X Adds a New Tool to Help Users Check If Their Account Is Shadow Banned

X has rolled out Under the Hood, an official tool that lets eligible users see whether visibility-limiting labels have been applied to their account or individual posts. The company introduced it on August 13, 2026, alongside a much larger release of the open-source code behind its For You recommendation algorithm, and expanded it to all eligible users on September 19.

This is the closest thing to an official X shadowban checker the platform has ever offered. Here's exactly what it shows, how to use it, and where its limits are.

What Is X's Under the Hood Tool?

Under the Hood lets users download aggregate data covering the previous calendar month, showing whether moderation or visibility-related labels, including spam classifications, were applied to their account or posts. X has been careful with its wording here. In its announcement, the company avoided the word "shadowban" and described the feature as letting users "see the labels applied to your account and posts." That phrasing gap matters: X maintains it doesn't shadowban under its own definition of the term, even though it has acknowledged visibility-limiting practices that fit the broader, commonly used definition since as far back as 2018.

Who Can Use the X Shadowban Checker?

Two requirements apply. Your account needs to be at least one year old, and you need to have posted at least 10 times during the previous month. When Under the Hood first launched in August, it was limited to a randomly selected group of test accounts meeting those criteria. As of September 19, X expanded access to all eligible users, so meeting the two requirements above is now generally enough to use it, rather than depending on being selected for a test group.

How to Check If You're Shadowbanned on X

Using the tool takes a few steps:

• Go to the official Under the Hood page, accessible directly at x.com/i/under_the_hood or through your account's settings
• If you see only an explanation with no download option, your account doesn't currently have access
• If you see a "View Report" or download button, your account qualifies
• Download the report, provided as a JSON file, a structured data format rather than a simple plain-language summary

That JSON format is worth knowing about before you check. It's not a simple yes-or-no answer on a clean screen. It's a dense data file that most users will find difficult to interpret without some technical background or a third-party tool built to parse it.

Under the Hood Now Shows Legal Withholding Requests Too

The September 19 update added a significant new category of data: legal withholding requests. Previously, Under the Hood only showed labels tied to X's own moderation systems, like spam classifications. Now it can also show when a government or legal authority has requested that specific content be withheld in a particular country. For users concerned about government-driven censorship rather than algorithmic downranking, this update gives them something concrete to check rather than relying on speculation.

What Under the Hood Can't Tell You

Despite the added transparency, the tool has real limits. X's recommendation and moderation systems weigh a complex mix of signals to decide which posts appear in the For You timeline and search results. Under the Hood can confirm whether certain visibility-limiting labels exist on your account or posts, but it can't explain the full reasoning behind a drop in reach if no specific label was applied. If your engagement has fallen and Under the Hood shows a clean report, the tool simply can't tell you why, since plenty of reach changes come from ordinary algorithmic ranking rather than a moderation label at all.

It's also worth noting the report only covers the previous calendar month and reflects historical, not real-time, data. If you want to know your status right now, you're still looking at a snapshot of what already happened, not a live indicator.

Why This Matters for X's Transparency Push

Under the Hood arrived alongside X open-sourcing a significantly larger portion of its ranking algorithm code, published on GitHub, reportedly 10 to 15 times larger than the company's previous code release in 2023. Together, these moves respond directly to years of user complaints, and occasional allegations from public figures, that X was suppressing specific accounts or viewpoints without disclosure. Giving users concrete data they can check themselves, rather than relying entirely on the company's word, makes it meaningfully harder for any platform to quietly limit an account's reach without users having a way to find out.

Should You Check Your Own X Account?

If you post regularly and meet the two eligibility requirements, there's little downside to checking. At worst, you learn nothing new. At best, you get concrete evidence of a specific restriction you can review, and potentially appeal, rather than simply suspecting it. If you see a government withholding request you disagree with, you now have an official record of it to reference or share. Just go in with realistic expectations: Under the Hood confirms specific labels, it doesn't explain every dip in your reach.