Reference

The twelve types of sanctions and what each one does

The first task in any enforcement case is identifying which measure you are actually facing. The deadline, the place to check it and the steps that matter all follow from that.

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Strike pathsThe 12 sanctionsWhere to check statusReport wavesMyths and reality

How it accumulates

The four strike paths

Violations are counted separately along four paths. Each has its own triggers and escalation, so a clean record in one does not protect you in the others.

Community Standards

Organic content
Triggers
Nudity, violence, hateful conduct and harassment, dangerous organizations, self-injury, spam.
Escalation
Post removal → temporary limits on posting or Live → blocking or deactivation for repeat and severe cases.
What helps
Stop the risk, edit similar posts, appeal, and run a clean 90-day plan.

Ads Policies

Advertising
Triggers
Misleading claims, landing pages that do not match the ad, personal attributes, circumvention attempts.
Escalation
Disapproved ads → limited delivery → restricted ad account → restricted Business Manager.
What helps
Audit the ads, fix creative, copy, landing page and targeting, then appeal.

Monetization

Content revenue
Triggers
Brand-safety breaches, missing paid-partnership labels, sensitive topics handled in the wrong tone.
Escalation
Limited tools → suspension → removal from the program.
What helps
Remove the cause, set internal rules for the team, reapply after the waiting period.

Copyright and trademarks

Third-party assets
Triggers
Unlicensed music, video, photos or logos; improper use of a trademark.
Escalation
Removal on a rights holder's claim → broader account limits if it repeats.
What helps
License or replace the asset; file a counter-notice only for a clear error.

Exact thresholds and deadlines are not public and they change. Use the table as a working guide, and expect individual cases to differ.

Reference

Sanction by sanction

Each measure is described by what it looks like, where it shows up officially, what usually causes it and what makes sense in the first 48 hours.

1Escalates if repeated

Content removal

The post is taken down and the violation stays on the account's record.

What it looks like
A post, story or reel disappears and you get a notice naming the rule you broke.
Where to check
Notifications and Account Quality.
Typical causes
A Community Standards violation: nudity, violence, hateful conduct, dangerous organizations, self-injury.

First steps (within 48 hours)

  1. 1Screenshot the notification and save the link to the post.
  2. 2Read the specific rule cited in the notice.
  3. 3Review your similar posts and fix the same problem there.
  4. 4Appeal only if you have an argument on the merits.
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2Limits growth

Demotion (reduced distribution)

The content stays online, but the platform stops showing it widely.

What it looks like
A sharp drop in reach and in impressions from Discovery, sometimes with a 'sensitive' or 'missing context' label.
Where to check
Insights and Account Quality.
Typical causes
A risky topic, clickbait, thin context, a misleading thumbnail or hashtags.

First steps (within 48 hours)

  1. 1Add context and sources to the post.
  2. 2Replace the thumbnail and headline with neutral ones.
  3. 3Pause that content series for one to two weeks.
  4. 4Track whether reach recovers before you post on the topic again.
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3Limits growth

Labels and warnings

The post gets a label that everyone who sees it sees too.

What it looks like
'False', 'partly false', 'missing context', 'altered' or 'sensitive' appears on the post.
Where to check
On the post itself and in your notifications.
Typical causes
Missing context, unverified claims, a manipulated visual.

First steps (within 48 hours)

  1. 1Read the fact-checker's full analysis.
  2. 2Add sources and clarifications to the text.
  3. 3Edit the visual if that is what triggered the label.
  4. 4Appeal if the review got the facts of your case wrong.
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4Escalates if repeated

Feature limits

The account works, but specific actions are switched off for a set period.

What it looks like
A temporary block on posting, comments, messages, Live, groups or Marketplace.
Where to check
Account, Page or Professional Dashboard.
Typical causes
Accumulated violations or a single incident, such as graphic footage during a Live.

First steps (within 48 hours)

  1. 1Stop the activity that caused the limit, because continuing extends it.
  2. 2Plan 90 days without risky posts on the same topic.
  3. 3Tighten moderation of comments and messages.
  4. 4Appeal if the limit came from someone else's post or from an error.
Assess this case Full article
5Limits growth

Removed from recommendations

The profile stops reaching anyone new. This is what people call a shadowban.

What it looks like
Content no longer appears in Explore, recommendations, search or hashtags, and reach falls back to your followers.
Where to check
Account or Page Quality. Platforms spell it out as 'Removed from recommendations'.
Typical causes
Low quality, repeated reports, borderline topics, earlier warnings.

First steps (within 48 hours)

  1. 1Check Account Quality before assuming it is a shadowban.
  2. 2Remove or edit the content flagged as violating.
  3. 3Publish consistent quality for 30 to 90 days.
  4. 4Cut back on risky topics until the status clears.
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6Escalates if repeated

Temporary account block

Access is suspended for a set period, but the profile still exists.

What it looks like
You cannot log in or act; the screen shows a deadline or an identity check.
Where to check
At login and in the email tied to the profile.
Typical causes
Systematic violations or a signal of suspicious activity.

First steps (within 48 hours)

  1. 1Confirm your identity through the official flow, never through a link in a message.
  2. 2Change the password and turn on two-factor authentication.
  3. 3End active sessions on devices you do not recognize.
  4. 4Appeal if the block came without a violation on your side.
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7Loss of access or revenue

Disabled or deleted account

This is the heaviest measure. You lose access completely and have a deadline for appealing.

What it looks like
The profile or page will not open; login shows a deactivation message.
Where to check
At login and in the platform's email notifications.
Typical causes
Severe or repeated violations, or evading measures already imposed.

