"Rule '1 Proxy = 1 Account': How to Avoid Chain Bans on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok"

If you work with multiple accounts on social media or advertising platforms, you have likely encountered a situation where one account gets banned — and then 5-10 other profiles follow. This is called a chain ban, and the reason often lies in violating the basic rule of multi-accounting: one proxy should only be used for one account. In this article, we will discuss why this rule is critically important, how platforms track connections between accounts, and what will happen if it is ignored.

What is a chain ban and how does it work

A chain ban is a situation where a platform blocks not just one account, but several related profiles at once. For example, you manage 10 Instagram accounts for clients, one of which violates the rules (spam, follower manipulation, prohibited content), and the platform bans it. But along with it, 5-7 other accounts that have never violated the rules also get banned.

The reason is simple: the platform has detected a connection between the accounts. The most common connection is a shared IP address. If several profiles log in through the same proxy server, the algorithms of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Google Ads consider them to belong to the same owner. And if one account faces sanctions, the platform automatically applies the same measures to all related profiles.

Typical scenarios of chain bans:

• Traffic arbitration: you farm 20 Facebook Ads accounts through one proxy. One account gets banned for violating advertising policies — all 20 are banned.
• SMM agency: you manage 15 clients' accounts on Instagram through a shared proxy. One client starts mass following — all 15 profiles get banned.
• E-commerce: you manage several stores on a marketplace (Wildberries, Ozon) through one IP. One store receives sanctions for manipulating reviews — all stores get blocked.
• Data scraping: you collect information from several LinkedIn accounts through one proxy. One account gets restricted — all others get blocked.

Why one proxy = one account: the technical side

The IP address is the primary identifier of a user on the internet. When you access a website or application, the server sees your IP and logs it. Platforms use the IP address as one of the key parameters to determine user uniqueness.

Imagine a situation: 10 different Facebook accounts log in from one IP address in a day. For algorithms, this looks suspicious because an ordinary home user does not switch between 10 profiles. The platform concludes: this is either a bot farm or one person is managing multiple accounts to bypass restrictions.

What happens next:

1. The platform marks all accounts as related (a cluster is created).
2. If one account violates the rules, sanctions are applied to the entire cluster.
3. Even if there are no violations, the platform may limit the functionality of all accounts (for example, reducing advertising limits in Facebook Ads).

That is why the rule "1 proxy = 1 account" is not an overcautious measure, but a technical necessity. Each account must have a unique IP address for the platform to perceive it as a separate independent user. For this task, residential proxies are ideal, as they mimic real home users and raise minimal suspicion with anti-fraud systems.

How platforms track connections between accounts

Modern platforms use dozens of parameters to determine the connection between accounts. The IP address is just one of them, although it is the most important. Here is a complete list of factors that anti-fraud systems analyze:

As you can see, the IP address is a critical parameter, but not the only one. Even if you use different proxies for each account, if you log in through the same browser without changing fingerprints, the platform can still link the accounts.

Therefore, the rule "1 proxy = 1 account" needs to be supplemented: one proxy + one unique browser fingerprint = one account. This is exactly why anti-detect browsers like Dolphin Anty, AdsPower, Multilogin, or GoLogin are used — they create unique digital fingerprints for each profile.

Real cases: what happens when the rule is violated

Let’s look at real examples of how violating the rule "1 proxy = 1 account" leads to the loss of accounts and money.

Case 1: An arbitrageur lost 15 Facebook Ads accounts

The arbitrageur was farming Facebook accounts to run ads. To save on proxies, he used 3 IP addresses for 15 accounts (5 accounts per proxy). For the first two weeks, everything worked fine, but then one of the accounts got banned for violating advertising policies (prohibited vertical).

Result: within 24 hours, Facebook blocked all 5 accounts that logged in through the same IP. The arbitrageur lost not only the accounts themselves but also the money in the advertising accounts (about $2000), as well as the time spent warming up the profiles (each account was farmed for 3 weeks).

Conclusion: saving on proxies turned out to be tens of times more expensive. If each account had used a separate proxy, only one profile would have been banned.

Case 2: An SMM agency lost clients' accounts on Instagram

The SMM agency managed 20 clients' accounts on Instagram. They used 4 proxies (5 accounts per proxy). One of the clients independently connected a third-party automation service for mass following, which violates Instagram's rules.

Result: Instagram blocked not only the violator's account but also 4 other profiles that logged in through the same IP. The agency lost clients' trust, had to restore accounts (which is not always possible), and compensate for losses.

Conclusion: when working with clients' accounts, you cannot control all their actions. The only way to protect against chain bans is to isolate each account through a separate proxy.

Case 3: A seller lost stores on Wildberries

A seller on Wildberries managed 3 stores through one home IP address (without proxies). One of the stores received sanctions for manipulating reviews. The marketplace discovered that all 3 stores were managed from one IP and blocked them simultaneously, considering it an attempt to bypass sanctions.

Result: loss of all stores, frozen payments, inability to create new accounts from the same IP.

Conclusion: even if you operate legally, platforms may suspect you of violations if they detect multiple accounts on one IP. Using separate proxies is insurance against such situations.

Correct setup: one account — one proxy — one fingerprint

Now that it is clear why the rule is important, let’s discuss how to properly organize work with multiple accounts.

