Instagram Action Limits 2024: How to Bypass Restrictions Without Bans and Manage 50+ Accounts

Instagram constantly tightens limits on actions: follows, likes, comments, messages. For SMM specialists, arbitrageurs, and agencies managing dozens of client accounts, this becomes a serious problem — one wrong step and the account receives a temporary ban or falls into a shadowban. In this guide, we will analyze all current Instagram limits for 2024 and show how to safely bypass them through proxies and anti-detect browsers.

Current Instagram Limits in 2024

Instagram does not publish official limit figures — they dynamically change depending on many factors: account age, activity, reputation, device, and IP address. However, based on testing by SMM specialists and data from automation services, average safe values can be highlighted.

It is important to understand that these figures are not hard limits, but recommendations for safe operation. Instagram analyzes behavior comprehensively: if you make 200 follows in a day from an old account, but all of them happen within 10 minutes — it looks suspicious and can lead to a ban. The key principle is to imitate natural human behavior.

Hourly Limits

In addition to daily limits, Instagram tracks activity over the course of an hour. This is especially critical for new accounts:

• New accounts: no more than 5-7 follows per hour, 10-15 likes per hour
• Average accounts: up to 15-20 follows per hour, 50-70 likes per hour
• Old accounts: up to 30-40 follows per hour, 100-150 likes per hour

Be sure to take breaks between actions: at least 30-60 seconds between follows, 20-30 seconds between likes. Add random delays to make behavior appear as human as possible.

Why Instagram Imposes Restrictions

Instagram is owned by Meta (formerly Facebook), and combating spam and bots is one of the platform's key tasks. Action limits are introduced to protect user experience and prevent mass abuse. The main reasons for tightening restrictions include:

• Combatting mass following: the practice of following thousands of accounts to gain mutual follows has long been considered spam
• Protection against bots: automated services that inflate likes and comments degrade the quality of content in the feed
• Reducing server load: mass actions create additional strain on Instagram's infrastructure
• Monetizing advertising: Instagram is interested in businesses using paid advertising rather than free promotion methods through mass activity

Since 2019, Instagram has begun actively using machine learning to identify suspicious activity. Algorithms analyze not only the number of actions but also behavior patterns: speed of actions, time of activity, types of devices, IP addresses, even mouse movements and scrolling speed.

Types of Bans: Temporary Ban, Shadowban, Permanent Ban

Instagram uses several types of restrictions depending on the severity of the violation. It is important to understand the difference between them to respond appropriately.

Temporary Ban (Action Block)

The most common type of restriction. Instagram temporarily prohibits performing certain actions: follows, likes, comments, or messages. The duration can vary from a few hours to 14 days. Signs of a temporary ban include:

• Message "Try again later. We restrict certain activity to protect our community"
• Inability to perform a specific action (e.g., follow), but other functions work
• Can be imposed on one or more actions simultaneously

What to do: stop all activities on the account for 24-48 hours. Do not attempt to bypass the ban through VPN or changing devices — this will only worsen the situation. After the ban is lifted, gradually return to activity, reducing the intensity of actions by 50%.

Shadowban

A more insidious type of ban, where your content stops appearing in recommendations and under hashtags, but the account itself continues to function normally. Instagram does not officially acknowledge the existence of shadowban, but thousands of users have encountered this phenomenon. Signs include:

• A sharp drop in reach (5-10 times) without visible reasons
• Your posts do not appear in hashtag search results (can be checked through a friend's account)
• Decreased activity from new users, while followers see the content

Causes of shadowban: use of banned hashtags, mass follows/unfollows, user complaints about your content, use of third-party automation services with shared IP addresses.

How to exit shadowban: delete all posts with banned hashtags, stop using automation for 7-14 days, publish only quality content, actively engage with followers manually. Shadowban is usually lifted within 14-28 days if rules are followed.

Permanent Ban

The most severe measure — complete account blocking with no possibility of recovery. Applied for serious violations: selling prohibited goods, pornography, mass complaints, repeated temporary bans. The account is deleted, access to it is impossible.

How to avoid: do not use one IP address for dozens of accounts, do not violate Instagram's community guidelines, use quality residential proxies for each account, avoid aggressive automation.

How Account Age Affects Limits

Instagram applies different limits depending on the "reputation" of the account, which is formed over time. New accounts are under special scrutiny, as most spam accounts are created en masse and begin aggressive activity immediately after registration.

