Two weeks ago I posted what I thought was a pretty decent comment on r/entrepreneur. Spent ten minutes writing it. Hit submit. Felt good.

Then... nothing. No upvotes. No replies. Dead silence.

Checked the thread an hour later. My comment wasn't there. Logged out to double-check. Still not there.

That's when I realized: I might be shadowbanned.

What Even Is a Shadowban?

If you're not familiar, a shadowban is Reddit's sneaky way of dealing with spam accounts. Instead of banning you outright (which would alert you), they just... make you invisible.

You can still post. You can still comment. Everything looks normal from your end. But nobody else can see anything you write. Your posts don't show up in subreddits. Your comments vanish into the void.

The creepy part? Reddit doesn't tell you. You just slowly realize something's wrong when you get zero engagement on everything.

It's different from a regular ban (which tells you "you are banned from participating in...") or a suspension (which locks your account with a message). Shadowbans are silent. That's the point.

Quick Shadowban Check Methods

Look, there's no official "Am I shadowbanned?" button on Reddit. But here are the methods that actually work in 2025:

Method 1: The Incognito Test

This is the fastest check.

Copy your profile URL: reddit.com/user/YOUR_USERNAME
Open an incognito/private browser window (Ctrl+Shift+N on Chrome)
Paste the URL and hit enter

If you see "Sorry, nobody on Reddit goes by that name" or "page not found" - yeah, you're probably shadowbanned. If your profile loads normally with all your posts visible, you're fine.

Same test works for individual posts. Copy the URL of something you posted, check it logged out. If it's invisible to the public but visible to you when logged in, that's a shadowban.

Method 2: The Appeal Page Trick

This one's clever. Go to: reddit.com/appeals

If your account is in good standing, you'll see something like "Looks like your account is fine" or it won't let you submit an appeal.

If you see an option to actually submit an appeal - that means Reddit flagged your account for something. Could be a shadowban, could be a suspension pending. Either way, not great news.

Method 3: Post on r/ShadowBan

Wait, didn't that subreddit shut down?

Actually, r/ShadowBan went read-only for a while but it's functional again in 2025. There's a bot that automatically checks your status when you post there.

Just create a post with any title like "Am I shadowbanned?" and the bot will reply within minutes telling you your status and any recent removed posts.

If that doesn't work, try r/ShadowBanned (with the 'ed') as backup.

Method 4: Ask a Friend

Old school but reliable. Have someone else check your profile and recent posts from their account. If they can't see your stuff, you've got a problem.

Signs You Might Be Shadowbanned

Sometimes it's not obvious. Here are the red flags:

Zero engagement suddenly - Posts that would normally get at least a few upvotes are getting nothing
Comments show as "[removed]" - When you log out and check your comment history
Post doesn't appear in "new" - Submit something to a subreddit, then check /new on that subreddit logged out. Not there? Problem.
Can't send chat messages - Some shadowbans block DMs/chat
Notifications but no interactions - You see your own activity but get no responses ever

One thing to note: sometimes individual subreddits have their own automod filters that remove posts from new accounts or accounts with low karma. That's not a shadowban - that's just subreddit rules. The difference is whether your content is invisible site-wide or just in specific communities.

Why Did You Get Shadowbanned?

Reddit's system is automated and sometimes makes mistakes. But usually there's a reason:

Spam-like behavior - Posting the same link to multiple subreddits. Commenting the same thing repeatedly. Aggressive self-promotion on a new account.

Using VPN when creating account - This is a big one. Reddit flags IP addresses associated with spam operations. If you signed up while using a VPN, your account might have been flagged from day one.

Vote manipulation - Using alt accounts to upvote your own stuff. Reddit's detection is better than you think.

Following banned users - Sometimes if you're associated with accounts that got banned (same IP, similar behavior patterns), you get caught in the net.

Just... bad luck - False positives happen. Reddit's anti-spam system isn't perfect. Legitimate accounts get shadowbanned sometimes.

How to Fix a Shadowban

Okay so you confirmed you're shadowbanned. Now what?

Step 1: Submit an Appeal

Go to reddit.com/appeals and fill out the form.

