Instagram banned hashtags really exist and negatively affect the reach of your posts.
Well, you already know everything. You can go home.
And seriously, this is probably the shortest thesis, or rather a fact that you will read today in any article.
Below you will find the proof for it and explanation why it is so.
Banned hashtags – # that have been blocked by Instagram, are one of the most common reasons for the reduced reach of your content.
I respect your time, so I leave a list of subsequent headers, allowing you to assess which ones correspond to your problem:
- What is not a hashtag?
- What is a hashtag?
- Reasons for blocking hashtags on Instagram.
- Types and characteristics of banned hashtags.
I recommend, however, to read the whole thing because it may turn out that seemingly bright elements are not as bright as you think.
Here we go!
Each subsequent text is a step closer to the text on how to choose hashtags 🙂
Meanwhile, I encourage you to read this article, which explains how to choose hashtags to your content: Instagram Hashtag Guide 2020 – How to find the relevant hashtags? [TOOLS, METHODS]
WHAT IS NOT A HASHTAG?
Hashtag is not a magic code with which the accounts of other social media users click in a crazy rush on the “follow” button on your profile or leave a “like” under your photos.
If you think about a strategy built with hashtags in this category, you are unfortunately wrong.
The correlation between coverage and observations may of course occur (and it really happens), but a hashtag is neither an observer nor a like generator.
WHAT IS HASHTAG?
This question may seem trivial, but if you try to put a clear definition in your head for a moment, you may find that this is not entirely true.
Hashtag is a tag (not only on social media) that allows you to sort content by topic, category or other accepted scheme.
That’s why you will find shrimp content under the hashtag # shrimp .
At least it should be like this.
They are like shelves in a store where, when looking for milk, you will look for a section with the word DAIRY
And if you think about juice, you will pay attention to the one where the inscription JUICES or BEVERAGES appears
Hashtag is a shelf that directs you to specific content that suits your current needs.
On Instagram, if something works for you, it also works the same way for other Instagram users.
Instagram users who can be potential recipients of your content, as long as the content meets their needs and is easy to find (described with the right tags).
Hashtag helps creators (and brands) reach more people interested in a specific topic or product.
Whether they decide to observe your profile or like your content depends on many other factors (e.g. content matching, content quality, consistency, regularity of publication, and even the current mood of the recipient, etc.).
REASONS WHY HASHTAGS ARE BANNED
Now that you know what hashtags are, you should also be able to explain what banned hashtags are.
Banned hashtags are tags that have been blocked by Instagram itself.
The reason for their blockade may be:
- collecting content on topics covered as prohibited on the site (pornography, terrorism, hate speech, violence, etc.),
- spam hashtags,
- users’ reports.
TYPES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF INSTAGRAM BANNED HASHTAGS
There are two types of banned hashtags:
- hashtags permanently banned,
- those that are blocked only temporarily.
Permanently banned hashtags include tags that clearly violate community policies (pornography, terrorism, hate speech, violence) and often spamogenic hashtags.
Hashtags banned from time to time also include spam tags and those under which the content has been reported by users themselves.
You probably wonder why I mention spam hashtags in both groups of tags?
This is for a simple reason.
Some of them, regardless of the type of blockade, are constantly abused by users.Therefore, despite the absence of gross violations, they remain banned or even completely removed as a search page in the platform ( see #iphone ).
It is also intended to limit the activity of spammer accounts.
„Instagram has put certain methods into place to stop the reach of spammy Instagram accounts, as many hashtags can do.”
Important information.
Hashtags from group two can be blocked and unlocked overnight, because just because a tag worked yesterday does not mean that it will work tomorrow.
That is why I do not recommend any banned hashtag lists.
It’s pulling your legs. No one who creates them can guarantee that tags are still banned even within a few hours after the list was published.
I will explain how to control which hashtags are banned in the text update or in a new part.
Permanently banned hashtags can be divided into two categories:
- first group – completely banned (pornography, terrorism, hate speech, violence),
- second group – contributing to the generation of large amounts of spam.
Permanently (forever) – they will not return for future use.
Hashtags permanently banned from the first group cannot usually be searched on Instagram.
The page does not appear to exist.
Therefore, the content that is published under them is also invisible to other users.
Examples of such tags are #tits or #booty :
Hashtags permanently banned from the second group are usually visible only in part, and after scrolling the list (to about 36 items) a short information appears:
Hashtags banned periodically are tags contributing to the generation of large amounts of spam or those reported by other users.
Hashtags banned from time to time usually return to use after some time (decrease of interest or being checked by the website administration).
(Website administration – I must admit that I do not know the name of the content moderation team, so I conventionally define the support part delegated to tickets with reports of violations on the platform)
Examples of such tags can even be those you create for your own brand, niche, but have been reported (flagged) by an “unfavorable” person.
CONSEQUENCES OF USING BANNED HASHTAGS
At this point we reach the so-called “meaty content”, i.e. the reasons why using banned hashtags has a negative impact on your account, especially on the external reach.
(For the purposes of the article and proper explanation of the topic, I use two terms: external and internal coverage.)
It’s reaching people who are on the platform but are not following your profile.
It is obtained, among others, using hashtags, location markings, ads, DM (direct messages) sharing, markings of other profiles in the photo / film or when another profile decides to recommend you.
It’s reaching recipients who are already following you.
It’s time to answer the title question, i.e. …
Why is your reach really decreasing?
# 1 REACH RESTRICTION BECAUSE OF HASHTAGS (BANNED)
If a hashtag is completely disabled, no new publications appear below it or the page has been completely removed, you will not be able to reach the recipients of this tag.
# 2 REACH RESTRICTION BECAUSE OF OTHER USED TAGS
Banned hashtags are like a virus.
One is enough to infect all the others.
No, don’t worry.
This does not mean that they will be banned on the platform.
This means that one banned hashtag in the content, hides your content no matter how many other hashtags you added under your photo.
If 1 banned has appeared in 30 hashtags, your photo will not be visible under it and under 29 others.
Where does it come from?
From automatically considering content as breaking the rules (because you describe it with tags that collect such content).
# 3 REACH RESTRICTIONS IN THE EXPLORE TAB
Unfortunately, but there are more consequences.
Your photo will also not be displayed on the Explore Instagram tab.
# 4 REACH RESTRICTION IN LOCATIONS
To make matters worse, you won’t find it in the marked location either.
# 5 ACCOUNT RESTRICTIONS (#REBELSTYLE )
The sources I have visited so far share the opinion that regular use of banned hashtags and having them in old posts can… periodically hide all publications in Instagram results, even if you only add the correct tags under the latest photos.
„This has been a big year for the company with their every changing algorithms and platform updates. In their efforts to implement methods to protect the app’s authenticity, Instagram’s bot detection has started flagging accounts as spam if they use certain hashtags.”
„Using temporary or forever banned Instagram hashtags could shadowban, block or penalize your account.”
Conclusion
This is due to flagging the account as potentially violating regulations – after all, without interruption (in the meaning of Instagram) you publish content that is not allowed.
In fact … it seems quite logical.
I hope that I managed to dispel a lot of doubts and above all show that Instagram is not so bad at all, as long as we follow its rules.
Meanwhile, I encourage you to read this article, which explains how to recognize and check which hashtags are banned: Banned Hashtags on Instagram: How to recognize and check which hashtags are banned? [TOOLS, METHODS]
