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Understanding Banned Hashtags on TikTok

Ron Storfer
Ron Storfer
CPO & Co-founder at Spikerz
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Published -  
July 4, 2024
Understanding Banned Hashtags on TikTok

TikTok is shaping digital trends and engaging a global audience. With its sweeping influence, the platform enforces strict community guidelines to ensure a safe and positive user environment. 

Control over TikTok blocked hashtags is a crucial measure in these regulations. These tags can be restricted or banned if linked to content that breaches these standards. For creators who want to expand their reach and influence, knowing hashtag restrictions is essential.

What Are Banned Hashtags?

TikTok blocked hashtags represent a unique challenge for content creators. These tags are blocked from search and use when associated with content contravening TikTok's community standards, which strive to maintain a secure and positive user experience. This preventive measure helps curb the spread of harmful or inappropriate material across the platform.

When TikTok bans a hashtag, it becomes invisible within the ecosystem, causing any associated posts to vanish from public discovery. This action drastically reduces the visibility of these posts, directly affecting a creator's ability to engage with their audience. Consequently, regularly monitoring hashtag performance and compliance is critical for maintaining an effective online presence.

The impact of using a banned hashtag extends beyond mere reduced visibility. It can also affect the algorithm's favorability towards the creator's future posts. Engaging with banned hashtags can lead to shadowbanning, where their content is subtly hidden or deprioritized without clear notification. Hence, understanding and adhering to TikTok's hashtag guidelines is mandatory for sustained success and growth on the platform.

Common Reasons for Hashtag Bans

The reasons for hashtag bans can vary, but they generally fall into several categories:

  1. Inappropriate Content: Hashtags linked to harmful, explicit, or offensive content are promptly banned. This measure is critical to prevent exposure to content that could distress or harm users. It also helps TikTok uphold legal and ethical standards, ensuring that all shared content respects community sensitivities.
  2. Misinformation: Tags that spread false information, especially those that can lead to real-world harm, are also restricted. These controls are pivotal during crises or public health emergencies where accurate information is crucial. By limiting misinformation, TikTok plays an active role in safeguarding public discourse and preventing panic or unrest.
  3. Spam or Malicious Behavior: Hashtags that become hubs for spamming or malicious activities are often blocked to protect users. Such actions prevent the platform from overrun by irrelevant or harmful bots and scams. This enhances the user experience by ensuring that interactions and content remain genuine and safe.

How to Identify Banned Hashtags

Identifying banned hashtags can be tricky since TikTok does not publish an official list. However, some signs can indicate a ban:

  • Zero search results: If a hashtag shows no results, it might be banned. This indicates that TikTok has removed or restricted access to the tag to prevent further use. It's one of the most straightforward indicators that a hashtag is prohibited.
  • Content warning: Sometimes, searching a hashtag might return a warning about the hidden content due to community guideline violations. This alert is a proactive measure from TikTok to inform users that the content associated with these hashtags has been flagged. It is a clear signal to avoid using these tags in future posts.
  • Decreased engagement: If posts under specific hashtags suddenly drop in visibility and engagement, the hashtag might be under restriction. This subtle sanctioning can affect your content's reach without an overt warning. Monitoring engagement rates could be key to recognizing these less obvious bans.

For creators, using a banned hashtag can significantly decrease the visibility of their content. This reduction in reach can affect follower growth, engagement rates, and potential revenue from sponsored posts. It is essential for TikTok users, especially those building a brand or business, to stay updated on which hashtags are allowed.

What Hashtags Are Banned on TikTok?

The list of banned hashtags evolves constantly as new trends and content emerge. Some hashtags are temporarily banned due to specific events, while others may be permanently blocked due to their association with continuously harmful content. 

Creators should regularly check their hashtag strategies and adapt to these changes to ensure optimal reach and compliance with TikTok's guidelines.

