Anyone had any luck getting their Squidoo lenses 'unlocked'?

15 years ago

You can request a manual (real live person) review of your lenses. If they pass, they'll be whitelisted and unlocked. It should be somewhere on the dashboard.

- Nightowl

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Stay At Home Mum

15 years ago

Thanks Nightowl - yes I have sent an email and am awaiting their reply.

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Jeremy Kelsall

15 years ago

Their idea of "spam" anymore is simply having affiliate links...

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2 replies

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Stay At Home Mum

15 years ago

Hi Jeremy - thanks for your reply. All the links in my lenses (and there are only 1 or 2 on each lens) are actually domains - dot info and dot com which are redirected and masked to the sales pages of the sites I have been promoting.

So not sure if they are clamping down on these types of links too??

Thanks
1 reply

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Joanne Greco

15 years ago

A stock market lens that I had for over a year was shut down. When I asked why, they unlocked it and said what triggered it (it was automatic) was that someone used the word 'forex' in a comment.

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Jeremy Kelsall

15 years ago

Seriously, In my opinion Squidoo isn't even worth taking the time to log into anymore.

MARKETERS gave them all the content that they needed to gain favor with the search engines, now they treat us like garbage?

Let all the grandmothers of the world fill their site with content on knitting sweaters or something and see how they like their adsense check then.

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sbucciarel

Banned 15 years ago

Originally Posted by Jeremy Kelsall

Seriously, In my opinion Squidoo isn't even worth taking the time to log into anymore.

MARKETERS gave them all the content that they needed to gain favor with the search engines, now they treat us like garbage?

Let all the grandmothers of the world fill their site with content on knitting sweaters or something and see how they like their adsense check then.

I agree. Glad I never put too much into Squidoo now, but I did have lenses and when all this crap started, I just went in and deleted them all. Adios Squidoo.

Thanks

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warfore

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Jeremy Kelsall

Seriously, In my opinion Squidoo isn't even worth taking the time to log into anymore.

MARKETERS gave them all the content that they needed to gain favor with the search engines, now they treat us like garbage?

Let all the grandmothers of the world fill their site with content on knitting sweaters or something and see how they like their adsense check then.

Agree. I've pretty much washed my hands of Squidoo. I have lenses that are more than 24 months old and they are all locked.

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cclou

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Jeremy Kelsall

Their idea of "spam" anymore is simply having affiliate links...

That is not true at all. You can have as many affiliate links to Amazon as an affiliate as you want--you don't even have to use their modules. You can also have up to 9 affiliate links to Clickbank on a single lens, but not to all of the products. They have recently changes topics you can create lenses on, so everyone should check the SquidDon't before wasting time creating a new lens. Their spam filter is on the overly-sensitive side right now (my husband had to change the phrase poker games to playing card games on a lens that had nothing to do with gambling--it would have passed review but why waste time?).

I'm not saying that everyone should use Squidoo or that you should do that instead of having your own sites (I have plenty of both), but Squidoo is quite lenient with affiliate links as long as the topics are ok. I sold an HDTV from one of my 20 minute lenses yesterday.

Here's the link to SquidDon't and here's one to the Updated Policy. Read both of these before you build a lens.

Thanks
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Stay At Home Mum

15 years ago

Originally Posted by cclou

That is not true at all. You can have as many affiliate links to Amazon as an affiliate as you want--you don't even have to use their modules. You can also have up to 9 affiliate links to Clickbank on a single lens, but not to all of the products. They have recently changes topics you can create lenses on, so everyone should check the SquidDon't before wasting time creating a new lens. Their spam filter is on the overly-sensitive side right now (my husband had to change the phrase poker games to playing card games on a lens that had nothing to do with gambling--it would have passed review but why waste time?).

I'm not saying that everyone should use Squidoo or that you should do that instead of having your own sites (I have plenty of both), but Squidoo is quite lenient with affiliate links as long as the topics are ok. I sold an HDTV from one of my 20 minute lenses yesterday.

Here's the link to SquidDon't and here's one to the Updated Policy. Read both of these before you build a lens.

