An unofficial guide on how to avoid being shadowbanned

https://www.reddit.com/r/ShadowBan/comments/8a2gpk/an_unofficial_guide_on_how_to_avoid_being/

created by cojoco on 05/04/2018 at 18:58 UTC*

1432 upvotes, 377 top-level comments (showing 25)

(note: if you falsely tell someone they are banned, or unbanned, when they are not, you will be banned from this sub)

tl;dr[1]

Lots of people come here in mystification, wondering if they're shadowbanned, and wondering why. This post contains a list of possible reasons you've been shadowbanned. It also contains activities which can lead to an account suspension, which is more visible to the user, but just as inconvenient.

1: http://i.imgur.com/YnBUPzd.gifv

First, though, a little reddit background.

About reddit

The website reddit.com is run by reddit the company, a subsidiary of Advance Publications Inc. ~~The CEO of reddit is Ellen Pao (/u/ekjp) with first lieutenant Alexis Ohanian (/u/kn0thing).~~ The site is huge, with a hundred million visitors a month.

Reddit is grouped into subreddits, with each subreddit run by a volunteer group of *moderators*, who are generally unpaid volunteers.

Moderators have the power to ban users from their subreddit, to delete comments and submissions, and to manage the style and presentation of their subreddit. Through the use of third-party tools, some moderators have the power to ban a user from hundreds of subreddits at a time.

Being banned from a subreddit means that you are not allowed to submit links or make new comments, and might be reversed upon appeal to the modmail of the concerned subreddit.

reddit.com also has a small number of employees, called *admins*. These people have the power to see everything happening on reddit, to remove material as with moderators, to perform moderator actions in any subreddit they choose, and, most importantly for this place, to shadowban or suspend users.

A shadowban is different from a subreddit ban. A shadowbanned user can still submit and make comments, but all of the submissions are sent straight to a subreddit spam queue, where it will not be visible to other users until approved by a moderator. Because an individual's spammed submissions are still visible to themselves, a shadowban is almost invisible to a logged-in user.

Through the use of AutoModerator, individual subreddits can give the same effect to a user as a global shadowban.

If you are shadowbanned, your user page will appear nonexistent to anybody that looks at your user page, other than yourself. You will need to contact the admins to get your shadowban reversed.

A suspension occurs when the admins disable an account. Suspensions can either be for a few days, in which case it is not visible to other userts, or permanently, in which the user's page is replaced by a suspension notification.

Reasons for shadowbans and suspensions

It's not exactly spelled out what will cause a ban, and the rules do seem to change from time to time, but if you follow these rules you'll be unlikely to be shadowbanned or suspended. Thanks to the posters here who have suggested more ways to be banned.

Posting some spam links results in an immediate and automatic shadowban
Don't post advertisements for commercial products unless the advertisement has some redeeming features and is relevant to the subreddit in which you post it
Don't post links to your own blog, unless you post a lot of content from other places.
Don't post links to anyone elses blog, or to a single news source. Ensure that you post from a wide range of sources.
Don't use a VPN to create your account
Don't follow people around on reddit and hassle them
Don't relentlessly downvote a user
Don't send out mass PMs
Don't be a bot, unless you're really really careful, and have the blessing of the admins
Don't harp on the same subject in your comments
Don't issue death threats
Don't post child pornography or anything involving the sexualization of teens or minors
Don't post sexual material containing unconsenting subjects (for example, revenge porn, upskirt photos or celebrity leaks)
Don't abuse or hassle the admins
Don't post any information that would identify another redditor, including links to other social media sites, unless you have explicit permission from the person involved. (doxxing)
Don't advocate or encourage doxxing
Don't ask for doxx, even privately
Don't post anything asking for votes, from on- or off-site
Don't respond to a plea for votes, from on- or off-site
Don't vote in threads you were directed to from another part of reddit
Don't engage in nuisance reporting
Don't use multiple accounts to game the voting system
Don't return to a sub you have been banned from with another account
Don't use CSS in your sub to subvert reddit's subscription and voting system
Don't follow links into someone else's subreddit and be a dick
Don't impersonate another redditor with a name of similar appearance, e.g. /u/LaureIai ("I") for /u/Laurelai ("l")
Don't be under 13 years of age
If you're a mod, don't respond to PMs related to moneymaking or promotional offers of any kind. Report them immediately.
If you're an arsehole, the admins will not give you the benefit of the doubt.

