GitHub account suspended — is there any other way to recover my account?

[dyahnaylaamaliaputri-bit]

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Hi everyone,

My GitHub account was recently suspended with the message:

“Access to your account has been suspended due to a violation of our Terms of Service.”

I have already contacted GitHub Support through the reinstatement form and received a confirmation that my request was received. I am currently waiting for their response.

I understand that the GitHub Community cannot directly review or reinstate suspended accounts. I am only asking about other users' experiences.

Has anyone here experienced a similar situation? If so:

How long did it take for GitHub Support to respond?
Were you able to recover your account?
Is there any other official way to request a review or recover the account besides the reinstatement form?
Is there anything I should do while waiting for GitHub Support's response?

This account is important to me because I use it for my university coursework and software development projects.

Thank you for sharing your experience!

[sunmeat]

Hi @dyahnaylaamaliaputri-bit, I'm sorry you're dealing with this, especially with coursework depending on the account. You've already done the key step, which is submitting the reinstatement request. Here is general guidance on what to expect and what to do while you wait.

Note

I'm a community member, not GitHub staff, and I can't speak to your specific case or how long it will take. Only GitHub Support can review and reinstate a suspended account.

1. Response time and outcomes

• GitHub doesn't publish a guaranteed turnaround for reinstatement reviews. Waits vary with ticket volume and the complexity of the case, so a response can take days or longer.
• Outcomes vary. Some accounts are reinstated, and others remain suspended depending on the review. The reinstatement form is the official route, and there is no separate faster channel.
• Check your inbox and spam/junk folders (including the email address on the suspended account) for replies from GitHub Support, since responses arrive by email.

2. Is there another official route?

For suspensions, the reinstatement/appeal form you already used is the official path. Contacting Support through other channels will not speed up the review.

Warning

• Don't open duplicate tickets. Multiple requests for the same issue can slow things down or confuse the review.
• Don't create a new account to work around the suspension. Evading a suspension violates GitHub's terms and can make your situation worse.
• Don't ask other users to contact staff on your behalf or post personal details about the case publicly.

3. What you can do while waiting

1. Reply on your existing ticket (not a new one) if you have relevant context to add. Keep it factual and concise, for example:

   Hello GitHub Support,
   
   I'm following up on my reinstatement request for the account <username>.
   I use this account for university coursework and personal software projects.
   I'd appreciate a review of the suspension, and I'm happy to provide any
   additional information that would help.
   
   Thank you for your time.
   

2. Review the rules so you can speak to them in your appeal if asked: [GitHub Terms of Service](https://github.com/proxy/docs.github.com/en/site-policy/github-terms/github-terms-of-service) and the [Acceptable Use Policies](https://github.com/proxy/docs.github.com/en/site-policy/acceptable-use-policies/github-acceptable-use-policies).

3. Protect your work. If you have local clones of your repositories, back them up. Avoid relying on the suspended account as the only copy of anything important.

4. Tell your instructor if a deadline is at risk. Submitting work through your university's LMS, or sharing a zipped copy of your local project, is a reasonable temporary fallback.

5. Be patient with follow-ups. Replying on the same ticket every day doesn't speed things up.

References

• [GitHub Terms of Service](https://github.com/proxy/docs.github.com/en/site-policy/github-terms/github-terms-of-service)
• [GitHub Acceptable Use Policies](https://github.com/proxy/docs.github.com/en/site-policy/acceptable-use-policies/github-acceptable-use-policies)
• [GitHub Support](https://github.com/proxy/support.github.com/)

If other community members have been through a reinstatement review, they're welcome to share their experience. Good luck, and I hope you hear back soon.