Shadowbanned profile / account?

[Vanalai]

Hello, I’ve got 9 lvl.
Before I didn’t know that I might get shadowban becasue I thought I’ve done everything well. Few days ago I’ve realized that some of my reviews from 1 city from 1 year ago (Zielona Góra), are visible only for me. For long time I was wondering why I see photos only with thosw review, but I didnt see on ‘your poctures’ in a review placed. Then I red about I made a mistake, becasue in each review I left link to ‘list’ on google maps. I thought it will be helpfull to inform readers there is list on GM. When I realized that was bad idea I’ve started to edit each of those review, to remove this link and same part text. That was about 60 scapltures in the city. First few edited are visible on my profile, but suddenly I saw that next are unvisible again. So I make some time to rewrite them. Again 2 or 3 are visible, other not. So I thought ok, maybe I edit to many in one day? Maybe I need to edit them partialy?

But then I wrote opinion about some restaurant and other places that I’ve visited and realized that now NON of my new review is visible - 3 or 4 or 5 star… With text or witout text… With photos or wothout photos… Nothing changed. Like my profile got ban for new.

One day last week I saw on my profile 1140 reviews and 140 ratings, but after logout I saw 845 reviews and 118 ratings. What the hell? I got cery sad. After 1 or 2 days I saw again 1140 and 140, so maybe something is back.
However then I realized that a lot of my old reviews are shadowbanned, not only those mentioned scuplters, but also reviews of restaurants or tourist’s places, a month ago, a months ago, a year ago.
In last years almost each place that I add to map, was immediately added. From some time, most of places I try to add are immediately rejected. That is really annoying - all the time i try to clear map from old no existed places, I mark a lot pictures that should not me on the map (bad quality, wrong places, private pictures etc), and also I add lot of places that are good for tourist - attractions, Sculptures… But now when when almost each add is rejected, I got demotivated…

I took some time to edit each of mentioned above reviews of Sculptures from that 1 city. I’ve also rewrite some other review that I saw are hidden, also checked some pictures and videos, some of then removed even I believed were well. Still nothing changed, some old and all new reviews and ratings are hidden. Only pictures, that are not connected to review/rating are visible. I see I might edid some places if i see wrong category or not enough info, but If i want to add whole new place, then maybe 1 from 10 is added (before each one was immediately added)

I understand that some part of work is manage by robots and it may takes some time to back my scores and numbers back. But i dont know what I can do or should do? Should I continue to add reviews of new places even are unvisible amd later will be visible? Or should I stop anything?

For many years I felt happy when people marked my reviews and pictures as useful or when I’ve got e-mails that a lot of people saw my added places. I felt like a part of something bigger. And now Im confused and sad and demotivated. I have dozens of new pictures and places to review, but dont know what to do.

I’ve filled out the form, but waiting ‘unknown how much’ for something they may not even tell me about is irritating.

My link is https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/109056930741066618147/

[Vanalai]

I’ve red suggestion that i should tag some moderator, @MashaPS could you help me?

[ErmesT]

Hi @Vanalai

Welcome to Connect and thank you for asking. I am trying to understand your issue (you actually have 296 hidden reviews).

While I cannot comment on the hidden reviews (we can’t see them), on the meantime I can see several issues on the visible ones.

I like that you are adding a great series of sculptures, but when you write a review you should consider that the meaning of a review is to write your feeling about the place, not a general description of the place itself. Some of your review is written like if you are the “owner” of the listing, or adding obvious information or info that are available in the web, while your “critics” of the place is frequently missing.

Also many of the reviews contains the same text “Currently, there are over 64 of them in the city, of which 54 should be in the city center. In the tourist information center you can buy a map with a list of Bachusiki or use the list in Google Maps - Bachusiki, Zielona Góra.”

Of course you can appeal for your hidden reviews individually (if you have a notification by Maps about each review) or all together in one shot by using the form shared in this post: An update on how we moderate Google Maps reviews but please make sure to fix the reviews first following the indication of the Maps user-generated content policy

[Vanalai]

Dear Ermest…

Thank you for answer, however I would loke to split something.

Yes, there are arround 60 reviews of sculptures in Zielona Góra, and other reviews.