Also, it can't hurt to read the reddiquette[2]: if everyone followed the reddiquette, the site would be more pleasant, and all-around better.

2: https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439-Reddiquette

(EDIT) Also, there are some things for which there is weak evidence of triggering a shadowban:

(weak) Don't signup using old.reddit.com without an email address
(weak) Don't use more than one alt within one subreddit
(weak) Don't submit every link to several subreddits at a time
(weak) Don't accept moderator invitations to dodgy subreddits
(weak) Don't comment in threads you came to via a non-organic link (i.e. external site, meta sub, from modmail or PM)
(weak) Don't register using an email address easily detected as a throwaway.
(weak) Don't give yourself awards from another account

tl;dr Don't spam, shill, doxx, brigade, stalk, game or pederast.

How to contact admins

Two ways, pretty sure that #2 no longer works:

Lodge your appeal: https://www.reddit.com/appeal[3] (or https://www.reddit.com/appeals[4] ?)
Message them: https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/reddit.com[5]

(This is the fourth copy ... aged pages are 1[6] 2[7] 3[8])

3: https://www.reddit.com/appeal

4: https://www.reddit.com/appeals

5: https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/reddit.com

6: http://redd.it/1x92jy

7: https://redd.it/35mkzd

8: https://redd.it/6an2bv

Last edited April 24, 2024

Comments

Comment by AutoModerator at 02/06/2024 at 20:36 UTC

1 upvotes, 0 direct replies

Check your account status using this link: https://reddit.com/appeal

If the link allows you to appeal then you are likely shadowbanned or suspended. Users should appeal daily until the AEO/Admins respond then use the link to check your account status. Users not shadowbanned or suspended should see a message on the top of the page stating so.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit[1] if you have any questions or concerns.*

1: /message/compose/?to=/r/ShadowBan

Comment by thor9900 at 05/04/2018 at 19:08 UTC

39 upvotes, 3 direct replies

I'd just like to thank you for the info I needed to get my account un-shadowbanned. After reading this post, making a Shadowbancheck post, and messaging the Reddit Admins after confirming I was shadowbanned, my ban was lifted in less than 24 hours. Thanks again for the help this sub provides!

Comment by [deleted] at 09/05/2018 at 00:54 UTC

38 upvotes, 2 direct replies

[removed]

Comment by recsportsnola at 24/05/2018 at 22:30 UTC

14 upvotes, 1 direct replies

I thought reddit promised to stop shadowbanning people?

Comment by HMS3 at 07/04/2018 at 19:08 UTC

10 upvotes, 2 direct replies

Can you get shadowbanned by posting a link to a youtube video on your own youtube channel? I'm finding Reddit's video upload feature to be really glitchy (stuck at processing for an entire day without any signs of finishing) and I really want to share some really cool things with the subreddit.

Comment by aparanoidbastard at 19/07/2018 at 04:06 UTC

10 upvotes, 2 direct replies

After 3 years of lurking, I decided to start participating in Reddit. After 3 posts and numerous comments going ignored and unnoticed I was messaged by a mod of /r/pcmasterrace that I might want to look into a wiki of shadowban and linked me this sub. That's where I found out that shadowbans were a thing and for whatever reason, I was banned. Following the tips from this sub, I've messaged the admins who promptly replied saying that I was caught in a spam IP and unbanned me.

Thanks everyone.

Hope that this doesn't go unnoticed like my other numerous comments in the past few days :p

Comment by wallacehacks at 13/06/2018 at 20:57 UTC

8 upvotes, 0 direct replies

Don't use CSS in your sub to subvert reddit's subscription and voting system

looks at t_d with suspicion*

Comment by [deleted] at 05/12/2021 at 22:18 UTC

6 upvotes, 0 direct replies

In my opinion shadowban shouldn't be a thing in any website. If you want to ban someone, you should tell that person why and that person should know it he is banned. Shadowban is coward method and used many times just by abusers.

