Guides / Shadowban vs. suspension
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.
"My account is restricted" can mean very different things on X. Here is how to tell them apart.
| What you see | What it is | Visible to others? |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing unusual, but fewer people find you | Shadowban (visibility filtering) | No, that is the point |
| "Visibility limited" label on a post | Post-level restriction | Yes, on that post |
| "Caution: this profile may include sensitive content" | Sensitive media flag | Yes, to logged-out and opted-out viewers |
| X asks you to verify a phone or complete a challenge | Locked account | Others may see limited activity |
| "Some features are temporarily limited" | Temporary restriction (read-only mode) | Your posts may be visible to followers only |
| "Account suspended" | Suspension | Yes, to everyone |
What to do in each case
- Shadowban: run a live check and follow the recovery steps.
- Post label: appeal from the post if you think it is wrong.
- Sensitive flag: see the sensitive media guide.
- Locked or temporarily restricted: follow the instructions X shows when you log in. These lift on their own after verification or the stated time.
- Suspended: appeal through X's help center. A checker cannot help with suspensions; FSB will show the account as not found.
Check an account
Four live tests from a logged-out view. No password, no app permissions.
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