New Accounts (0-3 months)

The first 2-4 weeks are the most critical period. Instagram closely monitors the behavior of new accounts and quickly blocks suspicious activity. Recommendations for new accounts:

• First 3 days: no automation, only manual activity. Fill out the profile, publish 3-5 posts, follow 5-10 accounts manually
• First week: no more than 20 follows and 30 likes per day. Use the account like a regular user: watch Stories, respond to comments
• First month: gradually increase activity by 10-20% each week, do not exceed limits for new accounts
• 2-3 months: can reach average limits, but continue to monitor Instagram's reaction

Critically important: use a unique IP address for each new account. If Instagram sees that a dozen accounts are registered from one IP — all of them will come under suspicion. For this, mobile proxies are suitable, as they mimic real mobile internet users.

Average Accounts (3-12 months)

After 3 months of regular activity without violations, the account gains more "trust" from Instagram. Limits increase by 3-5 times. However, a sudden change in behavior can still raise suspicions — if an account has been making 10 follows a day for 3 months and then suddenly starts making 100, it looks strange.

Rule of gradual growth: increase activity gradually, by 20-30% per week, until you reach desired metrics. If you receive a temporary ban — step back and reduce activity.

Old Accounts (12+ months)

Accounts older than a year with regular activity and an engaged audience have maximum limits. Instagram trusts such accounts more, as they have proven their "humanity." However, even old accounts can get banned for aggressive behavior.

Additional reputation factors: having a linked phone number and email, two-factor authentication, regular content publication, audience engagement (likes and comments on your posts), absence of complaints from other users.

Safe Action Limits by Account Types

Besides account age, limits depend on the type of account and how Instagram is used. Let's analyze specific scenarios for different user categories.

For SMM Specialists (Managing Client Accounts)

If you manage 10-50 client accounts through an anti-detect browser (Dolphin Anty, AdsPower, Multilogin), the main task is to avoid linking accounts together. Instagram should not realize that they are all managed from one device.

Recommended limits for client accounts: a conservative approach, as losing a client account poses reputational risks. For accounts older than 6 months: 30-50 follows per day, 100-200 likes, 20-30 comments. Distribute activity evenly throughout the working day (from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM local time of the account).

For Arbitrageurs (Farming Accounts for Advertising)

Arbitrageurs often create dozens of Instagram accounts to run ads through Facebook Ads Manager (Instagram Ads). The goal is to grow accounts to a "live" state and warm them up before launching ads.

Account Farming Strategy:

• Day 1-3: registration through mobile proxy, filling out the profile, publishing 2-3 posts with real content
• Day 4-7: following 5-10 accounts per day, liking 10-15 posts, viewing Stories
• Weeks 2-4: increasing activity to 20-30 follows and 50 likes per day
• Months 2-3: reaching working metrics of 50-100 follows per day

Critically important: do not launch ads on accounts younger than 2-4 weeks. Instagram checks the account history before approving ads, and new accounts often get rejected or have their ad accounts blocked.

For Personal Brands and Influencers

If you are promoting a personal brand or business account, aggressive mass following is an outdated and dangerous strategy. Instagram in 2024 prioritizes content quality and organic engagement. Recommendations:

• Focus on content quality rather than mass follows
• Use follows selectively: on potential clients, partners, influencers in your niche
• Limit to 30-50 follows per day for an account with a good history
• Actively comment on posts of the target audience (20-30 quality comments per day)
• Use Instagram Reels and Stories — they provide maximum organic reach in 2024

How Proxies Help Bypass Limits

Proxy servers are a key tool for safe multi-accounting on Instagram. They allow each account to have a unique IP address, which is critically important to avoid linking accounts together and bypassing limits.

Why You Can't Manage Multiple Accounts from One IP

Instagram tracks user IP addresses and applies common limits to all accounts operating from one IP. If you manage 10 accounts from home internet, Instagram sees this and applies one of the scenarios:

• Common limit on IP: instead of 100 follows for each account, you get 100 follows for all 10 accounts combined
• Suspicion of automation: many accounts from one IP look like a bot farm
• Chain bans: if one account gets blocked, all others from that IP come under suspicion

Which Types of Proxies Are Suitable for Instagram

Recommendation: for serious work with Instagram, use mobile proxies or residential ones. Mobile proxies are especially effective, as Instagram sees you as a mobile app user, which looks as natural as possible. Most activity on Instagram (over 80%) occurs through mobile devices.