Disney does a lot in youtube. Did you write a comment saying you don't like our trailer? Shadowban.

If shadowban were not a thing and they should write the reason, people could publish on twitter or places like it the fake or stupid excuse they write to you.

Comment by ElginPoker60123 at 24/08/2018 at 00:36 UTC

5 upvotes, 1 direct replies

I got shadow banned from r/news after accumulating 84 karma in a month then all the sudden they claim I'm shadow banned due to a "short tenure"

I'm sure it has nothing to do with my political views

Comment by California_Dogg at 30/08/2024 at 00:36 UTC

6 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Oh my god! I got unbanned. Thank you guys for providing this advice, I thought I was gonna get banned forever

Comment by SurrenderouSJW at 10/05/2018 at 00:20 UTC

4 upvotes, 1 direct replies

I have no idea why I was ban,admin please help

Comment by dark_isatari at 20/08/2018 at 00:27 UTC

5 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Can I be shadow banned on some subreddits only? I am nearly positive my submission is invisible on one fandom sub I use, but comments can be seen and responded to. And on r/iamverysmart it started “encountering an error” every time I tried to comment. That one’s less of a problem because I stopped going anyway but the fandom is like to stay involved..

I would like to know why and if I can undo whatever I did to deserve it..

Thank you so much for your help!

Comment by cojoco at 14/04/2022 at 02:32 UTC

5 upvotes, 1 direct replies

You will get a quicker response if you submit a link to this subreddit, as the bot is working again:

https://reddit.com/r/ShadowBan/submit?selftext=true

The bot will also tell you how many recent comments of yours have been deleted.

Over the next few days my responses will be sporadic.

Comment by Bloodbath_and-beyond at 04/05/2022 at 20:15 UTC

4 upvotes, 1 direct replies

I need a second opinion... I need to speak with your manager. I was told I could reach coocoojoocoo in this place. Is this person just an urban legend? I heard they hail from the land down under! Is this true?...so many questions, I have.

Comment by SmotherQueen_ at 29/03/2024 at 13:23 UTC

4 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Thanks x

Comment by Consistent_Beat_4172 at 24/04/2024 at 03:37 UTC

4 upvotes, 1 direct replies

There now seems to be a new way to get shadow banned: not sign up by email. like if you go to old.reddit to sign up to circumvent putting your email, you get shadow banned.

Comment by TheRealLegitCuck at 10/04/2018 at 01:28 UTC

3 upvotes, 0 direct replies

😘

Comment by resfan at 11/05/2018 at 12:13 UTC

3 upvotes, 1 direct replies

I'm still shadow banned after a month +, wut do?

Already contacted several different admins to no avail, I've even had several people manually allow my posts but, seriously, wut do?

Comment by LurkerMetal at 26/05/2018 at 03:26 UTC

3 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Am I shadowbanned?

Comment by [deleted] at 19/06/2018 at 06:51 UTC

3 upvotes, 1 direct replies

I walk once again in the sun!

Comment by DeeBee1968 at 10/08/2018 at 20:49 UTC

3 upvotes, 1 direct replies

•Don't post child pornography or anything involving the sexualization of teens or minors

I wish Twatter was on the ball on this- there have been people who **REPORT** the pedos suspended for doing so. ( I'm starting to think @jack likes the pretty pictures...)

Thank y'all for keeping this mess off of here !

Comment by BreifcaseFullOfGuts at 14/08/2018 at 01:26 UTC

3 upvotes, 1 direct replies

I want to say thanks to the mods of this sub. After spending some time trying to figure out why my posts were not showing I found this sub and realized I had been shadowbanned. Thanks to the info here I was able to get my account reinstated.

If I could make a suggestion it would be to include the reddit support email in the copypasta. I messaged the admins 3 days in a row, on the fourth day I found the the support email and they got back to me within a couple hours.

Your sub is a valuable resource and I want to thank you for your time and dedication to maintaining it.