Xiaohongshu Shadow Banning: Fix Hidden Visibility Issues
Understanding Shadow Banning and How to Prevent Shadow Banning on Xiaohongshu
Have You ever Experienced Shadow Banning on Xiaohongshu?
You’re not violating any rules, and you haven’t received any in-app violation notifications, yet your account and posts aren’t gaining much traction.
You reach out to customer support, and they assure you that your account is fine. You appeal regarding your posts, and the response confirms that your account is in good standing. So, what’s going on?
In fact, there is something called “shadow banning” on Xiaohongshu. What is “shadow banning”? It refers to a situation where, even though your posts don’t contain any violations or sensitive content, they still struggle to reach beyond a few hundred views.
If you’ve received a violation notice, it means the situation is serious, and you’ve clearly breached community guidelines, which will impact your traffic. Violations are like external wounds – even after healing, scars remain. “Shadow banning,” on the other hand, is like an internal injury. You may not see it, but if ignored, it can have long-term consequences.
1) Why does shadow banning happen?
The performance of a post on Xiaohongshu depends on its content quality. The platform won’t distribute traffic to low-quality content for no reason. There’s no “black box operation” or hidden traffic system – the only way to gain traffic is through posts that are genuinely engaging. When your content attracts users to click, stay, and interact, the platform will distribute more traffic to you because you bring value to the platform.
Your account’s overall traffic comes from the performance of each individual post. Every post is like an exam – if you repeatedly perform poorly, it’s hard for the platform to trust you again and give you organic reach. This is how “shadow banning” happens. You may not have violated any rules, and your content might not contain sensitive terms, but the platform stops giving your content traffic.
2) How can you tell if you've been shadow banned?
1. Check your traffic distribution
In the Creator Service Center, you can analyze where the traffic for each post comes from. The sources are:
- Homepage recommendations (Discovery Page)
- Search results (Search Page)
- Follower feed (Followers Page)
- Personal profile (Users visiting your profile after reading your post)
- Other sources (such as hashtags, traffic coupons, etc.)
Under normal circumstances, homepage recommendations should make up the largest portion of traffic, followed by follower feed (if you have a solid follower base), and lastly, search traffic.
If you notice a sudden drop in homepage recommendations, or worse, no homepage traffic at all (see image below), it’s highly likely you’ve been shadow banned.
2. Check if your content is indexed
Using the title or keywords to check indexing is unreliable. Instead, search for your account name directly. If your posts don’t show up on the “Comprehensive” page, it’s a sign you’ve likely been shadow banned.
If your posts do appear but in smaller numbers, this indicates a potential violation. However, if all or most of your posts are listed, it suggests your account is healthy and traffic distribution is normal.
The top 10 reasons for shadow banning:
- QR codes or external platform links
Including QR codes or external links in your post can be flagged as advertising, leading to limited reach. - Frequently deleting or hiding posts
Deleting or hiding posts frequently may signal low-quality content, triggering a traffic limitation. - Long periods of inactivity (more than a week)
Inactive accounts may be considered dormant, resulting in a drop in traffic. - Direct messaging to drive traffic (can lead to being muted)
Sending traffic-driving messages through direct messages can be flagged as spam and result in a mute. - Lack of content focus
If your content lacks a clear focus, the platform may consider it irrelevant and limit your traffic. - Multiple reports on a single post or across several posts
Posts that are frequently reported are flagged for review. During this review, your account’s traffic may be restricted until the review confirms whether there’s a violation. - Frequent account information changes
Constantly changing your account details like username or profile picture can be seen as suspicious behavior, leading to a traffic limitation. - Failing to check for sensitive or prohibited words
If your content includes prohibited or sensitive words, it may be flagged and limited. - Content theft or plagiarism
Copying or repurposing content can be flagged as copyright infringement, resulting in a restriction. - Multiple violation records
Repeated rule violations get recorded, and over time, the platform may severely restrict your traffic.
If you’ve been flagged for violations, don’t worry! As long as you remove any questionable content, your account can recover and return to normal traffic levels. However, even if the traffic recovers, the violation record remains, meaning future violations may result in harsher penalties. It’s best to respect the rules and avoid violations whenever possible.
3) How to resolve shadow banning?
How to break free from it? It’s simple – two strategies:
First: Maximize each posting opportunity. Ensure your content quality is so high that, even with limited traffic, you get strong engagement. This demonstrates value to the platform and helps you regain traffic distribution.
Second: Diversify your traffic sources. Build a strong data model for your account and keep providing value to the platform. For example, you can start live streaming or invest in paid traffic to keep your data flowing.
In conclusion, don’t rush to create an account just because you have an idea. First, prepare quality content and topics, ensure you have enough material for regular posting, and only then start your account. Treat every post like an “exam” and make the most of every opportunity.
At OctoPlus Media, we specialize in providing one-stop digital marketing solutions, including comprehensive services for Xiaohongshu. Whether you need official account creation, account verification, account management, influencer marketing, or paid advertising, we’ve got you covered. Our team of experts will help you leverage Xiaohongshu’s unique ecosystem to grow your brand and engage with your target audience effectively.
If you’re looking to expand your presence on Xiaohongshu and beyond, feel free to contact us for more details. We’re here to help your brand thrive in the digital landscape!
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