Have you ever uploaded a great video and then got almost no views? Many ask: is my channel YouTube shadowbaned? The short answer: yes, a form of shadowban can happen. It is a quiet limit on what YouTube shows to others. You won’t get a warning. You just see your numbers drop.
A shadow banned channel looks normal, but YouTube cuts how much it recommends your content. That means fewer YouTube impressions, fewer views and little engagement. You might still get subscribers, but YouTube stops showing your videos to them. You also won’t get a notification. The best way to check shadowban is to open your analytics and look at impressions and reach. If impressions are tiny for a channel with many subscribers, that is a red flag.
Imagine a channel that used to get hundreds of views. Now new videos get 20–30 views only. In analytics its impressions stay very low, even when average view time is long. That shows YouTube is not recommending the videos.
How to fix it: stop spamming, stop sub-for-sub, and avoid bot-like behavior. Keep uploading good videos and wait 28 days. After 28 days of normal activity, YouTube often lifts the limit. Now, go check your channel analytics and focus on stopping the risky actions first.
Could YouTube be hiding your channel? Try three fast checks. These tests use simple numbers you can find in YouTube analytics. Do them now and see if your channel is being limited.
Open analytics and compare older videos to recent ones. If videos that used to get 200–900 views now only get 20–40, that is a big drop. A sudden, wide drop across many videos can mean a YouTube shadowban. Look at the 28‑day view totals. Big fall without reason is a red flag.
Go to Reach in analytics. Check impressions and click‑through rate (CTR). If impressions are very low for your subscriber count, YouTube may not be recommending your work. Also check average view duration. If watch time is good but impressions are tiny, that suggests restrictions. Small impressions + good watch time = likely limited reach.
Type your exact channel name into search. If the channel does not show up, or your videos don’t appear under the channel, that is worrying. If your channel shows but videos are missing from search results, treat it as a sign of limited recommendations.
| Item | Shorts | Long-form | | --- | --- | --- | | Typical views | Can spike fast (k views) | Often slower growth | | Algorithm behavior | Often pushed by Shorts feed | Depends on impressions and CTR | | What to do | Keep posting shorts; consider a separate channel | Fix thumbnails, titles, and watch time |
If two or more tests show problems, you should suspect a shadow banned state. First, stop any spammy actions. Do not post mass self‑promotion in comments or do sub for sub. These trigger penalties.
Go check your YouTube analytics now. Look at impressions, CTR, and recent view drops. Fix spammy habits and give it 28 days to recover.
Have you noticed views dropping suddenly? That can feel scary. A channel can be YouTube shadowbanned when the system limits how often it shows your videos. Below are the common reasons.
Posting your link or asking for subs in many comments is risky. This is called self-promo. Replying to hundreds of comments fast can look like a bot. YouTube may hide your videos. To avoid this, stop spamming and slow down how you comment.
Trading subs in groups or doing sub for sub schemes hurts more than it helps. YouTube often removes those subscribers. The system may limit recommendations for channels that use this method.
Break rules many times and automated checks may flag your channel. That can leave you shadow banned. To fix shadowban, stop the bad actions and wait. Check your YouTube analytics and YouTube impressions to see if reach improves after 28 days.
| Type | Reach | Typical Views | Risk | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Shorts | High quick reach | Often thousands fast | Can overshadow long videos | | Long form | Steady reach | Depends on watch time | Lower if mixed with shorts |
First, stop any actions that look like spam. Do not paste your channel link into lots of comment threads. Do not ask for subs in other people’s comments. Stop doing large "sub for sub" swaps outside the platform. If you reply to hundreds of comments in a short time, the system may think a bot did it. These actions can trigger a YouTube shadowban. The fix starts by stopping the bad behavior now.
After you stop, wait 28 days. Keep uploading as usual, but avoid risky moves. No mass self-promo, no fake engagement, and no sudden spikes from outside groups. The platform often lifts limits after about 28 days of clean activity. That is how you can fix shadowban in most cases.
Use your YouTube analytics to watch three numbers: YouTube impressions, CTR (click-through rate), and average watch time. If impressions stay very low compared to your subscriber count, your channel might be shadow banned. Good CTR and long watch time normally help recovery. Track these stats each week to see progress.
Check your channel today. If you see signs of a limit, stop spamming and begin the 28-day reset. Keep uploading clean content. Monitor impressions and watch time. This simple plan is the fastest way to check shadowban and start to recover.
Not shadow banned? Good. Still low views? Try small fixes first. Check YouTube impressions, CTR, and watch time. Use these to decide what to change. If you did try to check shadowban already, focus on real fixes to fix shadowban-like problems.
Shorts and long videos act different. If you mix them, the channel can get confused. Put shorts on one channel or one playlist. Put long videos on another. This helps clear your audience and grow faster in both types. Think of shorts vs long form as two different games.
Make clear thumbnails and short titles. Verify your channel. Use playlists so viewers stay longer. Small design changes raise CTR. Fix the basics before blaming being shadow banned.
| Feature | Shorts | Long-form | Tip | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Best reach | Fast, big spikes | Slower, steady growth | Keep them on separate channels | | Watch time | Low per clip | High per video | Use playlists for long form | | Monetization | Less direct | Clear path | Focus long form for earnings |
Open YouTube analytics. Look at reach and YouTube impressions. See which thumbnails get clicks. See which videos keep viewers. Keep doing what works. Stop bad habits like stop spamming or sub for sub. Go check your analytics now and act on one thing at a time.