Instagram’s looking to provide more transparency for creators with a new update to its in-app Account Status dashboard that will indicate whether your content is eligible to be recommended by its various systems, and will also provide pointers on how to rectify any issues on this front.
As you can see in this example, Instagram’s adding a new element to Account Status which will show whether your content is eligible for recommendation, as normal, or if there’s an issue with anything that you’ve posted.
If you notice a yellow alert in your Account Status display, you can tap through to learn more, which will then display a sample of posts that could be in violation of Instagram’s rules, along with an explainer of why they may be in violation of platform policy.
Here’s an overview of the new process from Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, who’s beaming in from IG’s London HQ.
✅ Account Status Update ✅
— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) December 7, 2022
We're expanding Account Status so professional accounts can understand if their content may be eligible to be recommended to non-followers.
Here’s how to get to it: Profile -> Menu -> Settings -> Account -> Account Status pic.twitter.com/QbxjQF06vR
It’s a big step towards providing more transparency in Instagram’s process, and demystifying ‘shadowbans’, which could be a big help for those looking to ensure that they’re maximizing their opportunities in the app. Because you may well not be eligible for recommendations, and you may never know it – so now, if you see your reach drop, or if someone says that they’re not seeing your updates, you can check in here and ensure that everything’s as it should be.
And if everything is, then it’s just your content that’s not resonating. Which is a problem in itself, but not a technical one at least.
Also, if you want to know what content Instagram frowns upon, here's a listing of things that it won't list in its recommendation surfaces.
As noted, the features are part of Instagram’s Account Status dashboard, which it first launched last October, and has been rolling out to all users throughout the year. Instagram says that all users should now have access to the option, which will now also include these new indicators of content violations and reach impacts.
So now you can dispel, or confirm your suspicion of 'shadowbans' or restrictions of reach based on unknown violations. Instagram is being upfront with this, while also providing more insight to help you correct any issues.
