How to Use the Instagram Appeal Form for Banned Profiles

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. 

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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
• What not to do while waiting for the ban to be lifted
• What to do if you don’t hear back after submitting the Instagram appeal form
• What is the role of automation in Instagram bans?
• 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.

[Must read: How to Know If Someone Blocked You on Instagram]

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

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

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. 

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. 

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’). 

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

[Must read: How to Change Name on Instagram (And Username)]

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

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.

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.

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.

Ready to give your content workflow and posts a major upgrade? Try AI Assistant powered by ChatGPT today! 🤖💙

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.’ 

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

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. 

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.

What Not to Do While Waiting for the Ban to Be Lifted

It can be tempting to seek out to take action yourself and find other solutions or “easy fixes” to get your clients’ accounts out of an Instagram ban. 

But don’t let desperation lead you to a dark path—one that involves “hackers” who are most likely scammers. 

While some recommendations from YouTubers, comment bots, and certain apps can work, the risks are just not worth it, and they can even lead to more problems.

So be cautious about following “advice” from the internet on getting your clients’ Instagram accounts unbanned. 

Avoid the following at all costs:

• Downloading “modified versions” of the Instagram app from third-party providers (not Instagram)
• Instagram account recovery tools and websites
• Anyone who claims to be a hacker in forums and community boards
• Anyone who asks for money to recover Instagram accounts for you

Remember, data scraping violates Instagram’s Terms of Service, which all the options above do. 

Also, never give out login information, such as the username and password of your client’s account, or pay money to get it back.

The only proper and safe way to get the account ban lifted is to stick with the Instagram (Meta) process. 

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What to Do if You Don’t Hear Back After Submitting the Instagram Appeal Form

As mentioned, it can take a while for Instagram to process your appeal and get back to you. 

But if it’s nearing 30 days since submitting the appeal form and there’s still no response, consider reaching out to Facebook Live Support about your client’s issue. 

However, you can only access the feature if your client has an Instagram or Facebook Business Account.

Your clients must also have a Facebook Ad account (more on this later). 

[Must read: How to Unlink Facebook And Instagram: Easy Steps [2024]]

You can contact Facebook Live Support in two ways.

Via email

If the Facebook Live Chat option isn’t available in your country, you can reach Facebook Support via email. 

Follow these steps:

• Go to this Meta Business Help Center Page: https://www.facebook.com/business/help/975570072950669?id=434838534925385 
• Scroll down until you see the Was this information helpful? Section.
• Select No, then follow the steps and explain why. You’ll be directed to a form where you’ll be asked to provide contact details. The report goes directly to the Facebook Marketplace or Meta Pro Team, which is likely to respond immediately 
• You should receive an email from the Meta Pro Team about your client’s Instagram appeal. You’ll get instructions, updates, and resolutions via email. 

Via Live Messenger Support

Please note that the Live Messenger Support option is only available for users who have an active Facebook Ad account and have placed actual ads. 

After running an ad, request help on the Commerce Manager page by selecting the Help button in the bottom left-hand corner. 

Important note: Access to the Live Chat option is restricted to several countries, and its location varies for each user.  

After clicking the Help button, select the Contact Facebook Support option in the new window. 

Next, click Reporting a technical issue (select this again from the dropdown). 

Enter the required information in the designated fields and select the Chat option as your preferred contact method.

You’ll be automatically directed to Facebook Messenger, where you can go on a live chat with a Meta Pro Team representative.

Take this opportunity to plead your client’s case, especially if their account was banned by mistake. 

Provide as many details in your submission as you can within 1,500 characters.

The response and resolution time can vary and take from a few hours to a couple of days.

If you’re told to wait for the appeal process and still don’t get an email from Instagram after several days, try reaching out via Facebook Live Chat again following the same process above.

You may need to have a bit of back-and-forth via email with the Meta Pro Team rep. If all goes well, the rep should help resolve the issue and your client’s account should be reinstated.    

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Important Questions to Answer When Submitting the Instagram Appeal Form

The information you provide Instagram’s support team is crucial to getting your clients’ Instagram accounts unbanned. 

Ensure you give accurate and complete answers when asked the following:

• Has your account been hacked or compromised in the past few months?
• Specify the third-party apps, services, or tools that you connected with your Instagram account.
• What is the main use of your Instagram account?
• How many people have access to your Instagram account, and how many use it actively daily?
• What are the Instagram features (messaging, commenting, search, etc.) you or your team commonly use on the account?

What Is the Role of Automation in Instagram Bans?

