Ghosted after a final round I thought went great. Normal?

Recruiter here, and I'm sorry because ghosting is inexcusable but common. What usually happens behind the scenes: a hiring freeze lands, headcount gets reallocated, an internal candidate surfaces, or they're slow-rolling a preferred candidate and keeping you as backup. Talking about start dates means nothing until you have a signed letter, managers get excited and forget candidates are waiting anxiously. Send one final note: warm, short, gives a deadline like "I have another process moving, would appreciate an update by Friday." That often unsticks things because it signals you're in demand. After that, mentally close the door and keep applying. Never stop your pipeline for one role, no matter how good it felt.