Be polite. Even if you're frustrated (which is fair), aggressive messages won't help. Explain who you are, that you believe you were shadowbanned by mistake, and ask for a review.

Keep it short. Something like:

"Hi, I believe my account [username] was incorrectly flagged for spam. I'm a genuine user and haven't intentionally violated any rules. Could you please review my account? Thank you."

Step 2: Wait (Unfortunately)

Appeals can take anywhere from 24 hours to several weeks. There's not much you can do to speed it up. You can submit one appeal per 24 hours, but don't spam them - that looks bad.

Step 3: Don't Create New Accounts

This is important. If you're shadowbanned and immediately create a new account from the same IP address, that new account will likely get shadowbanned too. Reddit sees it as ban evasion.

If your appeal gets denied and you genuinely need a new Reddit account, wait. Use a different network. And for the love of god, don't repeat whatever behavior got you banned in the first place.

Preventing Future Shadowbans

Once you get unshadowbanned (or if you haven't been banned yet), here's how to stay safe:

Don't sign up with VPN - Create accounts on your regular network. Reddit flags VPN IPs heavily.

Avoid spammy behavior - Don't post the same link to 10 different subreddits. Don't comment identical things everywhere. Vary your contributions.

Build karma naturally - New accounts that immediately start promoting things look suspicious. Spend a few days just participating normally before any self-promotion.

Follow the 10:1 rule - Old Reddit guideline: for every promotional post, have 10 non-promotional contributions. It's not a hard rule anymore but the spirit of it helps.

Don't use sketchy third-party tools - Anything that automates voting, mass-posts, or manipulates Reddit's systems will eventually get you flagged.

Checking Shadowban Status in Bulk

If you're doing Reddit marketing (or research), checking shadowban status manually for multiple accounts is painful.

I've been using Reddit Toolbox which has a user analysis feature that can check account health and flag potential issues. Not a magic "is this account shadowbanned" button, but it runs various checks that help identify if an account has visibility problems.

You can also check if specific users you're researching are shadowbanned by running their username through the incognito test or the r/ShadowBan bot method.

The bigger issue is catching problems early. If you're managing multiple Reddit accounts (for different brands, clients, whatever), you want to know immediately when something goes wrong, not weeks later when you notice zero engagement.

Subreddit Bans vs Shadowbans

Quick clarification because people mix these up:

Subreddit ban - A specific community banned you. You'll get a message saying "you have been banned from participating in r/whatever." You can still use Reddit normally elsewhere.

Site-wide suspension - Reddit suspended your account. You get a clear message. Your account is temporarily (or permanently) locked.

Shadowban - No message. Everything looks normal to you. But you're invisible site-wide. This is the sneaky one.

If you're only having trouble in one subreddit, you're probably dealing with local moderator action or automod rules, not a shadowban. Check by testing your visibility in a completely different subreddit.

What If the Appeal Doesn't Work?

Sometimes appeals get denied. Or you just never hear back.

At that point your options are:

Try again - Some people have success with multiple appeals over time, especially if they phrase things differently or provide more context.
Start over - Create a new account (on a different network, after some time has passed) and be more careful this time.
Accept it - If the account wasn't that important, sometimes it's easier to just move on.

Harsh reality: Reddit doesn't owe you an explanation and they don't have to lift the ban. If your account was genuinely engaging in spam or manipulation, it's probably not coming back.

Wrapping Up

Shadowbans suck, especially when you didn't do anything obviously wrong. But at least now you know how to:

Check if you're actually shadowbanned (incognito test, appeal page, r/ShadowBan)
Submit an appeal properly
Avoid getting shadowbanned in the first place

The r/ShadowBan subreddit is back and functional, the appeals page works, and most legitimate users who got caught by mistake can get their accounts restored.

If you're doing any kind of Reddit outreach or research, keep an eye on your account health. Random shadowbans can kill weeks of work if you don't catch them early.

Got questions about Reddit account issues or the tools mentioned? Drop a comment - happy to help figure out what's going on with your account.

How to Check If You Are Shadowbanned on Reddit (And How to Fix It)