Hi CClou

Thanksfor your comments. The thing is I have read both of these documents - particularly before creating my lenses. This is why this does not make sense.

Thanks
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TheOldRanger

15 years ago

Wellll, I'll tell ya...this thread has given me a new view on using Squidoo---as in I won't use it for the foreseeable future...

I've read PotPieGirl's guide to making a Squidoo lens. It's one of the best how-to's about ANYTHING that I've come across, and it initially fired me up about making a lens...flash-forward to now, and I've seen quite a few 'horror stories' about lenses being locked for various ticky-tack reasons, and now having read this thread, I think that I'll take a pass on Squidoo, thank you very much...

Now, some of you might say I'm being a bit hasty in my judgment---not so...I 've only been a member here for a short while, and I have learned much from the Warriors, from the most senior of them to folks who are virtual 'newbies' same as myself...and when they say they smell a rat, I tend to listen...I've read the 'Squid-Don't' list, and also read the new lens policy very thoroughly---some of it makes sense, and some of it comes across as pure bulldirkey...

I echo the sentiments of those who say don't put your eggs in one basket, and I also hope that HubPages doesn't go all 'rules-ish'---I REALLY like how they have their stuff set up, and the rules they DO have in place are not draconian and easy to follow...if Squidoo did what they did to clear their decks of scam artists and folks who are trying to 'get over' on somebody, then more power to them...but as others have stated, they need to re-evaluate a few things about this new policy, and quit locking lenses like it's going out of style...I'm sure the current brouhaha was not what Seth Godin had in mind when Squidoo was first 'born', but it seems to have strayed badly from his vision...

Thanks
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rainyclayday

15 years ago

Since you have gone to the trouble of making content for your Squidoo lenses, you should just go ahead and put up a simple website or blog and then just copy your content over. That way your work won't be wasted.

ETA: Now that I'm thinking about it, I suppose if they are locked you can't get into them to get your content can you?

Thanks
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cimbah

15 years ago

I bought One Week Marketing a few weeks before the clamp down at Squidoo. I put up four lenses all dealing with solar power, but I haven't done anything else at Squidoo since their policy changes. I just checked on the lenses to see if they're still open and they are.

Right after Squidoo announced they were making changes, I copied all the content from my lenses and put them on some Blogger blogs just in case they got locked.

I don't bother with Squidoo any more. I have my own sites and I'd rather work on those than spend time building up someone else's sites.

Thanks
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Stay At Home Mum

15 years ago

Originally Posted by cimbah

I bought One Week Marketing a few weeks before the clamp down at Squidoo. I put up four lenses all dealing with solar power, but I haven't done anything else at Squidoo since their policy changes. I just checked on the lenses to see if they're still open and they are.

Right after Squidoo announced they were making changes, I copied all the content from my lenses and put them on some Blogger blogs just in case they got locked.

I don't bother with Squidoo any more. I have my own sites and I'd rather work on those than spend time building up someone else's sites.

Yes I will be doing this - putting all the content somewhere else. The other disappointing factor is the whole reason I purchased OWM was to do a review on it for others that come to my own site - I gues I can only put forward my experiences.

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Stay At Home Mum

15 years ago

Originally Posted by rainyclayday

Since you have gone to the trouble of making content for your Squidoo lenses, you should just go ahead and put up a simple website or blog and then just copy your content over. That way your work won't be wasted.

ETA: Now that I'm thinking about it, I suppose if they are locked you can't get into them to get your content can you?

Thanks, yes you are right once they are locked you can't get to them. But I always make copies of my work so I will do just exactly as you have said - put them on my own websites. I make copies of everything because you just never know ...

Thanks

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Nightowl

15 years ago

There have been a lot of complaints about locked lenses lately. I think the system needs some fine-tuning.

- Nightowl

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1 reply

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Stay At Home Mum

15 years ago

Just thought I would give an update on my 26 lenses being locked and 5 accounts being deleted. I received an email from Squidoo today -

"Squidoo doesn't endorse third-party marketing guides such as Pot Pie Girl's guides. Nor can we guarantee that the information these guides contain is in line with our TOS. The lens topics you've written about are specifically not allowed on Squidoo"

The topics I have written about are to do with womens issues such as morning sickness and bacterial vaginosis, along with solar energy and hemorrhoids.

