WARNING! Instagram Community Guidelines You Shouldn’t Break

Listen, to avoid seeing your clients’ IG accounts getting banned; you should learn about the Instagram community guidelines.

Picture this: You’ve worked your socks off to create a stunning post for your clients, only to have it taken down by Instagram because it violates their guidelines. 

Talk about a total bummer.

Not only can this setback your client’s social media campaigns, but their accounts could end up getting banned—which could hurt their reputation big time.

The great news is that we’ve got your back. 

We’ve compiled a list of the most important Instagram Community Guidelines you must follow. 

So, sit tight and pay attention because reading this guide could make or break the success of your clients’ IG marketing campaigns.

What you’ll learn:

• Instagram Community Guidelines you should follow
  • Only use third-party apps that comply with Instagram community guidelines and laws
  • Don’t act like a bot
  • Avoid forbidden content based on Instagram’s community guidelines
  • Don’t spread misinformation 
  • Avoid banned hashtags
• Customers also ask
  • What happens if I break the rules on Instagram?
  • My account got banned. How can I fix it?
  • Is my Instagram ban permanent or temporary?
• Stay true to the Instagram community guidelines

Instagram Community Guidelines you should follow

First, if you want to read the entire Instagram community guidelines, you can find it here. 

If not, we’ve done the hard work for you by listing the most important stuff below.

1. Only use third-party apps that comply with Instagram community guidelines and laws

You could play it safe and follow Instagram’s community guidelines to a tee, but did you know that using a shady third-party app could still get you in hot water? 

Yup, it’s true.

Don’t let yourself get trapped in the nightmare of submitting an Instagram appeal form to get your client’s account back.

Trust us. It’s not fun.

Instead, opt for an official or Instagram-approved third-party app like Vista Social. 

Our social media management platform has all the tools you need to manage multiple clients’ Instagram pages with ease.

And here’s the kicker: Vista Social is a tried and true platform that Instagram approves of. 

That means you can rest easy knowing that you won’t be breaking any rules or getting into any legal trouble.

But that’s not all. 

With Vista Social, creating and scheduling Instagram posts for your clients is an absolute breeze. 

Our Instagram planner lets you schedule posts for a week or month. 

How’s that for stress-free social media management?

Content scheduling is also great if you want to save posts as Instagram drafts first for client approval before publishing.  

Click Publish on the left-hand side menu and select Instagram planner.  

Drag and drop the photos and videos you want to schedule for auto-publishing in the designated area.

Edit each Instagram post and add trending audios, hashtags, captions, mentions, and more. 

Must read: How to Save Instagram Story With Music

The platform also suggests optimal posting times based on previous total engagement. 

Your carefully created Instagram posts, including Reels, carousels, and Stories, should all be lined up and ready to go on your content calendar.

The best part?

Everything can be automatically published on the dates and times you set.

The Instagram planner is just one of the many nifty features that Vista Social offers. 

We have all the essential tools you need to run your social media like a boss—from post scheduling and management to creating a seamless social media approval process.

And the cherry on top? Vista Social is an Instagram-approved third-party tool that can help make your life as a social media manager easier while keeping you clear when it comes to community guidelines and laws.

Vista Social is also an excellent tool to add to your tech stack and social media manager resume. 

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

2. Don’t act like a bot

Bot-like behavior is a big no-no on Instagram. It can get your client’s accounts banned, suspended, or permanently disabled. Yikes!

Some sneaky users try to manipulate the algorithm by using bots to engage with other accounts and to get it to change their Instagram following list order.

Even if you’re not using bots, you can still act like one without realizing it.

Here are some bot-like behaviors to avoid at all costs:

• Don’t post over 60 comments in an hour.
• Don’t like more than 300 posts in an hour.
• Don’t follow and unfollow more than 60 people in an hour.
• Don’t spam users with unsolicited sales messages. (That’s just plain rude.)
• Don’t upload or share low-quality, pixelated images or videos.
• Don’t tag people in your posts who you shouldn’t tag or use images that violate copyright laws.
• Don’t copy and paste the same comment on multiple posts. That’s just lazy and suspicious.

Instead, engage your client’s audiences naturally and organically, like a human being. 

For instance, post Stories with compelling Instagram poll questions to generate authentic engagement.

Remember, being a good community member is key. These rules apply to all the major social media platforms, so keep it clean.

3. Avoid forbidden content based on Instagram’s community guidelines

If you post racy content for clients on Instagram, you’ll get their accounts in trouble. 

The platform has a strict no-nudity and other forbidden content policy that you must follow to avoid getting your client’s account from being disabled or removed.

Understand all the guidelines about inappropriate content so you don’t accidentally cross any lines. 

It’s not just about pictures; your descriptions, texts, and photo dump captions must also be clean.

Keep it PG-13, avoid including Instagram’s forbidden content, and you’ll be clear.

4. Don’t spread misinformation

Don’t spread rumors or unproven information through your clients’ Instagram accounts.

Double-check to ensure all the content pieces you publish are factual.

Here are some fact-checking tips you can follow:

• Be mindful of your sources. Avoid sharing content or ideas from sources that look sketchy.
• Be skeptical about overly sensational claims.
• Be mindful of your own biases.
• Look for several sources to see if the information is true. The more sources agree on the information, the more likely it is to be true.
• Check the date of the information. Perhaps the information you’re sharing is already outdated.

Remember, your clients’ reputations are on the line so givefact-checking due diligence.

5. Avoid banned hashtags

Did you know that Instagram bans certain hashtags? If you use them, your posts might get restricted and won’t show up on your followers’ feeds or in searches.

The banned hashtags are associated with inappropriate stuff like drugs, gambling, and sexual activity.

But how do you know if a hashtag is banned? Check out the Explore tab and type in the hashtag. 

If you see a message saying the content using the specific hashtags doesn’t match Instagram’s guidelines, it’s banned. 

If you search for them, you won’t see banned hashtags in the Explore tab.

Other Instagram Community Guidelines you shouldn’t break include the following:

• Contest rules. If you’re running Instagram contests, follow the rules. Be responsible and stick to the platform’s Promotion Guidelines.  

• Rules for sharing content from other creators and copyrighted materials. Sharing is caring, but ensure you have permission before reposting other people’s stuff. Give credit where credit is due, and don’t use copyrighted materials without permission.

• Advertising rules. Be careful what you say and how you say it in your Instagram ads. No asking for private health or financial info, and definitely no discrimination. Follow Instagram’s advertising guidelines and keep things cool.

Customers also ask

Below are common questions people ask about the Instagram Community Guidelines. 

What happens if I break the rules on Instagram?

Breaking the guidelines can lead to Instagram taking down your post and disabling your account. So, staying within the boundaries is best to avoid any trouble.

My account got banned. How can I fix it?

If your account gets banned, you can wait three days to see if it gets unbanned automatically. If not, you can submit an appeal for review and hope for the best.

Is my Instagram ban permanent or temporary?

Ban durations can vary based on the severity of the violation and the number of times the account has been banned before. 

Temporary bans usually last from a few hours to a few days, but the ban can become permanent if you continue breaking the rules. So, be careful.

Stay true to the Instagram Community Guidelines

Remember to play by the rules when using Instagram.

To keep your clients’ accounts in good standing and their reputations squeaky clean, stick to Instagram’s community guidelines.

Keep everything above board, avoid the forbidden fruit, and contribute to the platform’s safe and positive online community.

Managing multiple Instagram client accounts can be a pain, but Vista Social is here to save the day.

Try Vista Social for free and discover how our top-notch SMM platform can make social media management a breeze.