List of Forbidden Words that Reduce Instagram Reach

UPDATE:
Recently, Instagram published a video on their official @creators page, stating that calls to action in captions using words like “like,” “comment,” “share,” and “follow” can lower reach. However, they deleted that video a few hours later 😂🤦🏻‍♀️.

If you’re a bit paranoid, here are some alternative phrases you can use:

• Follow: Join my audience
• Like: Tap that heart!
• Comment: Say _ below
• Share: Spread the news!

List of Forbidden Words that Reduce Instagram Reach

❓What does Instagram penalize?➡️ It penalizes for breaches of the social network’s guidelines, which all users implicitly agree to upon account registration.

❓How are violations detected? ➡️Through algorithms.

❓What are the penalties?➡️ Reduced reach, shadow banning, or outright account blocking.

Content that may result in reduced Instagram reach includes:

• Medicinal products: Posts promoting prescription drugs, unapproved treatments, or misleading health claims.
• Alcohol and tobacco products: Including images of people smoking, drinking, or promoting related products.
• Discrimination based on race or gender: Any hate speech, derogatory remarks, or content that promotes inequality.
• Dietary supplements: Especially those making exaggerated claims about weight loss or health benefits.
• Any form of weapons or explosives: Including images or videos of guns, knives, bombs, or even threats made in jest.
• Adult-oriented products (18+): Such as sex toys, adult entertainment services, or explicit content.

• Adult content: The algorithm may flag images with bare shoulders, deep necklines, or anything suggestive.
• Promises that are too good to be true: Scams, pyramid schemes, or any deceptive business practices.
• Violent content: Graphic violence, gore, or content promoting self-harm.
• Profanity: Offensive language, even in memes or casual contexts.
• Images of children showing exposed body parts: This includes seemingly innocent photos, like a child in a diaper, posing a risk of shadow banning.
• Misinformation: Spreading false news, conspiracy theories, or unverified claims about sensitive topics like health, politics, or public safety.
• Illicit activities: Promoting illegal activities such as hacking, cybercrime, or any form of lawbreaking.

‼️ Interestingly, a post that seems entirely harmless to the creator might be deemed inappropriate by Instagram, and there’s little to be done about it. ‼️

Prohibited Words on Instagram

Using certain words might result in your account being shadow banned or deleted. Therefore, avoid using these words in stories, Reels, and posts, including words that are similar or related to:

• Promises of earnings: Words like “earnings,” “money,” “purchase,” “payment,” “income,” “cash,” “sales,” especially in the context of making quick or guaranteed profits.
• Boosting engagement on Instagram: Terms such as “boosting,” “likes,” “engagement chat,” “followers,” especially when encouraging artificial engagement.
• Contests and giveaways: Words like “giveaway,” “lottery,” “gift,” “free,” “prize,” “win,” “gifted,” often flagged due to frequent misuse.
• Sales and promotions: Terms like “promotion,” “discount,” “sale,” “low prices,” “clearance,” “link in bio,” “ad,” “buy now,” “advertisement,” which can trigger algorithmic restrictions.

• Content related to violence and cruelty: Words like “death,” “suicide,” “murder,” “abuse,” “torture,” “victim,” “genocide,” “terrorism,” “violence,” “abortion,” considered sensitive and potentially harmful.
• Erotica or adult content: Terms like “sex,” “penis,” “vagina,” “orgasm,” “pornography,” which are explicit and against the guidelines.
• Clearly false statements: Words like “fake,” “liar,” “scam,” “hacker,” “spam,” which are often associated with misinformation or fraudulent behavior.
• Illegal activities: Terms like “theft,” “drugs,” “weapons,” “explosion,” “bomb,” related to criminal activities.
• Other banned content categories: Including offensive language, racial or gender discrimination, and any other form of hate speech or harmful content.

Note: Instagram may also recognize emojis 💵 💰 and * symbol (m*ney) used in place of letters, potentially affecting your content’s reach.

Before you post, take a moment to check your content against these tips. It’s better to be cautious now than to deal with account issues later.

Wishing you high engagement and meaningful connections!

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