I am very disappointed at this - it appears that they have rules for some and not for others from what I have read elsewhere on similar people's experiences.

At first I got really upset because I have just wasted alot of time and effort on producing really good work - but I'm just grateful that I don't rely on other sites only - and that I have my own sites up and running independently.

Lesson learned - avoid free sites because they dictate everything to do with your content - you have no control whatsoever.

Sorry for rating!

I now have more work to do!

Thanks
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tomw

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Stay At Home Mum

The topics I have written about are to do with womens issues such as morning sickness and bacterial vaginosis, along with solar energy and hemorrhoids.

I am very disappointed at this - it appears that they have rules for some and not for others from what I have read elsewhere on similar people's experiences.

Hi Liz,

if you read some of the topics now on the Squidont list, you have to be honest and admit that they could very easily (and obviously have been) classified as no longer acceptable.

I've cut and pasted the information from Squidont for you and for the benefit of anyone else that may be interested.

Tom

------------------------------------------

The biggest offenders in the spam world, and topics that aren't okay on Squidoo, are:

--Pharmaceutical, drug, and diet aid reviews and diet pill sales. (Examples: Viagra, Hoodia Gordoni, Penis Enlargement pills, **** berry etc) Plus whatever the latest miracle cure drink happens to be, and affiliate/salesy lenses thereof.

--Yes, weight loss and dieting lenses are far more often spam than good--especially when they're selling something, or promoting an affiliate site. **** berry reviews have earned a rotten reputation elsewhere on the web, for example, and that's seeping into Squidoo as well.

--Ebooks and affiliate programs for "medical cures." This means yeast infections, PE, snoring, hair loss, augmentations, asthma miracle cures, etc. Of course we hope all our visitors are in good health, and we'd love to rid the world of toe nail fungus, too. but 99 times out of 100, lenses about ebooks and affiliate programs selling medical cures are awfully scammy...

--Likewise for help with my love life. If getting my ex back (who might be gone for a reason) requires paying $29.99 for a PDF, I have to say no.

--Affiliate lenses promoting other affiliate programs. Go figure. (For example, the Yuwie affiliate network has been spamming Squidoo with the same content, thousands of pages a week, for a while. So, they've earned their way onto our SquidDon't list. If you've got a Yuwie lens, chances are it will get shut down. Sorry).

--Gambling lenses. (Yeah, that means you, TexasHoldem lenses. And most poker lenses. We'll probably overcorrect heavily on these, and can't guarantee that we can move swiftly to unlock false positives. Your best bet is just to stay away from gambling and lottery lenses or the topic in general).

--Dealing with credit card debt, cash gifting, envelope stuffing, mortgages, currency trading, Forex, Regenesis, etc. There's a clear way to make good stuff on this topic, but alas, most people just make spambait on it.

--Hate lenses. Sure, you can give negative reviews. But spewing hate at a person crosses the line, and if we get contacted about them we might lock them. Think happy thoughts.
.
--Ringtones lenses. Free (and so-called legal) movie download lenses. Free Mp3 download lenses. Yikes. These exploded in the last year, and we've never seen ONE that's worth anyone's time. Really.

--Illegal Adult lenses. Child pornography, anyone? No.

--Lyrics lenses. Be careful. We're getting swamped by these, and most of the time they are junky, copied and pasted, and have serious copyright issues. If you have an entire account dedicated to lyrics lenses, make sure you're adding a significant amount of personal review and curation, quoting correctly, and don't steal from someone else on the web.

--Traffic exchange, PTC, banner ad sites, and other advertising or artificial traffic boosting systems. Not only are these not allowed, using them to promote your lens may be a violation of our TOS.

--Promotion of and reference to illegal activities, such as drug use, hacking, etc.

--Promotion of activities that could be harmful to health, such as encouraging readers to become anorexic or induce a miscarriage.

