Guides

Shadowbans, explained

What each restriction means, how to test for it, and what helps. Based on watching restrictions appear and lift across 225 checked accounts.

What is a shadowban on X (Twitter)?

A shadowban is any restriction that hides your posts from people who do not follow you, without telling you. Here are the four kinds and how to tell them apart.

How to check if you are shadowbanned on X

Three manual tests you can run in a private window, and the faster way: a live four-part test that does the same from a logged-out view.

How to fix a shadowban on X: what actually helps

Restrictions are usually triggered by behaviour, not by one post. Stop the trigger, clean up the account and give the filters time. A step-by-step plan.

Read

X search ban: why your posts do not show up in searchWhen your posts are missing from search even for an exact from: query, you have a search ban. What causes it, how to test it and how it differs from SafeSearch. Search suggestion ban: when your handle disappears from autocompleteYour account still exists, but typing your name no longer suggests it. What it means and what helps. Ghost ban on X: replies nobody else can seeA ghost ban (thread ban) hides your replies from everyone except you. It is the most severe of the four restrictions. How to spot it and what to do. Reply deboosting: why your replies are hidden behind "Show more replies"Your replies exist, but X ranks them at the bottom or hides them behind an extra click. How X ranks replies and how to get back to the top. The sensitive media flag on X: the restriction most accounts do not know aboutIf your profile or media is marked sensitive, many people see a warning instead of your content and your posts can drop out of their search. How to check and turn it off. How the X algorithm ranks posts (and what that means for reach)What X published about its ranking in 2023, which signals matter most, and why a drop in reach is usually ranking, not a shadowban. How long does a shadowban last on X?X does not publish durations. What we observe: most restrictions are temporary and lift within days once the trigger stops, while repeated triggers make them last longer. Shadowban vs. suspended vs. locked: which one is it?X has several kinds of enforcement. Some are hidden, some are announced. A quick way to tell which one hit your account. Why are my posts not showing up in X search?Six reasons posts disappear from search, from a real search ban to search settings and indexing delays, and how to tell which one applies.

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