Step 1: Choosing the type of proxy

Two types of proxies are suitable for multi-accounting:

• Residential proxies — IP addresses of real home users provided by internet service providers. The safest option for working with social networks and advertising platforms. Platforms rarely ban such IPs because they are indistinguishable from ordinary users. Suitable for Facebook Ads, Instagram, TikTok, Google Ads.
• Mobile proxies — IP addresses from mobile operators (4G/5G). Even more reliable than residential proxies because one mobile IP is used by thousands of users (dynamic rotation). Ideal for account farming and working with social networks. Suitable for Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp.

For multi-accounting tasks, we recommend using mobile proxies if the budget allows, or residential proxies as a more affordable alternative.

Step 2: Setting up the anti-detect browser

One proxy is not enough — you need to create a unique browser fingerprint for each account. Anti-detect browsers are used for this purpose:

• Dolphin Anty — popular among arbitrageurs, free plan for 10 profiles.
• AdsPower — user-friendly interface, automation via API, free for up to 5 profiles.
• Multilogin — professional solution with advanced anti-detect protection, expensive.
• GoLogin — affordable price, good support for mobile fingerprints.

Step-by-step setup in Dolphin Anty (similarly for other browsers):

1. Create a new browser profile.
2. In the proxy settings, select the type (HTTP, SOCKS5) and enter your proxy server details (IP, port, username, password).
3. Enable automatic fingerprint generation (Canvas, WebGL, User-Agent, fonts, screen resolution).
4. Specify the geolocation corresponding to the proxy IP (for example, if the proxy is from Moscow, select the GMT+3 time zone and Russian language).
5. Check the settings through fingerprint verification services (for example, whoer.net, pixelscan.net, browserleaks.com).
6. Save the profile and use it only for one account.

Important: do not change the proxy for an already created profile! If an account is used to log in from one IP and suddenly appears from another, this will raise suspicion with the platform. One profile = one proxy for the entire duration of operation.

Step 3: Organizing work with multiple accounts

If you manage 10-20-50 accounts, it is important to organize the process correctly:

• Create a table (Google Sheets, Excel) with the following data: account number, login, password, proxy IP, port, profile name in the anti-detect browser.
• Use clear profile names: "Facebook_Account_01", "Instagram_Client_Ivanov", etc.
• Do not switch between profiles too quickly — take breaks of at least 1-2 minutes to mimic normal user behavior.
• Regularly check the functionality of the proxies (if the proxy fails and you try to log into the account without it, your real IP will be exposed).

Exceptions to the rule: when you can use one proxy for multiple tasks

The rule "1 proxy = 1 account" is not absolute. There are situations where one IP can be used for multiple tasks:

1. Data scraping without authorization

If you are scraping public data (prices on marketplaces, ads on Avito, job postings on HeadHunter) and do not log into accounts, you can use one proxy for many requests. The main thing is to adhere to limits on the number of requests to avoid hitting the rate limit.

2. Multiple accounts on one platform, if allowed

Some platforms allow managing multiple accounts from one IP. For example, Facebook Business Manager allows managing multiple advertising accounts on behalf of an agency. In this case, using one IP will not raise suspicion because it is an officially permitted feature.

3. Different platforms

You can use one proxy for accounts on different platforms that are not interconnected. For example, one IP for a Facebook account and one for a LinkedIn account is permissible because these platforms do not share user data.

However, this is risky if both platforms belong to the same company (for example, Facebook and Instagram — both belong to Meta). In this case, it is better to use different proxies.

How anti-detect browsers help comply with the rule

Anti-detect browsers are not just a tool for changing IPs. They create a fully isolated environment for each account, mimicking a unique user. Here’s what they do:

• Generate unique browser fingerprints (Canvas, WebGL, AudioContext, fonts, plugins).
• Block IP leaks via WebRTC — even if you use a proxy, WebRTC can reveal your real IP. Anti-detect browsers disable this feature.
• Manage cookies and localStorage — each profile stores its data separately, and they do not mix.
• Synchronize geolocation with the proxy IP — if the proxy is from Kazan, the browser will automatically set the GMT+3 time zone and Russian language.
• Allow working with multiple profiles simultaneously — you can open 10-20 browser windows, each with its own account and proxy.

Comparison of popular anti-detect browsers:

For beginners, we recommend starting with Dolphin Anty or AdsPower — they have free plans that are sufficient for initial experiments with multi-accounting.

Conclusion

The rule "1 proxy = 1 account" is not an overcautious measure or a marketing trick by proxy providers. It is a technical necessity that protects you from chain bans and the loss of all accounts simultaneously. Platforms use the IP address as the primary identifier for linking accounts, and if multiple profiles log in through one IP, they automatically fall into one cluster.

Key takeaways from the article:

• Use a separate proxy for each account — this is the only reliable way to avoid chain bans.
• Choose residential or mobile proxies for multi-accounting — they mimic real users and raise minimal suspicion.
• Combine proxies with anti-detect browsers — one IP is not enough; a unique browser fingerprint is needed for each profile.
• Do not skimp on proxies — losing one account due to a chain ban will cost more than the price of additional proxies.
• Organize work properly — maintain a data table, check proxies before use, do not change IPs for already created profiles.

If you plan to work with multiple accounts on social networks, advertising platforms, or marketplaces, we recommend using residential proxies — they provide a high level of anonymity and minimal risk of bans. For particularly sensitive tasks (farming Facebook Ads accounts, working with Instagram), it is better to choose mobile proxies — they are more expensive but virtually eliminate the risk of IP bans.

Adhere to the rule "1 proxy = 1 account," and your profiles will be safe.