First steps (within 48 hours)

  1. 1Act straight away, because the appeal window runs from the notification.
  2. 2Collect proof of ownership: documents, old posts, ad invoices.
  3. 3File an appeal with a specific argument.
  4. 4Check what archive of your content you hold outside the platform.
Assess this case Full article
8Limits growth

Disapproved ad

A single ad is rejected; a series of rejections leads to account-level measures.

What it looks like
The ad or ad set sits as Disapproved and never starts delivering.
Where to check
Ads Manager → Policy Issues.
Typical causes
A broken ads policy, a landing page that does not match the offer, prohibited claims or targeting.

First steps (within 48 hours)

  1. 1Read which policy is cited and open it in the help center.
  2. 2Check all four elements together: creative, copy, landing page and targeting.
  3. 3Fix the substance. Swapping one word counts as circumvention.
  4. 4Appeal with a short note on exactly what you changed.
Assess this case
9Loss of access or revenue

Restricted ad account or Business

Advertising stops completely. For a business this is the most expensive sanction.

What it looks like
You cannot run ads; a restriction appears in Business Settings.
Where to check
Account Quality and Business Settings.
Typical causes
Circumvention attempts, sensitive categories, a run of rejections, poor Business Manager hygiene.

First steps (within 48 hours)

  1. 1Stop uploading new ads until the cause is identified.
  2. 2Run a full audit: creatives, catalogs, domains, pixels and forms.
  3. 3Review roles and access and turn on two-factor authentication.
  4. 4Appeal with evidence of the fixes, and apply Special Ad Categories if they apply to you.
Assess this case Full article
10Escalates if repeated

Suspended or limited monetization

The content stays up, but the revenue from it stops.

What it looks like
Stars, subscriptions or in-stream ads are suspended or limited.
Where to check
Monetization Manager.
Typical causes
Brand-safety breaches, missing paid-partnership labels, sensitive topics in the wrong tone.

First steps (within 48 hours)

  1. 1Remove the specific content named as the cause.
  2. 2Set a team rule on who labels partnerships and how.
  3. 3Wait out the stated period before requesting another review.
  4. 4Request the review with a description of what changed editorially.
Assess this case
12Limits growth

Verification removed

The badge is gone, and with it part of your credibility and support access.

What it looks like
The badge disappears from the profile, usually with a short notice.
Where to check
The profile and your notifications.
Typical causes
Violations, suspicious activity, changes in the platform's criteria.

First steps (within 48 hours)

  1. 1Clear the active violations on the account.
  2. 2Keep the content stable for a few months.
  3. 3Check whether the profile still meets the current criteria.
  4. 4Reapply once the record is clean.
Assess this case

Where to check

Where the account status is visible

Before guessing from your reach, open the places where the platform states what it has applied.

  • Account, Page or Professional Dashboard

    The status section lists removed posts, warnings and whether the profile is out of recommendations.

  • Support Inbox and notifications

    Official messages about measures and the replies to your appeals land here.

  • Ads Manager → Account Quality

    Rejections, delivery limits and the state of the ad account.

  • Monetization Manager

    Warnings and eligibility for the revenue tools.

  • The rights section

    The history of rights-holder claims and the counter-notices you filed.

Coordinated reports

When the reports come in waves

A user report starts a review, but on its own it takes nothing down. Platforms weigh the volume and speed of reports, the reliability of the senders, the account history and the context.

Possible outcomes

  • No action, if the review finds no violation.
  • Soft measures: demotion and temporarily limited recommendations, comments or sharing.
  • Temporary removal or a hold on visibility until a moderator reviews it.
  • Permanent removal and a strike, if a violation is confirmed.

Signs of a coordinated wave

  • A sudden spike in reports and hostile comments in a short window.
  • Many new or recently created profiles in the comments.
  • Calls to 'report this' in outside groups and channels.
  • Near-identical wording across the reports and comments.

What to do, in order

  1. 1

    Collect evidence

    Screenshots of the calls to mass-report, links, date and time. This is the foundation of any later appeal.

  2. 2

    Tighten safety settings

    Limit comments to followers, turn on offensive-word filters, restrict tagging where needed.

  3. 3

    Add context to the post

    A clarification, a source or a warning on sensitive topics; a more neutral thumbnail and description.

  4. 4

    Moderate actively

    Hide the repeat hostile comments and block the profiles that break the rules.

  5. 5

    Appeal if it comes down

    Attach the evidence of coordination, the context and the corrections you already made.

  6. 6

    Watch for 90 days

    Track repeats and schedule risky topics for calmer periods.

Fact check

Myths and reality

„Enough reports automatically take a post down.“

Reports only trigger a review. In sensitive categories a temporary measure is possible, and it can be appealed.

„Nothing can be done about coordinated reporting.“

Quite a lot can be done. Tighten your settings, collect evidence of the coordination, fix the content, appeal, and escalate through business support if you have access to it.

„A shadowban is a separate sanction.“

In most cases it is demotion or removal from recommendations. Both are visible in Account Quality instead of being guessed from your reach.

Unban Solutions is not affiliated with Meta, TikTok or any other platform. We work from publicly published policies and appeal procedures. This page is guidance and is not legal advice.

Prevention

The rules behind these measures

Behind almost every sanction there is a specific rule on content or on advertising.

Rules · organic content

What passes and what comes down on Instagram and Facebook

The ten topics behind most takedowns, and what the safe version of the same content looks like. Almost everywhere, what helps is clear context, a warning on sensitive content and the rights to what you use.

10 topics

Rules · advertising

Why ads fail review and how to get them through

The sixteen topics behind most Meta ad rejections. Each topic shows what is restricted, what gets the ad rejected and what a version that passes looks like.

16 topics

Not sure which sanction you are facing?

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