How to Check if You Are Shadowbanned on Twitter

Last Updated: August 5, 2022 References

Are you worried that you're shadowbanned on Twitter? When Twitter downranks, hides, or blocks your content from search, you'll usually notice a dramatic decrease in engagement. If you think you've been shadowbanned by Twitter, this wikiHow article will teach you what to look for and simple tests to try. We'll also help you restore your account back to normal.

Section 1 of 4:

Try a Shadowban Checking Tool

There are a two well-known web-based tools you can use to find out whether your content is limited by Twitter. Trying a shadowban tool is a great way to get a quick "yes" or "no" answer about whether you're being shadowbanned by Twitter.
- https://hisubway.online/shadowban checks for search and search suggestion bans, ghost bans, and reply deboosting.
- https://shadowban.io doesn't specify the signs it looks for, but it will provide a simple "yes" or "no" answer about whether you are shadowbanned.

Section 2 of 4:

Look for Signs of a Shadowban

1
Log out of Twitter or open a private tab in your web browser. A hard shadowban occurs when Twitter prevents your tweets from appearing in search. To find out if your tweets are blocked, you must be signed out of your account.
- To use a private browsing window, click your browser's menu and select New incognito window, New InPrivate window, or similar.
- You'll only be able to check for shadowbans if your tweets are public.^{[1]
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  Research source}
2
Go to https://twitter.com/explore. This displays Twitter's search page.
3
Search for from:username in the search bar. Replace username with your exact username on Twitter (e.g., from:wikiHow). If you can't see your Tweets on the results (and your tweets are not protected), you're likely experiencing a hard shadowban by Twitter.
4
Find out if your replies to other peoples' tweets are visible to non-followers. Twitter may hide your replies to other peoples' tweets from anyone who isn't already following you. To find out, leave a comment on a public tweet, and then log out (or use an incognito window) to see if your reply is visible.
- Twitter might resort to this type of shadowban even if you're able to find your tweets in search.
5
Look for signs of a soft shadowban. Because Twitter is so secretive about its shadowban algorithm, the users of /r/Twitter on Reddit have been doing a lot of research on how their practices work.^{[2]
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Research source} The users of the forum have discovered a "soft" shadowban, which means some or all of your replies to other peoples' tweets are buried under a "Show more replies?" or "Show additional replies, including those that may contain offensive content" link.
- This phenomenon is also known as "deboosting" or "downtiering."

Section 3 of 4:

Why was I shadowbanned?

1
Twitter thinks you're manipulating the platform. Twitter has strict rules about platform manipulation, including bulk or aggressive tweeting and following, purchasing or soliciting fake engagements, and artificial amplification of conversations.^{[3]
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Research source} While Twitter ultimately blocks accounts that violate their rules, they may implement a shadowban before suspending an account.
2
You've been blocked by a lot of users. If Twitter detects that your account is something that others don't want to see, they will deprioritize your content. While they won't call this "shadowbanning" outright, it does limit your content's visibility.^{[4]
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Research source}
3
Twitter believes your content jeopardizes its search quality. Even if you don't do something bad enough to warrant being banned by Twitter, the content you share may go against Twitter's general search rules.^{[5]
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Research source} Twitter will hide your tweets from search (and avoid recommending them to others) if you do any of the following:
- Repeatedly post the same links or tweets.
- Use trending topics or hashtags to share irrelevant content.
- Use automated bots to send tweets or post similar messages based on keywords.
- Post the same content from multiple accounts.
- Mass following and unfollowing of users.
4
Your tweets violate Twitter's hateful conduct policy. Twitter may not always ban you if you use hateful or violent language on the platform—sometimes they'll just downrank or exclude your tweets from searches and recommendations.^{[6]
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Section 4 of 4:

What should I do if I'm shadowbanned?

1
Wait a few days. If you aren't deliberately manipulating the platform or spreading misinformation, take a 24-72 hour Twitter break and see if things change. The symptoms of a shadow ban should only last a few days if you're not doing anything that violates Twitter's policies.
2
Remove automated services and spammy content. If you've posted spammy content, used third-party services that track or add followers on your behalf, or run any sort of automated bot on your account, deactivate and delete all of this content as soon as possible.
3
Report the situation to Twitter. If a few days pass and your content is still not visible to other Twitter users, send a tweet to @TwitterSupport to let them know what's going on.^{[7]
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Research source} Twitter's support team will (hopefully) give you more insight into why your tweets are hidden or deprioritized.

Community Q&A

Question

What are the loud 'popping' sounds I hear when I type text retweeting certain accounts?

R2_d2000

Top Answerer

That's the sound that your keyboard makes when you touch the keys. The reason why you only hear it sometimes is probably because the sound won't play if your phone is muted.
Question

How about if I can only see older tweets, not the most recent one?

R2_d2000

Top Answerer

It's possible that your more recent tweets could be shadow-banned, but not your older ones.
Question

Do you type in the first part of your user name or the @username? When I put in the first part of my username, nothing is found but when I put in the username after the @, I can see my posts.

R2_d2000

Top Answerer

You have to put in your whole username. If you only put in part of your username, your results will not come up.