The following are some of the most popular banned hashtags in TikTok this year:

  1. #fyp
  2. #roblox
  3. #viral
  4. #edit
  5. #foryoupage
  6. #joke
  7. #trending
  8. #robloxian
  9. #tiktok
  10. #foryourpage
  11. #bannedbooks
  12. #bannedtiktok
  13. #bannedaccount
  14. #bannedfam
  15. #bannedqueenc
  16. #bannedcommercials
  17. #bannedtoys
  18. #bannedfood
  19. #bannedapps
  20. #bannedfoods
  21. #fypthis
  22. #capcut
  23. #bannedroblox
  24. #robloxfyp
  25. #relatable
  26. #fypthisvid
  27. #muzayw
  28. #help
  29. #worksmarternotharder
  30. #clipgod5

How Spikerz Helps

Spikerz is a social media security tool that offers solutions for managing the challenges of banned hashtags. This tool uses advanced algorithms to scan and identify what hashtags are banned on TikTok.

Real-Time Monitoring: Spikerz actively scans your TikTok posts before publication, alerting you if any banned or sensitive hashtags are detected. This proactive feature helps you avoid flags or bans by ensuring your content doesn't include problematic tags. By protecting against such hashtags, Spikerz keeps your social media strategy clean and compliant.

  • Content Compliance Checks: With Spikerz, every piece of your content is checked for compliance with TikTok's latest community guidelines. This thorough review extends beyond hashtags to include the overall message. With this process, you know that your posts meet the platform's standards for acceptability. Frequent updates to its compliance checks keep your content strategy aligned with evolving social media regulations.
  • Analytics: Spikerz provides comprehensive analytics on hashtag performance, which can inform your content strategy and optimize engagement. By understanding which hashtags drive views and interact with your audience, Spikerz helps you make data-driven decisions to enhance your social media impact. 

For further support, check out our hashtag calculators and hashtag checker tools to analyze your account and hashtags. Additionally, this tool identifies trends and patterns in hashtag effectiveness, allowing for tactical adjustments to your posting schedule or content themes.

By integrating tools like Spikerz, creators can stay ahead of potential issues with their content. It helps avoid banned hashtags and enhances engagement by optimizing hashtag usage using real-time data and trends.

Final Note

Keeping up-to-date with TikTok's ever-evolving guidelines is crucial for content creators to optimize their visibility and engagement. By understanding and adapting to these guidelines, they can ensure their content survives and thrives amid the platform's competitive environment.

Tools like Spikerz play a critical role in this process. They help creators align their posts with TikTok's latest rules by scanning for and alerting users about the use of potentially banned or sensitive hashtags. This proactive approach prevents posts from being shadowbanned or hidden from view, thus protecting the creator's ability to engage with their audience effectively. 

The use of such tools not only ensures compliance with platform rules but also enhances content creativity. By automating the compliance process, creators are free to focus more on the creative aspects of content creation. This strategic placement with TikTok's guidelines guarantees that a creator's work remains visible and aligned with the platform's and its users' expectations.

Start your free trial with Spikerz and protect your social media journey.

FAQs

  1. What can lead to a hashtag becoming banned on social media platforms like TikTok? 

Hashtags can become prohibited due to various factors, including their association with inappropriate content, their use in spreading misinformation, or their role in facilitating spammy or malicious behaviors. Social media platforms continuously monitor hashtag usage to ensure it aligns with their community guidelines.

  1. How often do social media platforms update their list of banned hashtags? 

The frequency of updates to banned hashtags can vary by platform, but generally, social media sites like TikTok regularly review and update their restrictions based on evolving content trends and user feedback to maintain a safe and positive environment.

  1. Can using a banned hashtag affect my other social media accounts? 

Using a banned hashtag on one platform like TikTok doesn't directly affect other social media accounts; however, similar standards across platforms mean a hashtag banned on one is likely risky or non-compliant on others. Consistent use of such hashtags can harm your digital reputation across platforms.

  1. How can a social security app like Spikerz help resolve issues related to using banned hashtags on TikTok? 

Spikerz can help by providing real-time monitoring of your content before it's posted, alerting you to the use of any banned or sensitive hashtags. This ensures your posts comply with TikTok's guidelines, avoiding penalties like shadowbanning or reduced post visibility.

  1. What are the best practices for creators to adapt quickly to changes in banned hashtags on platforms like TikTok? 

Creators should regularly monitor their hashtag performance and stay updated with the platform's community guidelines. Tools like hashtag analytics and security apps like Spikerz can provide valuable insights and alerts about changes affecting content strategy and compliance.