Pin Talk Podcast Summary

Title: S1E13 How to Avoid Getting Your Pinterest Account Banned or Shadowbanned (And What to Do if It Does)
Release Date: March 13, 2025
Hosts: Tony Hill and Carly Campbell
Podcast Description: Pin Talk is the go-to podcast for bloggers and content creators aiming to enhance their Pinterest traffic. Hosted by Pinterest experts Carly Campbell and Tony Hill, the show offers practical tips, strategies, and expert interviews to help listeners achieve part-time income or full-time success through Pinterest.

Introduction to Pinterest Bans

In Season 1, Episode 13 of Pin Talk, hosts Tony Hill and Carly Campbell delve deep into the intricacies of Pinterest account bans and shadow bans. They aim to educate bloggers and content creators on how to avoid these pitfalls and provide actionable steps if they find themselves affected.

Tony Hill [00:02]:
"Hey, welcome to pintalk, the Go to podcast for all things Pinterest for bloggers and content creators."

Carly Campbell [00:12]:
"We are going to talk about account bans on Pinterest and shadow bans on Pinterest and what to do if you think that your account has been shadow banned or if you know that has been banned."

Understanding Different Types of Bans

The hosts categorize Pinterest restrictions into five primary types:

1. Account Level Ban
2. Shadow Ban
3. Domain Level Ban
4. Individual Pins Ban
5. Keyword Level Ban

Tony Hill [02:07]:
"We have come up with a list of different types of bans... account level ban, shadow ban, domain level ban, individual pins and then possibly a keyword level ban."

1. Account Level Ban

An account level ban is the most severe form of restriction where Pinterest deactivates your account, often accompanied by an official email notification.

Carly Campbell [03:34]:
"Usually if you get a ban at the account level, you'll get an email from Pinterest that says, but we've deactivated your account."

Carly [03:59]:
"I had a friend who had a friend who was her contact at Pinterest and I got her to email her contact at Pinterest and they fixed my account right away."
[Timestamp: 04:00]

Key Insights:

• False Positives: Sometimes accounts are banned due to benign content triggering spam filters.
• Appeal Process: Persistence is crucial. Multiple appeals may be necessary, especially if the ban was a mistake.

Carly Campbell [07:42]:
"I think that it's completely worth a try."
[Timestamp: 07:42]

Tony Hill [09:06]:
"I would try to appeal five, six times. And... start a new one."
[Timestamp: 09:06]

2. Shadow Ban

A shadow ban subtly limits your account's visibility without an official notification, making it challenging to identify the issue.

Carly Campbell [18:51]:
"A shadow ban is, you know, Pinterest not going to distribute your content if it's a limited, very limited reach on your account, but they don't give you any indication that it's limited reach."
[Timestamp: 19:02]

Key Insights:

• Identification: Sudden drops in engagement or traffic can indicate a shadow ban.
• Possible Causes: Irrelevant or repetitive content, algorithm updates, or seasonal shifts.

Tony Hill [28:50]:
"I've created a Google sheet to do this where you can run a report on a time period where your account was doing well right before the drop and export that out..."
[Timestamp: 28:50]

Best Practices:

• Regularly monitor your pins to identify patterns or drops in performance.
• Use tools like Tony's "Flagged Pins" to analyze flagged content.

3. Domain Level Ban

This ban affects all pins linking to a specific domain, regardless of the account's status.

Tony Hill [61:06]:
"So there are times when you'll click on a PIN on Pinterest and you'll get a little pop up that'll say, oops, we've blocked that content and that's a domain level ban."
[Timestamp: 61:06]

Carly Campbell [61:39]:
"But if your domain is legitimately not spammy, you could hope to get it back."
[Timestamp: 63:37]

Recovery Steps:

• Contact Pinterest support directly.
• Provide evidence that the domain is not violating any terms.

Tony Hill [62:33]:
"I was able to get it back within I think 48 hours or so."
[Timestamp: 62:35]

4. Individual Pins Ban

Specific pins can be banned or limited in distribution due to various reasons, including inappropriate content or violations of Pinterest policies.

Tony Hill [46:44]:
"You can have individual pins that are banned... sometimes, like, user reported... falsely."
[Timestamp: 46:44]

Carly Campbell [48:40]:
"If you have any pins that Pinterest is actively letting you know or that you know, the community has told Pinterest, feels that they are in violation... you'll have details about that PIN there."
[Timestamp: 48:40]

Action Steps:

• Regularly check the Reports and Violations Center.
• Appeal or delete flagged pins promptly.

5. Keyword Level Ban

Certain words or phrases may trigger limitations, reducing the visibility of pins containing them.

Carly Campbell [54:08]:
"I believe there are probably flags that are worse for your account than others."
[Timestamp: 54:08]

Tony Hill [58:30]:
"It takes like up to, we saw maybe on average about 90 days for a pin to get flagged."
[Timestamp: 58:30]

Key Points:

• Sensitive Words: Terms like "kiss," "anxiety," or "diet" may be flagged.
• Domain Naming: Including flagged keywords in your domain can lead to broader restrictions.

Causes of Bans

Several factors can lead to bans or decreased visibility:

• Volume and Frequency: Over-pinning or repetitive pinning, especially linking to the same URL.

  Carly Campbell [15:33]:
  "I think that when we are seeing it's very difficult to pin 50 pins for one recipe without being irrelevant or redundant."
  [Timestamp: 15:33]

• Algorithm Updates: Pinterest frequently updates its algorithms, which can unpredictably affect pin visibility.

  Carly Campbell [20:02]:
  "Sometimes there could be an argument made that your account is shadowbanned because of an algorithm update."
  [Timestamp: 20:02]

• Seasonal Shifts: Content relevance can fluctuate with seasons, affecting engagement rates.

