why you should NOT be using the hashtag #valentinesday on instagram

hashtags are a way for you to expand your organic reach, but there are a few things to keep in mind before you hit that “publish” tab! in this article we’ve gathered a complete package for you to understand everything you need to know about banned hashtags: what they are, what happens if you use them, and how do you know if a hashtag is banned.

what are banned hashtags?

banned hashtags are hashtags that users of the platform have reported, because the posts using them are inappropriate and go against instagram’s guidelines. typically the hashtags are quite innocent to the eye, which makes it harder to define them - yes, #valentinesday is on the banned hashtag list - and are used by bots and spammers (hence the ban). by banning hashtags, the platform ensures the inappropriate posts under these hashtags will be hidden, and will not be shown in user feeds. the list of banned hashtags is constantly changing, based on reports and the platforms own investigations.

what happens if you use a banned hashtag?

as said earlier, some of the banned hashtags are quite innocent - so there is a possibility that you’ve used some of them. if you use a banned hashtag, that specific post won’t be shown in the feed of your audience. the post will be visible in your profile page still, but your audience has to be visiting your page as the platform won’t be pushing the content out for you. with a continuous use of banned hashtags, you may risk your instagram page for a shadowban (or even to be removed).

how do you know if a hashtag is banned?

instagram hasn’t published an official banned hashtag list, but there are ways around it for you to find out the current ones. first of all, you may find some lists published online via third parties - but to be absolutely sure, you can find restricted hashtags on the app itself!

use the explore tab to search for the hashtag in mind. with the search results, click on the hashtag: if the recent posts under that hashtag are hidden, the hashtag is banned - so don’t use it!