How to know if you’re using banned hashtags

If you’re a content creator and you use Instagram, then you’ve probably heard of the dreaded banned hashtags list. It doesn’t matter how long they have been around, or how popular they are, some hashtags basically get rejected by Instagram. Here are a few ways to identify if you’re using banned hashtags, and why you should stop using them right now!

Why shouldn’t you use banned hashtags?

Great question! Before we get into how to find them, let’s talk about what they do. When you use a hashtag that is banned, it could prevent you from growing on Instagram. If users are not seeing your posts, then this could be the cause! Since we are all trying to grow, we don’t need anything to prevent us from doing that! People also say that it could result in shadowbanning, but I’ve seen many articles where Instagram denies doing that to people’s accounts. We will never know for sure.

1. Check the online lists

Bless whoever is creating these online databases that list banned hashtags for us! If you’re worried about a hashtag that you are currently using, then these are some of the first places that you should check! Here are a few lists that I check from time to time, and that you can use as well!

• Socialinsider: Complete List of Banned Hashtags 2019
• Banned Instagram Hashtags 2019
• Searchable List of Banned Hashtags

2. Tailwind Hashtag Finder

If you’re a fellow Tailwind user, then you probably know about the Tailwind Hashtag Finder. I’ve mentioned this before on the blog, so I’ll link it here! A quick rundown is that it helps you find the best hashtags based on your caption. It finds relevant hashtags that pertain to your content, and the best part is? It doesn’t suggest banned hashtags! You can use this option for free, so I highly suggest trying it out!

3. You can simply check the tag on Instagram

If you want to, you can always check the tag on Instagram. If a tag shows up, then it is most likely safe to use it. There are two defined ways to know if a hashtag is banned by simply searching for a hashtag.

1. Partial Ban: If a hashtag is under a partial ban, then it won’t show a “most recent’ option when you pull it up.
2. Complete Ban: When you search for the tag, it will not show up at all.

Just use common sense

If you’re not growing no matter what you do, then hashtags could definitely be a cause. Instagram lets you know how many posts are under a hashtag. It is a good idea to use smaller tags, niche tags, and larger tags to grow. If you’ve been using the same hashtags, it might be time to switch it up! If you’re looking for more information on hashtags and how to find the right ones for your account, then check out this post here!

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