  Carly Campbell [22:36]:
  "Your content could still be completely relevant, but Pinterest's interpretation changes with the season."
  [Timestamp: 22:36]

• Use of Third-Party Schedulers: Switching to automated pinning tools without maintaining content quality.

  Carly Campbell [43:29]:
  "Personally, I'd suspect the problem isn't just using schedulers but possibly a decrease in content quality."
  [Timestamp: 43:29]

• Negative User Feedback: High numbers of user reports can trigger bans or limitation of visibility.

  Carly Campbell [40:56]:
  "If 150 people reported this piece of content, I'd probably be crazy to keep putting it out there."
  [Timestamp: 40:56]

Appeal and Recovery Strategies

Tony Hill [05:21]:
"There's an appeal form on Pinterest website... be persistent with contacting a human."
[Timestamp: 05:21]

Carly Campbell [34:01]:
"Contacting Pinterest support is worth a try, even if support isn't always helpful."
[Timestamp: 34:01]

Strategies:

1. Multiple Appeals: Don't hesitate to appeal multiple times if you believe the ban is a mistake.

   Carly Campbell [09:39]:
   "I've heard a couple times people sent seven emails before they got a response."
   [Timestamp: 09:39]

2. Review Content: Critically assess your pins and ensure they comply with Pinterest's community guidelines.

3. Start Fresh: If all appeals fail, consider creating a new account with a different domain and pinning strategy.

   Carly Campbell [34:29]:
   "I've landed on starting a new account if appeals don't work."
   [Timestamp: 34:29]

4. Engage with Pinterest Support: Building a relationship with support can aid in resolving issues swiftly.

   Tony Hill [63:26]:
   "I was able to get my domain back by contacting support directly."
   [Timestamp: 63:26]

Managing Multiple Accounts

Running multiple Pinterest accounts introduces complexities, especially concerning bans and shadow bans.

Tony Hill [35:25]:
"There are a lot of Pinterest as a service companies out there... agencies and individuals who provide this service to multiple accounts."
[Timestamp: 37:39]

Key Points:

• IP Addresses: Using the same IP for multiple accounts isn't necessarily problematic unless it triggers Pinterest's automated systems.

• Content Strategy: Ensure each account has a distinct and quality-focused pinning strategy to avoid cross-impact from bans.

  Carly Campbell [36:25]:
  "Shadowban is more about content and less about account linkage."
  [Timestamp: 36:25]

Analyzing and Managing Flagged Pins

Understanding and managing flagged pins is crucial to maintaining account health.

Tony Hill [28:50]:
"I've created a Google sheet... to highlight which pins dropped and by how much."
[Timestamp: 28:50]

Carly Campbell [48:40]:
"If you have any pins that Pinterest is actively letting you know... you'll have details about that PIN there."
[Timestamp: 48:40]

Best Practices:

• Regular Audits: Frequently check your Reports and Violations Center to identify flagged pins.

• Use Tools: Utilize tools like Tony's "Flagged Pins" to streamline the analysis process.

  Tony Hill [54:15]:
  "There's a free tool that I made called FlaggedPins.com."
  [Timestamp: 51:48 - corrected to 54:15?]

• Prompt Action: Delete or appeal flagged pins to prevent them from affecting your account's overall standing.

  Carly Campbell [50:30]:
  "If a pin is flagged in any way, I'm just getting rid of it right now."
  [Timestamp: 53:16]

Best Practices to Avoid Bans

1. Content Quality: Focus on creating high-quality, engaging pins rather than high volume.

   Carly Campbell [17:33]:
   "Approaching Pinterest with a moderate attitude towards volume and frequency is always safer."
   [Timestamp: 17:33]

2. Diversify URLs: Avoid pinning the same URL excessively. Introduce variety in your links and boards.

3. Monitor Engagement: High engagement can counterbalance minor penalties from flags or algorithm shifts.

4. Stay Informed: Regularly review Pinterest's community guidelines and stay updated on platform changes.

5. Avoid Sensitive Keywords: Be cautious with words that are commonly flagged, such as "diet," "anxiety," or "kiss."

   Carly Campbell [56:50]:
   "Words like kiss, anxiety, diet will almost always get you a sensitive raw pin text."
   [Timestamp: 56:50]

Conclusion

Tony Hill and Carly Campbell provide a comprehensive overview of the challenges surrounding Pinterest bans and shadow bans. They emphasize the importance of understanding the different types of bans, implementing best practices to avoid them, and taking proactive steps if your account is affected. The hosts encourage persistence, regular monitoring, and a balanced pinning strategy to maintain a healthy presence on Pinterest.

Carly Campbell [65:13]:
"I'm sure, I'm sure there must be. I've heard people having success with it with a small spend, you know, a couple dollars here and there."
[Timestamp: 65:13]

Tony Hill [66:08]:
"If you have got any questions about this, feel free to reach out to one of us in our communities and we'll be happy to answer you there."
[Timestamp: 66:08]

Listeners are encouraged to visit pintalkpodcast.com for show notes, resources, and to engage with the hosts through their communities.

Notable Quotes:

• Carly Campbell [00:26]:
  "It's something that I think we can almost operate in, like, you know, the complete fear, because we hear about it a lot."

• Tony Hill [03:59]:
  "They just tripped up the wrong filter somewhere."

• Carly Campbell [22:36]:
  "Pinterest may have established a really strong relationship between your pin and those lit fireplaces."

• Tony Hill [41:35]:
  "People could just get reported enough."

• Carly Campbell [56:50]:
  "If you read the community guidelines, you can often make the connection in your mind."

This detailed summary encapsulates the essential discussions and insights from Pin Talk Episode 13, providing listeners with valuable knowledge to navigate Pinterest's complex ecosystem effectively.