--And a few that are harder to generalize, but obvious when we see them. That means even if they're not listed here, if we agree, they're out.

------------------------------------------

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Mmfh 15 years ago

It takes some time but If you build lenses for information and not use any links or very few and build lenses until you make it to the giant squid status than you can do whatever you want.

From what I've heard GiantSquids can do pretty much whatever they want.

Mm
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Allurre

15 years ago

Well, it's not about avoiding FREE sites, but how cleverly you skirt their system.

Try stay under radar, never try push your limits, and you shouldn't have a probelm.

Thanks

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PrettyJenny

15 years ago

I have got no success in getting my lenses unlocked. So far most of my lenses on Squidoo has been locked. Not any of them are on the SquiDon't list. I have given up on Squidoo.

I have been warned before by other internet marketers that Squidoo is not worth anything any more. Now I learn my lesson. I really feel for you, now let's get back to work. I'm just afraid some day Hubpages will start the same thing

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Stay At Home Mum

15 years ago

Originally Posted by PrettyJenny

I have got no success in getting my lenses unlocked. So far most of my lenses on Squidoo has been locked. Not any of them are on the SquiDon't list. I have given up on Squidoo.

I have been warned before by other internet marketers that Squidoo is not worth anything any more. Now I learn my lesson. I really feel for you, now let's get back to work. I'm just afraid some day Hubpages will start the same thing

Thankyou! I feel you are so right. None of my lenses break any TOS either - I am just glad I do have my own sites as well and haven't totally relied on Squidoo.

Life goes on hey - and I shall get up brush myself off and move forward - without Squidoo!

Thanks

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LilBlackDress

15 years ago

My lenses were locked about a week after making them. These lenses took quite a bit of time and I also spent time trying to get them indexed.

After an appeal they were unlocked. They also encouraged me to make more lenses.

They finally showed up in the search engines as "locked lenses", disappeared and have not reappeared in Google even though they are now unlocked. Happily I only made a couple lenses.

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Gail Sober

15 years ago

I just went through this the other day.

Here's the email I received after requesting it be unlocked

Thanks for writing in. Your lens was flagged for containing a keyword on our SquidDon't list, and placed under review. Squidoo : Lens Generally, these kinds of lenses are really spammy. So much so that they're on our list of SquidDon't topics: SquidDon't! NEWSFLASH! A Squidoo Policy Update But here's the thing. We've looked at your lens and feel it has potential. We can see you've put effort into it, and as long as it continues to contain minimum to no affiliate links, and stays away from content we've totally blacklisted, we're willing to let you keep it for now. So, we're willing to clear your lens. However, it may end up getting caught in our spam filter each time you publish. If you can prove to us that each time you publish your lens, it passes our hand-review quality check, after a time we may greenlight it for good, which means it shouldn't get caught in our spam filter again. But, if we feel it's slipping, we may end up locking it, and probably for good. Here are our SquidDon't policies one more time: SquidDon't! NEWSFLASH! A Squidoo Policy Update With millions of great ways to use Squidoo, and really only a few topics we don't allow, we're confident you'll find topics you're truly passionate about. (And if you're not sure your updates will pass muster, we recommend starting over with a new topic.) Thanks! The SquidTeam

It's an older lens, been rated over 100 times and 100% promotional for a clickbank product and been responsible for thousands in commissions. I'm actually surprised they unlocked it but I'm glad they did though it may not be as effective any more because I really cleaned up the affiliate links in it. We'll see.

On the flip side, I won't be building any more.

Edited: Used quote code instead of bold code in the email above. doh.

Thanks
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Stay At Home Mum 15 years ago

As I have mentioned I have read the TOS for Squidoo - still don't understand why the lenses were locked and complete accounts deleted as there are no mentions of any cures on any lens - they are simply full of good helpful information that don't require you to spend any money.

I have just done a search on Squidoo to see the kinds of lenses people are making on the topics I originally wrote about - there is absolutely no difference. There are lenses about the topics I have chosen - so this does not make sense - why are those lenses allowed and not mine. And what about solar energy? Since when is this a spam topic?

