A shadowban is invisible. Your posts look live to you but no one else can see them. Here is how to check if it happened and exactly what to do about it.
Quick Check: Use the Free Shadowban Detector
Enter your username and get an instant result. No account needed.
Completely invisible
You see your posts as normal. Logged-out users and other Reddit members see nothing. You have no idea it happened.
No notification
Reddit intentionally does not tell you when you are shadowbanned. It is designed to let bots keep running without knowing they have been neutralized.
Preventable
Over 90% of shadowbans follow the same pattern of avoidable mistakes. The rules are clear and consistent.
Open an incognito or private browser window
This ensures you are not logged into Reddit. You need to view your profile as a stranger would.
Go to reddit.com/u/[yourusername]
Replace [yourusername] with your actual Reddit username. If your profile page shows "page not found" or is empty, you are shadowbanned at the account level.
Find a recent post or comment you made
While logged in, find a post or comment you made recently. Copy its URL.
Open that URL in incognito mode
If the comment or post is not visible when you are not logged in, it is shadowbanned. Check several posts to confirm the pattern.
Search your username in the subreddit
Go to the subreddit where you posted and search for your username. If your posts do not appear in search results, they have been filtered out.
Use the MediaFast Shadowban Detector
The fastest method: enter your username and get an instant check across multiple signals.
Your entire account is flagged. All posts and comments across Reddit are hidden from logged-out users and search. Your profile page returns empty or "page not found."
Common cause: Site-wide spam behavior, multiple ToS violations, or vote manipulation.
Your posts in a specific subreddit go to the spam filter and are not visible. You can still post elsewhere on Reddit normally.
Common cause: AutoModerator rules in that subreddit (karma minimums, new account age, word filters).
Your account is fine but links from a specific domain (usually your website) are filtered site-wide.
Common cause: Your domain has been flagged for spam by Reddit admins. Multiple users reported links from it.
Your post was not shadowbanned but caught in the spam queue awaiting moderator review. Can look identical to a shadowban.
Common cause: New account, low karma, link posts from unrecognized domains, or subreddit-specific triggers.
Confirm the shadowban type
Use the check steps above to determine if it is account-level or subreddit-level. This determines where you appeal.
For account-level: go to reddit.com/appeal
Submit an appeal explaining why you believe the shadowban was applied in error. Be honest, brief, and specific. Do not be defensive or aggressive.
For subreddit-level: message the moderators
Go to the subreddit and click "message the moderators." Explain that your posts seem to be caught in the spam filter and ask if they can review them.
Wait 3-7 days
Reddit admins are slow to respond to appeals. Do not submit multiple appeals as it slows the process. Subreddit mods are usually faster.
If no response, rebuild fresh
If your appeal is ignored or denied, the pragmatic option is to start a new account and build it correctly this time using the safety guide.
Keep self-promotional posts under 9% of your total activity
Build 30+ days of account age and 100+ karma before any link posts
Never post the same link to multiple subreddits in 24 hours
Disable VPN before logging in to Reddit
Read subreddit rules before every post
Respond to all comments on your posts to signal genuine engagement
Never purchase upvotes or ask followers to vote on your posts
Built-in self-promotion tracking, timing controls, and safe posting patterns.
Common questions about Reddit shadowbans, how they work, and how to fix them.
Open an incognito browser and go to reddit.com/u/[yourusername]. If your profile is empty or returns a 404, you are account-shadowbanned. For post-level shadowbans, find a post you made while logged in, then check if that post is visible when you are logged out. If it disappears, it is shadowbanned.
No. That is what makes it a shadowban. Everything appears normal from your perspective. You can still post, comment, and vote. But no one else can see any of it. Reddit intentionally does not notify you so that spam bots keep running without knowing they have been neutralized.
Account-level shadowbans can sometimes be appealed at reddit.com/appeal. Success rates are low for accounts that genuinely violated rules. Subreddit-level filters are easier to resolve by messaging moderators directly. If you believe the shadowban was applied in error, an appeal is worth submitting.
Account-level shadowbans from Reddit admins are typically permanent unless successfully appealed. Subreddit-level spam filters often resolve themselves when you build more account history or when a moderator manually approves your post. The spam filter is not always permanent.
A regular ban notifies you and prevents you from posting in a specific subreddit or site-wide. A shadowban is invisible. You receive no notification and your content appears to post normally. Only others can see it is missing.