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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossarySocial & CreatorShadowban

Social & Creator

Shadowban

An informal term for a platform quietly limiting a user's content visibility without notifying them.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

A shadowban is an informal term for a platform quietly limiting a user's content visibility without notifying them. Affected posts may stop appearing in search, hashtags or recommendation feeds. Platforms rarely use the term, though some acknowledge reducing distribution for content that breaches guidelines, and creators often attribute unexplained reach drops to it.