Search suggestion ban: when your handle disappears from autocomplete
Your account still exists, but typing your name no longer suggests it. What it means and what helps.
A search suggestion ban removes your account from the dropdown that appears while someone types in X's search box. People who know your exact handle can still reach your profile directly, but anyone searching by name will not see you suggested.
In FSB's live index it is one of the most frequently detected restrictions. It tends to hit accounts that grew quickly, posted a lot of replies, or were reported, and it often appears before (or without) a full search ban.
How FSB tests it
FSB queries X's search suggestions for the handle from a logged-out view and checks whether the account is returned for its own name.
Why it matters
Suggestions are how most people find accounts they heard about elsewhere: a stream, a podcast, a friend. If your audience types your name and gets someone else, you lose them.
What helps
- Complete profile, verified email and phone.
- Slow down on follows, unfollows and replies for a few days.
- Avoid repeated promotional posts and identical replies.
- Re-check in 48–72 hours. Suggestion bans are usually temporary.
See also: search ban, how to fix a shadowban.
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