You write the perfect caption with hashtags and hit post, but your video gets ZERO views… what the actual fuck is happening?!
Turns out TikTok has a secret list of banned hashtags they don’t tell you about 🙁
You can TYPE these tags in your captions, but your video just disappears into the void! No For You Page, no hashtag searches, nothing. And the worst part? TikTok doesn’t warn you when you use restricted hashtags. Your video just quietly dies…
I’m not gonna lie, this invisible ban list is one of the most frustrating parts of TikTok. You’re following all the rules you know about, using popular hashtags, and your content STILL gets buried because you accidentally used a banned tag, deadass!
The Types Of Banned Hashtags
TikTok doesn’t publish an official list of banned hashtags, which is complete BULLSHIT if you ask me. They expect creators to somehow magically know which tags will destroy their reach…
Permanently Banned Tags
Some hashtags are banned forever because they’re linked to dangerous content, hate speech, illegal activity, or got completely overrun by spam bots. When you search these, you’ll see ZERO results or “no results found” even though people have definitely used them.
Tags related to drugs, self-harm, violence, adult content, and controversial topics are permanently banned, for real. Using them will absolutely tank your video’s reach!
Temporarily Restricted (The Probation List)
These aren’t permanently banned but they’re currently restricted because of recent misuse or spam. They might’ve been safe last month, but now they’re flagged!
And TikTok never tells you when tags get restricted…
Hashtags can get temporarily banned during trending challenges that go wrong, political controversies, or when spammers flood them. Once things calm down, some tags get unbanned – but you never know when, no cap.
Spam-Associated Hashtags
Tags like #followme, #likeforlike, #follow4follow and similar engagement-bait hashtags are HEAVILY restricted. TikTok hates this shit because it’s manipulative! Using these makes you look like a bot trying to game the system.
Hashtags That Seem Fine But Aren’t
This is where it gets really annoying. Sometimes normal, everyday hashtags get flagged for weird reasons – maybe they accidentally match something inappropriate, or they’re similar to banned tags, or TikTok’s AI just makes a mistake.
Popular hashtags can also get temporarily restricted if a TON of guideline-violating content uses them at once. Your video might be perfectly fine, but if 1000 other people used the same tag for bad content, you ALL get punished together. That’s some extra bullshit right there, IYKYK!
How To Check If A Hashtag Is Banned
Since TikTok won’t tell you, you gotta do detective work yourself…
Search before using – Type the hashtag into TikTok’s search bar. If it shows zero results or very few recent videos (like under 100 when it should have thousands), it’s likely banned or restricted.
Look for warning messages – Some banned hashtags trigger a warning like “This phrase may be associated with behavior or content that violates our guidelines.” That’s TikTok saying “don’t use this shit” without actually banning it from searches!
Check the view count – Hashtags should have view counts next to them. If a popular tag shows 0 views or suspiciously low numbers, it’s been flagged, bet.
Test with a secondary account – Post a test video using the hashtag from another account. Check if it appears under that hashtag when you search from a different device. If your test video doesn’t show up? That tag is killing your visibility, fr fr.
Monitor your analytics – After posting, check your video stats. If your For You Page impressions are near zero and hashtag views are non-existent, one of your tags probably got flagged!
What Happens When You Use Banned Hashtags
Using restricted hashtags doesn’t get you BANNED from TikTok entirely (usually), but it destroys your content’s reach:
Shadowbanned – Your content stops appearing on the For You Page and in hashtag searches. Followers can still see it on your profile, but discovery is DEAD. New people won’t find your content at all!
Shadowbans from banned hashtags typically last 24-48 hours for minor offenses, but repeated violations can extend it to weeks or become permanent, deadass…
Zero hashtag impressions – Even if your video gets some FYP views, the hashtag traffic will be zero. Nobody found your video through the hashtags you used because TikTok blocked it!
Reduced overall reach – Using banned tags signals to TikTok that you might be posting guideline-violating content. This can reduce your ENTIRE account’s reach, not just that one video. Future videos might also get less distribution because your account is now flagged as suspicious, for real.
Stuck “under review” – Sometimes videos with banned hashtags get flagged for manual review. They show as “processing” for hours or days. By the time they approve it (if they do), the algorithm window has closed and your video is dead on arrival…
And if you’re also dealing with low engagement issues, it’s probably related to the same algorithmic problems.
How To Fix Hashtag Shadowbans
Delete Or Edit Flagged Videos
Go through your recent posts and remove videos that used banned or restricted hashtags. You can delete them entirely or edit the captions to remove problematic tags. Editing is better because deleting everything looks suspicious to TikTok!
Stop Posting For 48-72 Hours
Take a break!
