How to Use the Instagram Appeal Form for Banned Profiles

Updated on September 29, 2023

9 min to read

Content Writer

Published February 9, 2023

How to Use the Instagram Appeal Form for Banned Profiles
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Is your client’s Instagram account disabled? 

Your first order of business should be to find the correct Instagram appeal form to request for an account reactivation. 

Instagram uses various appeal forms for violations resulting in a suspension. If your client’s Instagram account is disabled, it’s important to find the correct appeal form to hasten the resolution process.

The guide below will help you find and use Instagram appeal forms to restore disabled Instagram accounts. 

Let’s begin. 

Table of contents

What you’ll learn:

  • Why does Instagram ban accounts?
  • Potential impact of an Instagram profile ban
  • How to recover a disabled Instagram account
  • Disabled Instagram accounts: 6 ways to avoid getting banned
  • Tips to help ensure Instagram accounts get unbanned
  • Customers Also Ask
  • Streamline your Instagram account management with Vista Social

Why does Instagram ban accounts? 

Instagram usually disables accounts that violate its Terms of Use or Community Guidelines. Most mild cases are issued warnings, whereas serious cases and repeated violations may result in immediate bans.  

Below are some examples of common violations that could get your client’s Instagram account disabled:

  • Impersonating another person or brand and spreading false information. 
  • Posting content that supports or praises acts of terrorism, crime, and hate groups. 
  • Selling or buying illegal substances, tobacco products, live animals, alcohol, firearms, or sexual services.
  • Publishing copyrighted content without the original creator’s permission (musical scores, books, songs, movies, paintings, photographs, etc.).  
  • Sharing posts containing real, credible threats, hate speech, or any other form of online harassment. 
  • Unsafe content involving minors and children. 
  • Creating an Instagram account with fake personal information (age, name, etc.). 
  • Publishing offensive or discriminatory content targeting Instagram users based on their ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, religious affiliation, health condition, or race. 
  • Posts that promote, praise, or glorify violence or self-harm in any form (if the content is shared to raise awareness, condemn, or educate, insert a warning in your caption). 

If your client’s Instagram account is blocked for a violation (or repeated violations) of its ToS or Community Guidelines, you won’t be able to log in. Instead, you’ll see an account suspension notice, including details of your client’s account’s deactivation.

You’ll also see the exact date when your client’s account is disabled.

Notice that your Instagram account is disabled.
Image Source: Instagram.com

Act fast when you get this notification. For good measure, click ‘download your information’ to receive a copy of all your Instagram content. 

Get a copy of all your Instagram content.
Image Source: Instagram.com

Remember, not all appeals are granted, especially banned accounts that are ignored after a certain period of time. 

Most Instagram users have 30 days to send an appeal and regain access to their disabled account. If you fail to respond within this period, your client’s account will be permanently disabled—deleting all your content, followers, direct messages, and account information. 

Your account will be permanently banned after 30 days have passed.
Image Source: Instagram.com

Potential impact of an Instagram profile ban

If your client’s business relies heavily on Instagram for marketing and customer engagement, having their profile banned can impact their online presence and revenue. 

Below are other potential outcomes of banned IG profiles:

  • Say goodbye to followers and engagement. If your client’s profile gets banned, followers won’t see their content or message them. It can result in a major loss of engagement and followers, which can hurt your client’s brand reputation. Plus, creating a new account isn’t always practical since you’ll likely need to build your client’s following and online presence from scratch. 
  • Traffic and sales can take a hit. A profile ban can seriously reduce sales and traffic, especially for clients who use Instagram and other social media platforms to drive traffic to their website or online store. Your clients can miss out on potential customers who find them through Instagram, and you’ll have to work extra hard to help your clients reach their target audience.
  • Damage to a brand’s reputation. A profile ban can also damage your client’s brand reputation, since it can seem like your client violated Instagram’s terms or has done something shady. It can lead to negative reviews and feedback in another platform’s comments section, which can be really harmful to your client’s brand.
  • Regaining access can be tough. Instagram’s policies are super strict and their review process can take a while. While it’s fairly easy to submit an appeal, getting your client’s profile unbanned can be a long and challenging process. Unsuccessful appeals can cause Instagram to permanently deactivate your client’s account. It can disrupt yours and your client’s business operations, causing everyone to miss out on massive opportunities—from engagement to sales. 