The last thing I will say on this is that it it is very obvious there are rules for some on Squidoo and not for others - which is very disappointing.

Any way I am ready to move on form this experience because the more time I waste on it the less time I have for my other sites I actually own.

Thanks for everyones replies.
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asupport

15 years ago

I had some lenses of mine locked. They were create back in 2007 and did not violate their TOS. I contacted squidoo, lenses are still locked.

I loved Squidoo, but with their recent behavior they have lost credibility.

In my eyes Squidoo is dead fo rmarketing and honestly..... that is what was Squidoo was all about (including their amazon module, ebay module...)

They do no teven acept lyric lenses anymore.

Well, may be they should write their own content.

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Chris Parker

15 years ago

With these automated screening tools, they should have a que for the locked posts go into for real person verification. This would probably save a lot of headache on their end and if you don't check them often, this would avoid lengthy downtime. Just an idea...

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Colin Palfrey

15 years ago

I only have 1 locked lens but I have no idea why. I asked them but they ignored me.

I had the lens up for about a month trying to help people with promoting clickbank and I had NO click able links anywhere in it. That was fine with them until I decided to add a free software download for people. I only did it because another warrior said they were looking for a piece of software and I had giveaway rights so I thought "what the hell."

I told them I had rights to the software but if they preferred I'd remove the link but they just ignored me. "Locked"

It was a crap lens anyway in all honesty but in no way a scam, and in no way profitable to me.

As I told Squidoo, they have someone on a serious power trip down there. I hope they have that pole removed from their arse soon.

Just noticed the lens in question is still in my Sig.lol

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wirelessgeek

15 years ago

Best I can tell you is to make sure your Squidoo Lenses follow their guidelines to the letter and submit them for review. There has been recent trouble with their Spam filters; we were having a big discussion about it over on the Squidu forum. Good luck.

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FriendlyRob

15 years ago

First, I have to say, I hate Squidoo! I pretty much just use it for backlinks now.

Now that I have gotten that off my chest.

They locked about half of my 20 or so lenses. I requested a manual review of each one and they were all unlocked. However, they warned me that every time I try to update them, they will again be locked and I will have to request a manual review.

After a few rounds of that nonsense, my lenses will then be Whitelisted and not be locked anymore. One of my locked lenses was, "Advice for first-time cruisers", since when is going on a cruise, spam?

I guess squidoo can create their own rules.

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Stay At Home Mum

15 years ago

Originally Posted by FriendlyRob

First, I have to say, I hate Squidoo! I pretty much just use it for backlinks now.

Now that I have gotten that off my chest.

They locked about half of my 20 or so lenses. I requested a manual review of each one and they were all unlocked. However, they warned me that every time I try to update them, they will again be locked and I will have to request a manual review.

After a few rounds of that nonsense, my lenses will then be Whitelisted and not be locked anymore. One of my locked lenses was, "Advice for first-time cruisers", since when is going on a cruise, spam?

I guess squidoo can create their own rules.

I did ask for that review also - and apparently they were able to manually review all 26 lenses in less than 24 hours - speed reading I guess. LOL

They are only kicking themselves in the foot as far as I can see - especially as so many people have had problems with the same issue. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact I had opted out of all ads on my lenses - less revenue for them in that way I guess.

I think we are all better off without them and focussing on sites who do appreciate good content.

Thanks

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UKTim29

15 years ago

Haha

"--Ebooks and affiliate programs for "medical cures." This means yeast infections, PE, snoring, hair loss, augmentations, asthma miracle cures, etc. Of course we hope all our visitors are in good health, and we'd love to rid the world of toe nail fungus, too. but 99 times out of 100, lenses about ebooks and affiliate programs selling medical cures are awfully scammy...

--Likewise for help with my love life. If getting my ex back (who might be gone for a reason) requires paying $29.99 for a PDF, I have to say no."

Looks like that they basically mean anything from ClickBank lol!

Thanks

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Anyone had any luck getting their Squidoo lenses 'unlocked'?

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