"Low views means the algorithm buried me" — often wrong

"Low views means the algorithm buried me" — often wrong
Word going around is creators blaming a "shadowban" for any soft launch. Sources say true suppression is rare; weak packaging is common.
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The correction: the system seeds nearly every video to a small test pool. If CTR and retention in that pool are weak, distribution simply stops widening. That's not punishment — that's the test failing.
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Real shadowbans usually tie to a strike or policy flag you can see.
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What does this mean for a channel like yours? Before blaming the algorithm, check your impressions CTR against your channel average. Confidence: high.