Those sculptures reviews i know was wrong, and last week i tried to rewrite them, and after I start to do that, suddenly my profile went shadow. I read that if I re write those review, they will be automaticly visible, but they are not. Right now, many of those reviews are empty, no text, just rating with pictures, becasue I was tired. For last 2 years I like to check some sculptures-trails arround the cities, not only Zielona Góra. So when i travel to this city i tried to found all of those ‘Bachusik’ scupltres, and yes i write text what is it, if i like it, and information for other tourist who find 1 by some accident that they may search for more. I didnt know that in review i need to write “oh how beauty thise one is”, however some of them I gave 3 or 4 stars and write exaclt why, becasue far away from other, nothing special about enviromental etc so it was wasting of time to go there, and I think that is a good information about it and i add an url to list on google maps.

So yes, i found out that url was wrong and probably should be more different in text. So i start to edited them - started few, they become visible, other not, so i shorted text, again some visible, other not, I thought maybe to many editions in 1 day, so wait for nect day, again, few show up, other hidden,… Then I’ve decided to remove text at all from the rest but they are not visible anyway. I wonder, maybe I should remove text from each of this sculpture if this is a problem, but how this will be helpfull for readers? This is ridiculus. For example, when my friend told me about those Sculptures in Zielona Góra, he thought that there is maybe 10… Which I’ve found 60 in city… 3 of then I still try to add as a new places, Sculptures, but they are immediately rejected. (before almost each new add was immediately aproved).

And AFTER that problem when I start to check I saw that random other are unvisible, but I really try to write my experience, expecialy from restaurant or museum. Sometimes I include informarion that was important during visit and which you dont find on google search or website OR for example, my last visit of museum, I complain about museum on website offer audio-guide but it doesn’t work…

To be honest… Even if 296 is missing, it will take to long to find out which one from over my 7 years working need editing. If some are older than 2years,maybe should stay hidden. The problem is that EACH new review or even rating without text is invisible. That’s why my topic is named shadowbanned profile/account, not 1 or 2 review

You said ‘please make sure to fix the review’ BUT… I know only about my mistake in those sculptres reviews (circa 50),… I have no idea what about te rest of 240,… =(

[Vanalai]

Previously, it seemed right to me to describe my impressions accurately, including information that cannot be found on the website. This opinion received as many as 96 usefulness votes

[JustJake]

Hey @Vanalai , this situation would be frustration for anyone. I would say that you should keep making your edits and contributions while waiting for whatever magic happens when the ‘Form’ is filled out. It’s clear you take time to make quality reviews, and are learning how to better your contributions, so don’t stop!

Way back, there was a post on using a comparison feature in Google Docs to locate your hidden reviews. You can read it Here but the images in the post have now disappeared, so you’ll have to use your imagination until you work through the steps.

That said, it’s much easier for someone to use this method when they have only a couple hundred reviews, it may take you quite a while to even scroll to the bottom of your full review list. I used the process and had some success. This was before the 2023 Hidden Reviews Disaster that we’re still dealing with, so I could at least find the rationale behind the decision.

The prolific LG/GS/CM, @MortenCopenhagen wrote an entire series on staying on the right side of the (Google) law called How to Get In and Out of Trouble with some great tips.

Also, many of us use the Hidden Photo and Hidden Review tools in @AdamGT 's Top 100 System (link to registration) - which is also where the data comes from for the various monthly Top 100 Leaderboards posts.

Keep your head up, you’re doing great!

[Vanalai]

@JustJake thank you information, I’m gona check those links that you mentioned when get a little more free time.

I started this topic over a month ago and situation has been changed for better after I took some activity on my profile. Maybe I should write some summary as well.

[JustJake]

A month ago?!? I thought we were still in June . Glad to hear things have worked themselves out. @Vanalai

[G_Aang]

Hi!

Seems like my account has been shadow-banned for every single review I posted ever since 2 days ago. May I check why is that the case? Is @MashaPS able to assist or advise on this?

[MashaPS]

Hi @G_Aang ,

If you have unpublished reviews, which you believe follow the Maps policies, please fill out this form. We will forward your request to the responsible teams to look into your account. If your contributions follow the policies, they will be reinstated. Please keep in mind that this may take some time, and we will not be able to share the results with you.

For more information about this topic, please see this article.