What is the difference between a Reddit ban and a shadowban?

A subreddit ban blocks you from one community and usually shows a notice. A shadowban is sitewide and silent: your content looks normal to you but is mostly invisible to others.

How do I know if I am shadowbanned?

Use a shadowban checker that tests public profile visibility, try viewing your profile while logged out, and confirm whether new posts appear for other accounts. Then appeal at reddit.com/appeal if needed.

What does a restricted Reddit community mean?

A restricted community may require approval before you can post or comment. Review that community’s rules or contact its moderators; it is not the same as a silent sitewide shadowban.

Can I appeal a shadowban?

Yes. Submit one clear appeal at reddit.com/appeal, stop posting until resolved, and avoid creating new accounts that continue the same behavior.

Account health · Updated 2026

Reddit ban vs shadowban vs restricted

Direct answer: a subreddit ban blocks one community (usually with a notice), a shadowban silently hides you sitewide, a restricted community may require approval to post or comment, and suspended locks the account until it ends or an appeal succeeds.

Shadowban

Silent / sitewide

What you see: Profile and posts look normal to you
What others see: Content mostly invisible to other users
Next step: Stop posting → reddit.com/appeal → warm up without links

Subreddit ban

Community-level

What you see: Usually a ban/mute notice when you try to post
What others see: Your old comments may still exist; you cannot post there
Next step: Message mods (if allowed) or move to other communities

Restricted

Community-level

What you see: Posting or commenting may require moderator approval
What others see: Your content may not appear until approved
Next step: Review the community rules or contact its moderators

Suspended

Account lockout

What you see: Cannot use Reddit normally until suspension ends
What others see: Profile may show suspended
Next step: Appeal if you believe it is a false positive

How to check which one you have

Run the free Reddit shadowban checker for public visibility signals.
Check whether you can post in multiple subreddits. Failure in one community with a clear message usually means a subreddit ban, not a shadowban.
Pair with the karma calculator before you resume link posts.
Read the deeper playbook: how to avoid Reddit shadowbans and the glossary definition of shadowban.

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