Getting banned or disabled for violating community guidelines on Instagram can have serious consequences on your client’s business. 

As the agency running point for your client’s IG account and campaigns, read up on Instagram’s guidelines and policies, and follow them closely to avoid any potential violations. Get help when necessary.

How to recover a disabled Instagram account

To restore your disabled Instagram account, send an appeal through the mobile app or via the online appeal form.

Sending an appeal through the Instagram app

On the Instagram disabled account notification, tap ‘Disagree with Decision’ button. 

Tap to send a appeal.
Image Source: Instagram.com

Enter your login credentials, follow the on-screen directions, and submit the required information to present your appeal. 

It may take some time for Instagram to review your case and give your account back. This process usually takes around 24 hours, but it can be longer depending on the complexity of your case and the volume of appeals sent by other Instagram users. 

Filling up the online Instagram appeal form

Use one of Instagram’s online appeal forms to request a review of your case and potentially reinstate your client’s account.

For general violations of Instagram’s Community Guidelines, use this form

Specify if you have a valid ID issued by your government (Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’). 

Specify if you have a valid ID issued by your government.
Image Source: Instagram.com

If you picked “Yes,” you need to upload a clear photo of your ID along with the following information:  

  • Full name
  • Email
  • Instagram username
  • Country

Click ‘Choose Files’ to locate the photo of your ID from your device. Instagram recommends JPEG images to keep the file’s size small. 

Fill out information and upload ID.
Image Source: Instagram.com

If your client’s Instagram account is deactivated due to repeated copyright strikes or misleading content, use this appeal form instead.

Select ‘I understand and wish to continue’ to reveal the rest of the form.

Show the rest of the form.
Image Source: Instagram.com

Provide the following information to complete your Instagram appeal request: 

  • Full name
  • Email address
  • Instagram username

At the bottom text field, provide an honest and reasonable explanation backing your appeal. Avoid writing claims like being hacked or compromised by unauthorized users, which can be easily verified through information like your IP address, device ID, and so on. 

If possible, upload a photo to counter the intellectual property violation claim. Use an image that proves you had the right to use the content in question, like a written permission or screenshot that shows you’re commenting, criticizing, or reporting (making your content fall under “Fair Use”).  

Verify the declaration that you formally want to appeal your Instagram ban by ticking the checkbox below. Click ‘Send’ to finish submitting your appeal.

Add and send your appeal.
Image Source: Instagram.com

These Instagram appeal forms can be used by everyone, regardless if you have a personal, creator, or business account. Just ensure that you use the correct form based on your violation.

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Disabled Instagram accounts: 6 ways to avoid getting banned

The best way to fix a disabled Instagram account is to prevent the ban from happening in the first place. 

Here are six ways to publish safely and avoid getting blocked on Instagram:

1. Review the Instagram community guidelines

Read the Instagram Terms of Service and Community Guidelines thoroughly to polish your content publishing strategy.

If you’re managing a client’s Instagram business account, you need a professional and strategic approach to everything. Incorporate a brand safety component into your content strategy and ensure you don’t publish anything that can compromise your client’s image.

2. Change the Instagram username

Ensure that your client’s Instagram username or account name is safe and won’t be perceived as offensive, discriminatory, or hateful by specific demographics. 

Your client’s username may be allowed now, but it can lead to an account deactivation if enough users report it. 

Instagram lets you change an account’s username in-app or through a desktop browser. Simply log into your account, click ‘More’ (hamburger icon), and select ‘Settings.’ 

Instagram lets you change an account’s username in-app or through a desktop browser.
Image Source: Instagram.com

Change the username on the “Edit profile” page and click ‘Submit.’ 

Edit your profile.
Image Source: Instagram.com

Note: In the mobile app, go to your profile and tap ‘Edit profile’ to change the Instagram account’s username.

3. Unlink the account from services that sell followers

Unsubscribe from any third-party app or service that generates fake engagement (bot followers, likes, comments, etc.), scrapes content from other users (StorySaver), and bulk follow-unfollow tools. 

Only use tools that offer certain features that automate or improve social media tasks without affecting the experience of other users. Some examples are social media publishing tools, analytics tools, and so on.

Here are other safe third-party apps that can remain linked to your client’s Instagram account: 

  • Social media listening tools
  • Graphic design tools
  • Video/photo editing tools

4. Create an internal approval workflow

Get your client involved in the approval process by establishing a streamlined approval workflow. 

