Instagram updated its version more than 150 times, and with each update, the company's rules become stricter. An account can be blocked, put in a shadow ban, or given a warning. In any case, it is a blow to your blog, so today we will figure out how to avoid blocking and how to restore your account if it gets blocked.

Reasons for account blocking

Use of gray promotion methods

Try to forget about mass-following and mass-liking. First, it's ineffective. The main audience of such programs is schoolchildren from Asian and Middle Eastern countries. That means your account will appear interesting only to these regions. And this is not your target audience at all.

Secondly, Instagram strictly punishes such methods. You can end up in a shadow ban or get blocked.

If you still decide to inflate followers and likes, stick to daily limits:

• up to 200 subscriptions
• up to 960 likes
• up to 330 comments.

If the account is completely new, it's better to reduce these limits several times:

• up to 30 subscriptions
• up to 10-20 likes
• up to 20-30 comments

Prohibited content

This includes anything users may report:

• Narcotic substances
• Incitement of hatred
• Pornography
• Encouragement of suicide
• Scenes of violence
• Weapons

This happens if your account contains:

• Others' photos
• Instagram logo in publications

This includes the publication of uniform comments, posting more than three photos per minute, an abundance of hashtags.

There are many reasons for blocking, so it is better to review Instagram's official rules to avoid mistakes.

Types of blocking and how to deal with them

There are 4 types of blocking: shadow ban, post/story deletion, action restriction, and permanent ban.

The easiest punishment from the network is post deletion. By the way, most likely, it's the handiwork of those who didn't like your photo or text. Do not try to upload the post again, Instagram may punish you more severely.

The shadow ban means the absence of your publications via hashtags. Instagram artificially lowers your reach, and posts appear less frequently in the audience. What to do in such cases? Perhaps you used prohibited hashtags (you can find the list online). Then you should remove them and contact support.

The easiest way is to try not to break the rules, or do it so that violations are not noticeable:
— Do not exceed limits in mass-following and mass-liking
— Do not use unauthorized services for Instagram
— Do not ignore possible Instagram penalties. If you have already had minor violations and blocks, then put gray methods aside for several weeks, otherwise, you will end up in a permanent ban.
— Do not place hashtags thoughtlessly. The maximum number of hashtags is 30. But do not choose them like "it's popular and cool". For hashtags to work, they need to be selected thoughtfully.

Additionally, link your account to Facebook, this will help avoid certain blockings and expand limits on likes, comments, and subscriptions.

What to do if the account is blocked?

Unfortunately, even if you did not violate the rules, some bad competitors may report you. In this case, you need to link the account to Facebook, email, and phone. This way it will be much easier to restore it.

If you cannot recover the data yourself, write to support. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that the account will be restored.

Try to remember all the rules and analyze your posts before uploading. Good luck!