So, you received a notice that your account was suspended by Twitter. The natural inclination is to panic – How did this happen? How do I get my Twitter account back online? What do I do to avoid this in the future? But before going too deep into the Twitter abyss, breathe and take a step back to address the Twitter suspension. You first need to understand there are many reasons for suspension and then you can address how to fix it.
Why Was Your Twitter Account Suspended?
First and foremost it is important to know why your account was suspended in the first place. Most commonly, accounts can be suspended for:
-
Spamming
-
Aggressive Engagement
-
Harassment, Abuse, or Safety
-
Privacy (e.g. sharing someone's private information)
-
Automation
-
Authenticity
-
Violation of Terms of Service
Of course, there are other reasons Twitter may temporarily suspend or disable an account, but most suspensions fall into one of these key categories. The challenge most users face is that Twitter doesn’t tell you what specifically you did that it did not like.
| ✏️ Note: The comprehensive list of The Twitter Rules and Policies can be found here. |
A Note About Automated Tools, Like GaggleAMP
Yes, the use of automation can lead to the suspension of a Twitter account. But, it’s important to understand that the exclusive use of automation is likely what will cause a Twitter account to be flagged, not the software.
We, along with many other software platforms, work with Twitter to get API access to everything you do in GaggleAMP. As such, the use of the GaggleAMP platform has been approved by Twitter. It is not the use of the software that is causing your account to be suspended. However, if your account is reliant only on automation and there are no other valuable interactions, your behavior may appear closely related to that of a bot, which would be detected by Twitter algorithms.
But Why Did Twitter Suspend My Account?
Twitter's decision to suspend your account could be as simple as failure to authenticate yourself when you signed up for your account or as complicated as tripping the magic algorithm that detects abnormalities.
Twitter has a number of algorithms in place to keep the community safe. These algorithms are based on several factors and rule sets that determine if the person behind the Twitter account is who they say they are. These rule sets are put in place to protect the Twitter community and, as such, Twitter does not disclose how the algorithm behaves and what rules affect its results. If it did, nefarious users would simply program around it.
So That’s It? Can I Appeal Their Decision?
Suspensions happen, and as irritating as it can be, there is some good news here. Twitter recognizes that mistakes can and do happen and offers a formal appeal process, which you can access here: Appeal an account suspension or locked account.
Once you have filed for an appeal, you will likely receive an automated response, confirming that you have access to the email address attached to your Twitter account. This email account is where Twitter will send you the results of their appeal investigation. Grab a coffee or take a vacation. This could take a while.
Once your appeal has been filed, you’ll need to await the next steps in the appeal process, which may include providing additional information to Twitter. In the meanwhile, it may be prudent to review your account and your use of Twitter along with best practices.
What are the Best Practices to Avoid a Twitter Suspension?
While Twitter suspensions are not completely unavoidable, there are a number of best practices you should follow on Twitter.
Be Social
As with all social media networks, they are designed with the premise of being social, which means engaging in conversations. While Twitter has algorithms it will not disclose, a lack of engagement on the part of the user begets the premise of a social media network - being social.
By following, engaging, and interacting with other Members of the platform, it shows Twitter that you want to be a valuable, contributing member to the Twitter community. For example, if you only use a third-party application to retweet on Twitter, this may look like you are not a real person and can increase your chances of getting suspended.
| Pro-Tip: Make sure you are paying attention to any emails from GaggleAMP that ask you to reauthorize an account. When we notice an account could potentially be suspended, we will email you and ask for your account credentials to be verified and reconnected. This helps ensure your content remains consistent but also not attempting to tweet content on a disconnected account. |
Consider Two-Factor Authentication
By Twitter's own admission, verifying account ownership helps to “ensure the violators do not abuse the anonymity” that Twitter offers. While a Member can hide behind their Twitter handle, Twitter still wants to ensure that the person behind the account is tied to a real person, and when this cannot be verified, the account can be suspended.
Twitter has an excellent document on how to use two-factor authentication, which allows you to better secure your account. Plus, since we do know that Twitter has multiple facets to its authenticity rules, this helps protect you from impersonation or manipulation, too.
Download the Twitter Mobile App
This might seem intuitive, but downloading the Twitter mobile app also triggers a form of authentication. When a new application is downloaded to your mobile device, the app is going to want you to authenticate both the action (downloading the app) and your identity. This, too, substantiates that there is a real person tied to the account activity.
Add Personality and Descriptions to Your Account
Twitter bots have come a long way since the egg avatar.
Source: Twitter Killed the Egg Avatar And People Are Not Happy
Commonly associated with troll and harassment accounts, the ‘Twitter Egg Avatars’ have come a long way towards making their accounts look real and authentic. Of course, this is also in part to tightening Twitter algorithms.
An account may appear automated when there is a heavy use of numbers in the username on the account. This is not to say you can’t use numbers - plenty of people do - but an excessive amount of numbers in the username may elevate concerns with your account.
Likewise, the absence of a photo, biography, profile description, header image, followers, and posts can also be a concern. Remember, Twitter is a social media platform and that means they want users to be social. Engaging with (or as) an anonymous entity doesn’t give off the most engaging vibes.
| ✏️. Pro-Tip: Curious about other best practices on Twitter? This one-page ‘Best Practice for Twitter’ take-away can help you make your best impression. |
Parting Thoughts: Twitter Account Suspensions
While a Twitter suspension is surely stressful, Twitter does have a number of resources available to help you reinstate your account. Below are some resources to help you learn about Twitter account suspensions:
Of course, if you have questions or concerns about how the Twitter functionality works within GaggleAMP, our customer success team is always here to help.