Instagram Community Guidelines: What Content Creators MUST NEVER DO

If you’re a content creator on Instagram, here’s your non-negotiable checklist.

Based on Meta’s official policies - to absolutely avoid if you care about long-term growth, visibility, & brand partnerships

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1) Content Violations:

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- Hate Speech & Harassment: No attacks based on race, religion, gender, orientation, disability, or nationality. Even implicit hate (e.g., blackface, antisemitic tropes) is banned

- Nudity & Sexual Content: Sexual intercourse, genitals, female nipples (with rare exceptions), or overly suggestive content can trigger removal or shadowbanning

- Violence & Gore: Avoid glorifying or graphically depicting violence, suffering, or mutilation

- Self-Harm & Suicide: Even fictional depictions (memes, illustrations) related to self-harm are prohibited

- Illegal & Dangerous Activity: Terrorism & Hate Groups: Zero tolerance for supporting extremist or criminal organizations

- Illegal Goods/Services: Don’t promote drugs, weapons, prescription meds, tobacco, alcohol (contextual), or adult services.

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2) Inauthentic Behavior:

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- Fake Accounts & Impersonation: Creating fake profiles or impersonating others can result in permanent bans

- Artificial Engagement: Bots, buying likes/followers, or using unauthorized apps will lead to immediate penalties

- Spam Limits: Excessive following, liking, or commenting is a flagged behavior. New accounts are under stricter scrutiny

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4) Copyright & IP:

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- Reposting Without Rights: No using Google images, copyrighted music, or reposting others’ work even if it’s a photo of you taken by someone else

- Content Theft: Downloading and re-uploading other creators’ content without credit is a red flag

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5) Monetization Violations:

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- Low-Quality Monetized Content: Static images, text montages, engagement bait, or looping slides is not monetizable

- Fake Boosting for Revenue: Inflating views/engagement for payouts will get your monetization revoked

- Recycled Content: Posting the same content again and again? Meta’s system flags it fast.

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6) Community Standards:

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- Misinformation: Sharing debunked content will tank your reach and trust

- Banned Hashtags: Many hashtags (especially around drugs, adult content) are flagged. Stay updated

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7) Platform Restrictions:

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- Unauthorized Apps: Don’t use third-party tools that aren’t Instagram-certified

- New Account Limits: Follow/comment responsibly. Mass actions = spam signals

- Message Limits: Cold-DMing? You’re allowed only one message unless the user accepts your request

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Consequences of Violations

• Content removal

• Account strikes or bans

• Loss of monetization

• Visibility suppression

• Legal action (in serious cases)

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Instagram removes 95%+ of hate speech content proactively before users even report

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