One of the common causes of Instagram bans is using automation tools designed to boost follower counts and engagement. 

While the tools can be convenient, using unreliable ones intended to “rig” the system to drive likes and follows is extremely risky—not to mention unethical. 

Instagram’s algorithm can detect and penalize these shady automated activities, ultimately leading to account bans. 

Automation tools commonly used in Instagram include the following:

• Content scheduling platforms that allow you to plan and schedule posts to auto-publish. There are many legitimate scheduling tools that Instagram allows, such as Vista Social.
• Follower bots automatically follow and unfollow Instagram accounts to rapidly boost the user’s follower counts. Instagram does not allow these tools, and any suspicious bot-like behavior can get the account flagged and potentially banned
• Engagement bots automatically follow, like, and comment on other IG accounts to increase a user’s visibility and engagement. Instagram does not allow using these tools since they violate the platform’s policies on spam, leading to account bans

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What Are Safe Practices for Using Automation Tools on Instagram?

Follow the best practices below to ensure your clients avoid account bans while still enjoying the perks of automation tools. 

• Use approved tools. Only use automation tools that Instagram approves and comply with the platform’s terms of use and community guidelines. Always check the tool first, research, and read reviews before using an automation tool. Avoid using tools that typically perform mass “engagement” actions such as liking, following, and commenting
• Track account activity. Instagram will flag bot-like activity, so even if you’re not using bots and similar automation tools, the platform will likely ban or deactivate your clients’ accounts. Monitor your clients’ accounts for any unusual or bot-like activities to avoid ban risks
• Be informed. Stay updated with the latest Instagram guidelines and updates to ensure your clients’ accounts maintain compliance and prevent anything that can get them banned
• Balance automation with a human touch. Keep your clients’ Instagram interactions authentic by automating where you can while genuinely engaging with audiences. Remember, automation should complement your efforts, not replace genuine interactions

The key is to build authentic relationships with your clients’ audiences via relevant content and genuine interactions. 

The more authentic your clients’ audience interactions, the more likely they will engage and become loyal followers.

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Why Authentic Interactions Are Important for Reducing Ban Risks and Driving Genuine Engagement

Authentic interactions are crucial to boosting engagement and building genuine and lasting relationships with followers. They also reduce ban risks. 

Below are several concepts and references from social media marketing leaders and influencers about authentic engagement and its importance. 

• The Taylor Swift Principle by Gary Vaynerchuk emphasizes the importance of direct interaction and authentic engagement with fans to build a strong and loyal community
• Transform Your Business with Human Design and Facebook: Authenticity as Your Competitive Edge by Mari Smith
• Top LinkedIn Strategies That Skyrocket Engagement by Kim Garst
• How Marketing Leaders Can Respond to Online Conversation Trends: Prioritize relational engagement over algorithms to leverage earned conversation and drive positive sentiment by Liz Gross
• Audience or authenticity? Why building an audience strains your soul by Mark Schaefer

FAQs on Instagram Appeal Form

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.

What happens if your Instagram appeals get denied?

Getting your Instagram appeals denied can result in the following:

• Account termination or suspension. If your client’s Instagram account was banned or if their content was removed due to a Community Guidelines or Terms of Service violation, it’s likely that your appeal will be denied. It can lead to Instagram terminating or suspending your client’s account. 
• No access to the content. Denied appeals for deleted Instagram Stories or posts means you or your clients can’t access the content. It can also lead to messages getting deleted. 
• Limited reach. Repeatedly violating Instagram’s policies can lead to your clients losing their appeals. It can get their accounts flagged, limiting and even stopping their accounts’ visibility and reach.

[Must read: How to Recover Deleted Messages on Instagram [2024]]

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.

Vista Social’s other core features include the following:

• A Publisher feature that lets you create and schedule your clients’ Instagram and other social media posts for auto-publishing from one platform. No need to log into each client’s account to post their content, saving you tons of time and effort. The tool lets you schedule Reels, carousels, photos, videos, and Stories.
• An AI Assistant powered by ChatGPT that instantly generates taglines, captions, and descriptions for your clients’ social media posts. 
• AI-powered tools, including hashtag and username generators. 
• A link in bio tool with fully customizable landing pages that house your clients’ relevant links and content about products, services, and brands. You can also use Vista Social’s Publisher to schedule content to auto-publish in your clients’ landing pages. 
• A Social Listening tool to monitor mentions of your clients’ brands across social media.
• A centralized Social Inbox for efficient audience engagement and conversation management.

Get started with a free Vista Social account today.