countries.
How to fix it
- Appeal any flagged video from Account status.
- Delete videos that clearly broke the guidelines, but do not mass delete everything.
- Stop the behavior that triggered it: no follow sprees, no copy-paste comments, no engagement services.
- Keep posting original videos at a steady pace, one to three a day.
- Give it one to two weeks before judging.
How to avoid it next time
Warm up new accounts slowly, keep each account on a stable device and connection, and post original content. If you run many accounts, keep them organized in one place so nothing gets mixed up. See managing multiple TikTok accounts.