This gives TikTok’s algorithm time to reassess your account and lift the shadowban. I know it sucks to pause when you’re trying to grow, but posting more during a shadowban just wastes your efforts, no cap.
Clear Your Cache
Go to Settings → Free up space → Clear cache. This removes old data that might be holding flags against your account. It won’t fix everything instantly but it helps reset things!
Post Clean Content With Safe Hashtags
When you start posting again, use ONLY verified safe hashtags. Stick to broad, popular tags that definitely aren’t banned. Build your account’s reputation back up with consistently good content that doesn’t trigger any flags, bet.
Engage Authentically
Spend time watching full videos, leaving genuine comments, and interacting naturally. This tells TikTok you’re a real person, not a spam bot. It helps rebuild trust with the algorithm faster!
Having other problems? Check out notification issues too.
Categories Of Hashtags To AVOID
Let me break down the types of hashtags that will absolutely wreck your reach:
- Drug and substance-related tags – Anything related to illegal drugs, prescription medication misuse, or substances is banned. Even slang terms get caught, deadass!
- Self-harm and mental health crisis tags – Tags referencing self-injury, eating disorders, or suicide are restricted or banned. TikTok redirects these searches to crisis resources instead of showing content.
- Sexual and adult content tags – Obviously anything explicitly sexual is banned. But even milder tags that could be interpreted as suggestive get restricted, no cap.
- Hate speech and extremism – Hashtags promoting racism, violence, terrorism, or hate groups are permanently banned. This includes coded language that extremist groups use!
- Dangerous challenges and trends – When viral challenges involve risky behavior or have caused injuries, TikTok bans the associated hashtags. Those tags are gone forever, for real.
- Spam and engagement bait – Tags like #followforfollow, #likeforlike, #follow4follow, #f4f, #l4l, #gainparty, #followtrain – all this garbage is restricted, bet!
- Misleading health and medical tags – Hashtags promoting fake cures, anti-vaccine content, dangerous dieting advice, or medical misinformation get banned FAST.
Best Practices For Safe Hashtag Use
Research trending hashtags first – Just because something’s trending doesn’t mean it’s safe! Check what kind of content is using that tag before you jump on it. If the trend involves risky behavior or controversial topics, stay away even if it’s popular.
Use 3-5 relevant hashtags max – Don’t spam 30 hashtags on every video. TikTok’s algorithm prefers quality over quantity! Use 3-5 highly relevant tags that accurately describe your content.
Avoid generic spam hashtags – NEVER use tags like #followme, #likeforlike, #viral, #fyp (yes, even #fyp can be problematic sometimes), or any engagement-bait variations. These scream “I’m trying to manipulate the algorithm” and TikTok hates that shit, IYKYK!
Create niche-specific hashtag lists – Build a collection of safe hashtags in your niche that you’ve tested and verified. Keep this list updated and rotate through different combinations.
Monitor hashtag performance – Check your analytics after every post to see which hashtags drove traffic. If a tag consistently gives you zero impressions? Stop using it – it’s probably restricted, for real.
Common Myths About Banned Hashtags
MYTH: TikTok tells you when hashtags are banned.
WRONG! TikTok almost never warns you. They just let your content die silently, deadass.
MYTH: Using banned hashtags gets your account deleted.
NOT USUALLY. Banned hashtags mostly cause shadowbans or reduced reach. Your account won’t get terminated unless you’re repeatedly violating serious guidelines!
MYTH: You can appeal banned hashtag restrictions.
NOPE. There’s no appeal process for hashtag shadowbans. You just have to wait it out and post better content going forward.
MYTH: Hiding hashtags in comments avoids detection.
WRONG AGAIN. TikTok scans comments too. Banned hashtags in comments will still hurt your reach, no cap. There’s no sneaky workaround here!
What You Actually Need To Do
TikTok’s invisible banned hashtag list is one of the platform’s most frustrating features. They punish you for using restricted tags but don’t tell you which tags are restricted – it’s complete BULLSHIT!
The only way to protect yourself is by researching hashtags before using them. Search tags to check for warnings, look at view counts, test with secondary accounts. Avoid obvious spam tags like #followme and engagement bait. Stay away from controversial topics unless that’s genuinely your niche.
Never assume a trending hashtag is automatically safe…
If you get shadowbanned from banned hashtags, stop posting immediately, clean up your recent content, and give TikTok’s algorithm time to forgive you. Then come back with safe, verified hashtags and rebuild your reach slowly, bet.
The hashtag game on TikTok is annoying as hell, but understanding how it works gives you a HUGE advantage over creators who keep getting shadowbanned without knowing why, fr fr!
Now go audit your hashtags and stop accidentally killing your own reach ;;
Share this with every TikTok creator you know who’s confused about why their videos suddenly stopped getting views!
