Do you remember the days when Instagram didn't care if you had dozens of different accounts,
liked hundreds of posts at once, or wrote one spammy comment after another?
Well, those days are over.
Now, Instagram has enforced ruthless anti-spam measures to keep its content strictly organic.
What happens if you don't obey the new rules?
You'll get an IP ban to stop you from accessing the platform.
But don't worry, we'll be sharing useful tips on how to avoid getting banned in this video.
Have you ever had an IP ban on Instagram?
Don't be shy, tell us why you got it in the comments.
Someone else may even learn from your experience.
Chances are that you might not know what an IP ban is, so let's start with the basics.
If you think that you're anonymous or faceless on the Internet, you couldn't be more wrong.
The truth is, you can be easily identified.
How?
Here's the thing.
When your Internet Service Provider sets up your internet connection, it assigns a unique
12-digit code to your device.
This code is called an IP address, and its purpose is to differentiate between millions
of other devices on the Internet.
Two things can be associated with your IP address: your approximate location and your
online activity.
This important piece of information is visible to every server you connect to, which helps
it monitor and even terminate your activity.
That's why IP bans are being used to deter spammers.
Let's say you're trying to expand engagement for your small Instagram account, and you
decide to do so with the help of a dozen other accounts.
But you don't know that Instagram's spam algorithm gets triggered whenever there are more than
5 accounts used with the same IP address.
This mistake will likely prompt the algorithm to ban you, leaving you unable even to access
the platform.
That's how an IP ban works.
Clearly, you don't want that to happen.
So, what can you do?
The short version is: don't violate Instagram's terms of service.
But that's easier said than done.
Let's look at these terms closely.
First of all, make sure your content is aligned with the community guidelines.
Instagram allows users of age 13 and above to sign up for its platform.
So, to keep it safe for a diverse audience, the platform doesn't allow sexual content
or nudity, no matter what the intent is.
Violating this rule can get you banned.
The same goes for violent and gory content.
Even if you're just trying to raise awareness, you may still be violating the rules.
Instagram only allows posting material that belongs to you.
That's why you can only share your pictures or repost them with permission and credit.
Serial offenders are likely to get banned.
Instagram doesn't tolerate spam.
So make sure that you track your daily number of likes and comments.
Here are the limits you should be wary of: older accounts can get away with liking, commenting,
messaging, and following other accounts 60 times each per one hour.
However, newer accounts can only perform each of these actions 30 times per hour.
Keep in mind that Instagram allows using only five accounts with the same IP address.
Any more than that, and you're at a very high risk of being banned.
If you decide to post way too frequently, chances are that Instagram will treat it as
spam too.
However, the safe number is not clear.
It's best not to get carried away, no matter how much you want to share.
There's nothing you can do to avoid getting banned for violating the terms of service.
Other than following the rules, of course.
However, if you want to perform bulk tasks, there's a way to automate them without losing
your accounts.
Sure, you can do it by hand, but who even has time to spend hours liking dozens of photos
every day?
The majority of the social media managers today use bots to grow the engagement on their
accounts.
This automation software works well with platforms like Instagram and has a knack for avoiding
bans.
One of the most popular bots for Instagram is Jarvee.
Click this video to find out more about it.
But to make bots work, there is one crucial thing you're going to need.
You probably know what I'm going to say.
That's right.
We wouldn't be Proxyway if we didn’t talk about proxies.
Using them is the best way to prevent an IP ban.
Let me explain the process in a little bit more detail.
Residential proxies allow you to look like a real user.
After all, they're sourced from actual devices.
How do they work?
A proxy is an intermediary server that is capable of changing your IP address by rerouting
your connection through itself.
It's a simple and block-proof way to get a different IP address.
You might be wondering if you can use a VPN instead of a proxy server.
Honestly, VPNs don't always go well with Instagram.
The reason behind it that most providers use datacenter IPs.
Unlike residential proxies, datacenter IPs come from… you guessed it right, data centers,
hosted by cloud hosting companies.
While they can do pretty much anything a residential proxy can, most secure websites can easily
determine that you're using a datacenter proxy.
So, if you use a VPN to automate your Instagram activity, that’s a sure way to get blocked.
What can you do if you're already banned?
Well, first of all, you need to find out whether Instagram has blocked your IP or your account.
One way to do it is to ask others using the same wi-fi to check if they have access to
the platform.
Another option is to clear the cookies from your web browser and try to access Instagram.
If it's an account ban, you'll see a sign-in screen.
Meanwhile, an IP ban will prevent you from accessing the website altogether.
To regain access to the platform, you're going to need to change your IP address.
As we mentioned before, the best way to do it is by using proxies.
They will allow you to change your IP and get back to posting your pics.
So, now that you're convinced you need proxies, don't forget to check out our Instagram proxy
video.
It will explain everything you need to know about them to get started and which proxies
work best for Instagram.
See you in the next video and don’t forget to subscribe for more.