Shadowban Checker for TikTok, Instagram and YouTube Shorts
No external tool can see platform restriction flags. We tell you what is likely and how to check it officially. Open the screen where TikTok, Instagram or YouTube shows restrictions, answer 7 quick taps, and get one of four readings: likely restriction, likely normal fluctuation, likely content or retention issue, or insufficient evidence.
If you've been refreshing your profile and assuming the worst, start here. Free, no sign-up, no username.
Shadowban Checker
Question 1 of 7
Where did you post it?
- TikTok
- Instagram Reels
- YouTube Shorts
Why this checker doesn't ask for your username
Most shadowban checkers ask for a handle, read your public numbers and hand back a risk score. That score can send you deleting good posts for no reason. Public numbers can show that your views dropped. They can't show why, because the restriction flag lives inside the platform and only the account owner sees it.
TikTok and Instagram don't call it a shadowban, but both show restrictions to the account owner. TikTok says it notifies you in Inbox and on your profile; Instagram built Account Status for it. So this check starts in your own app, where the answer lives.
Where each platform shows restrictions
| Platform | What it calls it | Where to look | Official help |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | A post "isn't eligible for the For You feed"; an account is "ineligible for recommendation" | Account check: Profile → Menu ☰ → TikTok Studio → More tools → Account check. A flagged post shows a notice when you open it → More insights. | Account status, For You feed eligibility |
| Content that may not be recommended to people who don't follow you | Account Status: Profile → Menu ☰ → More info and support → Account Status. The recommendation part shows on professional accounts. | Account Status, Recommendation eligibility | |
| YouTube Shorts | Restrictions, strikes and warnings | YouTube Studio → Content → Restrictions column. Strikes also show on the Studio dashboard, and YouTube emails you. | Restrictions, Strikes |
What your result means
| Result | What it means | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
| LIKELY RESTRICTION | The platform shows a flag on a post or on your account. | Read the reason, then edit, delete or appeal. |
| LIKELY CONTENT OR RETENTION ISSUE | Nothing is flagged and new viewers still see your posts, but they leave early. Or, on Instagram, recent posts were reposts or carried another app's watermark. | Rework the opening of your next post. |
| LIKELY NORMAL FLUCTUATION | Nothing is flagged, and only one post dipped or your reach and watch time held up. | Keep posting and compare your next few posts. |
| INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE | The official check hasn't been run, your account is too new, or your answers don't add up. | Do the one missing check, then run it again. Better a "can't tell" than a wrong fix. |
There's no "distribution not started" result here. That one belongs to the Video Flop Checker, which looks at a single new video.
How it works
- Pick TikTok, Instagram or YouTube Shorts.
- Open the official screen the tool shows you and tap what you see.
- Answer 5 more taps: what made you worry (one post or a run of them), whether new viewers still see your posts (For You share on TikTok, non-followers on Instagram, Shown in feed on YouTube), watch time compared with your usual, account size, and anything you changed before the drop.
- Get one reading with the reason, the screen that confirms it, one next step and a guide.
What it won't do
- Ask for your username, password or a link to your profile. Nothing to hand over means nothing to leak.
- Give you a score or a yes-or-no verdict it can't back up.
- Save your answers or ask you to sign up.
Guides
- TikTok: TikTok shadowban: how to check it and fix it and why TikToks get 0 views
- Instagram: Instagram shadowban: check Account Status and why Reels get 0 views
- YouTube Shorts: YouTube Shorts not getting views
Clear account, still low views?
Then the answer is often in the video itself. The Video Analyzer reads up to 4 screenshots of one TikTok or Instagram Reel's analytics and gives you a plain-language diagnosis of hook retention, reach and engagement. No video upload, and the free plan doesn't need a card.
Analyze a video to get your next post back on course.
It doesn't read YouTube Studio. For Shorts, use the Shorts guide.
Questions
How does this shadowban checker work without my username?
It doesn't need one. Username-based checkers read public numbers like views and likes, which can show a drop but not a restriction. This check walks you through the platform's own screen, where restrictions actually show, and reads your answers.
Will TikTok tell you about a shadowban?
TikTok doesn't use the word, but it does tell you about restrictions. It says it notifies you in Inbox and on your profile when your account becomes ineligible for recommendation, and a post that isn't eligible for the For You feed shows a notice in its analytics. Account check in TikTok Studio shows the rest.
How can I test if I'm shadowbanned on Instagram?
Open Account Status: Profile, Menu, then Account Status below More info and support. On a professional account it shows whether your content can be recommended to people who don't follow you. Then run this check with what you found.
What triggers a shadowban?
On TikTok, an account can become ineligible for recommendation if it repeatedly posts content that's unsuitable for the For You feed. Instagram avoids recommending some content that's allowed on the app, such as unoriginal content largely repurposed from another source. Each platform's notice names the reason, so start there.
What should I do if my result is "likely restriction"?
Open the notice, read the reason, then edit or delete the flagged post, or appeal if you think the platform got it wrong. TikTok lets you appeal from the notice, Instagram lets you request a review from Account Status, and YouTube offers a review on some restrictions.
Does it work for YouTube Shorts?
Yes. It walks you through the Restrictions column and strikes in YouTube Studio. For Shorts, the follow-up is our Shorts guide, because the Video Analyzer reads TikTok and Instagram analytics only.
Is it free?
Yes, with no sign-up. It doesn't ask for your username or password and doesn't save your answers.