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Instagram has expanded the Account Status dashboard to provide clarity on content restrictions.

The Account Status dashboard was rolled out in October 2021 as a “one-stop shop to see what’s happening with your account and content distribution.” The dashboard would tell you if your content has been restricted at all, such as a post being removed for violating rules such as showing nudity.

Now, Instagram has announced additional “transparency tools” for those who have professional accounts on Instagram. These users will have this additional information:

• Check if your account’s content can be recommended - Tells you eligibility for placement in Explore, Reels, and Feed recommendations.

• Understand issues - See which posts or profile components go against recommendation guidelines or community guidelines. These guidelines tend to focus on promoting safety while excluding explicit content, posts promoting regulated products like tobacco, clickbait, contests, or misleading content.

• Fix problems - Edit or delete posts, or request review if there has been a mistake.

✅ Account Status Update ✅We're expanding Account Status so professional accounts can understand if their content may be eligible to be recommended to non-followers.Here’s how to get to it: Profile -> Menu -> Settings -> Account -> Account Status pic.twitter.com/QbxjQF06vR

— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) December 7, 2022

Why it Matters

These changes appear to be focused on adding transparency to some of the hidden processes that govern content on Instagram.

• The big concept at play here is known as “shadowbanning”—which refers to a social media site restricting content without the owner realizing it. This has been a major criticism of several different companies in recent years.

• These Account Status features should go a long way toward making content restrictions more clear while also providing guidance on how to fix problems that could be at play.

Want to optimize your profile for recommendations? Showing up in the Explore tab on Instagram can be a huge win for marketers trying to promote their brand to new audiences. Here are the basic guidelines and best practices to follow:

• Be sure to follow the Recommendation Guidelines and the Community Guidelines.

• Make sure your account is set up to be eligible for recommendations.

• Check your Account Status by going to Settings > Account > Account Status.

• Post original content.

• Create engaging Reels.

• Include relevant keywords in your post text to help with discovery via Instagram Search.

• Monitor your Insights and analytics to see what works best for you.