Rule 1: never break baseline by more than 5× in a week
If the account gained 100 followers organically last week, don't push more than 500 paid this week. The algorithm reads ratios, not absolute numbers.
Rule 2: match velocity to platform
Instagram tolerates 1–2% daily follower growth on warmed accounts; TikTok tolerates 3–5%; YouTube subs are nearly irrelevant in 2026 (watch time isn't). Use the planner to set platform-aware caps.
Rule 3: don't dilute engagement
Adding 10k bot followers to a 5k organic account doesn't 'help' — it tanks your engagement rate, signals fraud to the algorithm, and tells real users you're inflated. If you must add followers, add proportional fake engagement too.
Rule 4: leave 30 days between bursts
After any large push, give the account at least 30 days of zero paid activity. Lets metrics normalize, lets the algorithm re-classify the account, lets any shadowban quietly lift.