If you’re a YouTube content creator, you probably have heard of shadow ban. It is a way for platforms to limit a content creator’s visibility on their platform without actually imposing a ban as they do not notify users when this happens. This is especially common for channels that violate their community guidelines or use spamming techniques to boost their reach and engagement.
Some reasons for a shadow ban are: Excessive commenting or posting irrelevant or unwanted content Spamming keywords that signal spammy content Sharing copyrighted content without proper permission Using bots or cheat software to artificially increase views, comments, or likes Trying to rank higher by slapping lots of keywords in titles and descriptions Videos with low quality - including poorly lit, edited, and sound issues
YouTube has been in the spotlight recently when PewDiePie’s followers complained that they were unable to find his videos in search results. PewDiePie claimed he was shadowbanned by YouTube, but the company vehemently denied it and blamed slower moderation due to Covid-19.
If you suspect that your channel has been hit by a shadow ban, try to access YouTube from another device or network. It may take a few days for your videos to appear in search results again, but don’t worry! Shadowbans usually last around 24 to 48 hours, so you will have plenty of time to analyze your behavior and fix the issue. Once you do, your YouTube content will be visible again in search and notifications!