Rather than scheduling or posting content yourself, save posts as Instagram drafts and let your client manually review them first. Alternatively, use an all-in-one social media management platform like Vista Social. 

Create an internal approval workflow in Vista Social.

5. Be careful with User-Generated Content (UGC)

Always attempt to get someone’s permission before featuring or publishing their content, especially if they clearly didn’t create the post to be shared and spread for commercial purposes. 

Even if your client’s brand or product is mentioned, get the original content creator’s permission to use their content. Some examples of User-Generated Content (UGC) are product reviews, unboxing videos, comparisons, product durability tests, and so on. 

UGC is useful and flexible, able to be incorporated into any Instagram content type. For example, if you know how to make a Reel with photos, you can highlight positive customer testimonials and reaction videos.   

Have the permission in writing if possible or take a screenshot of your conversation. 

While you’re at it, remember to use the right Instagram Reels dimensions to ensure that every detail of your videos is shown correctly and can’t be misinterpreted. 

6. Improve your Instagram content strategy

Attain organic, sustainable Instagram growth using these tips to improve your content strategy: 

  • Share UGC as Stories: Avoid copyright strikes by spreading UGC and curated content as Stories. Use the correct Instagram Story size to make every detail visible, particularly the original uploader’s Instagram handle. 
  • Develop a brand-safe language for clients: Establish clear branding guidelines to help your team write brand-safe Reel descriptions, photo dump captions, comment replies, and so on. 
  • Understand your client’s followers: Use the Instagram following list order filters to identify your client’s top followers and analyze the type of content they love. It helps improve content and boost engagement.

Tips to help ensure Instagram accounts get unbanned

Getting your client’s Instagram accounts unbanned can be a difficult and frustrating process, but there are steps you can take to increase your chances of success. 

Check out the following:

  • Understand why your client’s Instagram account was deactivated or banned. Before taking any action, determine why your client’s account was banned. Instagram may have flagged your client’s account for violating its terms of service, such as posting inappropriate content, using bots or fake engagement, or engaging in spammy behavior.
  • Appeal the ban. Once you know why your client’s account was banned, appeal the decision through Instagram’s Help Center. Provide as much information as possible, including your client’s account username, email address, and a detailed explanation of why you believe the account was wrongly banned or mistakenly disabled.
  • Contact Instagram. If you don’t hear back from Instagram within a few days, try reaching out to their support team directly. Go to your Instagram app > Settings > Help > Report a Problem.
  • Change your client’s account behavior. If your client’s account was deactivated or banned for violating Instagram’s terms of service, change the behavior to avoid future bans. For instance, avoid posting certain content types, don’t use bots or fake engagement, or be more careful with interactions on the platform.
  • Wait it out. In some cases, Instagram may simply require a temporary ban before reinstating your client’s account. If you’ve tried all other avenues with no success, it can be best to wait a few days or weeks before trying again and reaching out to the Instagram team (as long as it doesn’t exceed the thirty-day appeal period).

Remain calm and persistent and take the necessary steps to show Instagram that the client accounts you handle are committed to following their rules and guidelines.

Customers Also Ask

How do I file an appeal for Instagram?

If your Instagram account has been disabled, you can submit an appeal to reinstate your account through the mobile app’s error message. Alternatively, use the online appeal forms to submit a request review of your case.

How long does an Instagram appeal take?

After sending an appeal, users can typically get their business or personal account back in around 24 hours. However, serious and complicated cases can take up to a week or more to get resolved. 

What happens when Instagram disables your account?

If your account was disabled today, you have 30 days to respond before the decision becomes permanent. Permanently-disabled Instagram accounts can not be recovered, so be sure to download your data while you still can and create a new Instagram account as a last resort.  

Streamline your Instagram account management with Vista Social

Managing several Instagram client accounts can be a total nightmare if you’re manually posting, creating content from scratch, etc.

Streamline your social media campaigns by using Vista Social. Our software allows you to schedule posts, build content approval workflows, track analytics, and manage conversations all in one platform.

Get started with a free Vista Social account today.

About the Author

Content Writer

Jimmy Rodela is a social media and content marketing consultant with over 9 years of experience, with work appearing on sites such as Business.com, Yahoo, SEMRush, and SearchEnginePeople. He specializes in social media, content marketing, SaaS, small business strategy, marketing automation, and content development.

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