Rules for Using Proxies for Instagram

• Account binding to IP: after registering an account, use the same proxy constantly
• Geographic correspondence: if the account is registered in Moscow, use a Moscow proxy, not an American one
• Quality of proxies: avoid public and cheap proxies — they are often already "exposed" in Instagram's databases
• Connection stability: the proxy must work 24/7 without interruptions, otherwise Instagram may suspect VPN

Setting Up an Anti-Detect Browser for Multi-Account Management

Anti-detect browsers allow you to create isolated profiles for each Instagram account with unique fingerprints (digital fingerprints). This is critically important for multi-accounting, as Instagram tracks not only IP addresses but also browser parameters, devices, and operating systems.

Popular Anti-Detect Browsers for Instagram

• Dolphin Anty: the most popular among arbitrageurs and SMM specialists, free plan for 10 profiles, user-friendly interface
• AdsPower: a good option for working with ad accounts, has automation features
• Multilogin: premium solution with advanced fingerprints, expensive but maximally reliable
• GoLogin: budget option with basic functionality, suitable for beginners
• Octo Browser: Russian development with good technical support in Russian

Step-by-Step Profile Setup in Dolphin Anty

Let's consider the setup using Dolphin Anty — the most popular anti-detect browser for working with Instagram. The process is similar in other browsers.

After launching the profile, open instagram.com and log into the account. Dolphin Anty will automatically save the session, and at the next launch, you will be authorized. Do not close the profile through the task manager — always use the "Close Profile" button in Dolphin to ensure cookies are saved correctly.

Common Mistakes When Setting Up an Anti-Detect Browser

• Using one proxy for multiple profiles: Instagram will link accounts together
• Mismatch between location and language: Moscow IP + English browser language = suspicious
• Too frequent profile switching: do not switch between 10 accounts in a minute, take breaks of 5-10 minutes
• Ignoring WebRTC: even through proxies, Instagram can get your real IP through WebRTC
• Identical fingerprints: do not copy profile settings, each must be unique

Rules for Safe Automation

Automating actions on Instagram is a powerful tool for scaling but requires a cautious approach. Automation services can speed up routine tasks (follows, likes, comments), but if misused, they lead to mass bans.

Safe Automation Tools

Most popular automation services (Jarvee, Instabot, Massplanner) were blocked by Instagram in 2019-2020. Currently, only solutions that emulate the mobile app or work through the official API are considered safe:

• Ingramer (formerly Inflact): works through the cloud, imitates human behavior, has account warming features
• Combin Growth: desktop application with conservative limits, low risk of bans
• SocialCaptain: AI automation with safe limits, suitable for personal brands
• Instato: Russian service with proxy support, flexible settings

Settings for Safe Automation

When setting up any automation service, follow these rules:

• Delays between actions: at least 30-60 seconds between follows, 20-30 seconds between likes
• Randomness of intervals: do not make exactly 60 seconds — vary from 40 to 90 seconds
• Working hours: limit activity from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM local time of the account
• Breaks: take breaks of 10-15 minutes every 1-2 hours of activity
• Night sleep: completely stop automation for 6-8 hours at night
• Weekends: reduce activity by 30-50% on Saturday and Sunday

What Cannot Be Automated

Some actions are closely monitored by Instagram, and automating them almost certainly leads to a ban:

• Mass Direct messages: sending identical messages to dozens of users — a direct path to a ban
• Automatic comments with templates: Instagram easily identifies repeating phrases
• Mass Stories: publishing dozens of Stories in a short time
• Auto-liking all posts of a user: if you like all 50 posts of an account in a minute — it’s clearly a bot

Recommendation: automate only routine actions (follows, likes), and write comments and messages manually. A quality personalized comment yields 10 times more results than 100 template comments.

Strategy for Warming Up New Accounts

Warming up is the process of gradually increasing the activity of a new account to gain "reputation" in the eyes of Instagram. This is a critically important stage that determines whether you will be able to safely work with high limits in the future.

30-Day Warming Plan

The warming strategy is essential for ensuring that new accounts gain credibility and can operate safely within Instagram's limits. Following this plan will help you navigate the platform effectively and avoid potential bans.

Conclusion

Understanding and adhering to Instagram's limits is crucial for maintaining account health and avoiding bans. By using safe practices, such as employing proxies and anti-detect browsers, and following the recommended strategies for account management, users can effectively navigate the platform while minimizing risks.