# How much karma do you need to post on Reddit?

Canonical: https://postmesh.app/blog/reddit-karma-requirements

By PostMesh team. Published 2026-10-31; updated 2026-10-31.

There's no single number. Reddit says some communities require a certain amount of karma before you can post, each community's moderators set that bar, and Reddit doesn't disclose the exact thresholds; if you fall short, the Poster Eligibility Guide that appears when you select Create a post tells you which of the community's karma, account age and email criteria you miss.

## The short answer

Reddit doesn't publish one karma number that lets you post everywhere. Its help page [What is karma?](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/204511829-What-is-karma) says some communities require a certain amount of karma before they let you post, as a way to keep spam out. Those requirements belong to each community and are set by its moderators, so one community may let a brand-new account post while the one next to it wants months of history.

You also can't look the numbers up. Reddit's [Poster Eligibility Guide page](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/35317229808660-Post-Check-Poster-Eligibility-Guide) says the specific karma and account age thresholds communities use aren't disclosed, to deter misuse. What Reddit does show you is whether you meet them. Use this table to work out which case you're in, then jump to the section that fixes it.

| What you see | Most likely cause | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A message when you tap Create a post saying you can't post yet | You don't meet the community's karma, account age or email criteria | Read which criteria you miss, then build that kind of karma or wait |
| Your post went up but you can't find it | The community sorts by Hot, so new posts sit low | Sort the community by New before assuming it was removed |
| Your post vanished soon after posting | A rule, a filter or a moderator removed it | Check the rules, then send mod mail if you think it was a mistake |
| Posts and comments across Reddit don't show up for others | Your account may be flagged for spam or inauthentic activity | Use Reddit's appeal form while logged in |
| Nothing works anywhere on Reddit | Reddit may be having an incident | Check Reddit's status page and try again later |

**What happened when you tried to post in the community?**
- Reddit told me I can't post here yet → You're missing a karma, account age or verified email criterion. Read the Poster Eligibility Guide's list and fix the one you miss.
- It posted, then I couldn't find it → Sort by New first. If it's still missing, read the rules and message the mods.
- It was removed with a reason → Fix what the rule asks for, such as flair or format, and post again once.
- None of my posts show anywhere → Your account may be flagged for spam. Submit Reddit's appeal form while logged in.

*Start with what you actually saw. Each case has a different fix.*

## What is Reddit karma?

Karma is Reddit's running reflection of how people have received what you post. Reddit's help center describes it as a reflection of the upvotes and downvotes you get on your posts and comments: as people upvote your content, your karma goes up. You earn it by joining communities you care about and posting or commenting things people want to upvote.

### Post karma and comment karma

Your karma has two parts. Post karma comes from votes on the posts you submit, and comment karma comes from votes on your comments. Reddit shows both on your profile, and communities can set a minimum for either one, or for the two added together. That's why someone with lots of comment karma can still be blocked from posting in a community that only counts post karma.

### Why karma isn't one point per upvote

Reddit says plainly that upvotes and karma don't have a one-to-one relationship, because karma is only an approximate reflection of votes. So 50 upvotes on a post won't necessarily add exactly 50 karma. Don't try to calculate your way to a threshold. Treat karma as a rough signal that grows as people find your contributions useful, which is how Reddit itself frames it.

### How do I see how much karma I have?

1. **On reddit.com**: Click your avatar in the top right corner, then View Profile. Your total karma is in the profile card on the right. Hover over it to see post karma and comment karma separately.
2. **In the iOS or Android app**: Open your profile page and tap the About tab. You'll see the breakdown of post and comment karma there.

Reddit on the web: Your avatar › View Profile › Profile card › Hover over total karma

*The split between post and comment karma only shows when you hover over the total.*

While you're on your profile, note your account age too. Reddit's [cake day page](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205242215-What-is-my-cake-day) says reddit.com shows Reddit Age in your profile card, and hovering over it gives the exact date and year your account was created. The app shows your account age, but you need a desktop browser for the exact date. Account age is the second thing many communities check.

## Is there a minimum karma to post on Reddit?

Not one that Reddit publishes for the whole site. The minimums you run into come from two places, and it helps to know which one you hit.

### Community minimums, set by moderators

Most karma requirements are community rules. Reddit's [overview of content moderation](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/23511059871252-Content-Moderation-Enforcement-and-Appeals) explains that each community, or subreddit, has its own rules created and enforced by its moderators, on top of Reddit's sitewide rules. Moderators use tools such as AutoModerator to turn a karma or account age minimum into an automatic check. You can't tell from the outside which communities have set one, so the only way to know is to check each community you want to post in.

### Reddit's own spam filter for new accounts

There's also a sitewide limit that has nothing to do with any one community's rules. Reddit's page [Why can't I see my post?](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360045989712-Why-can-t-I-see-my-post) says there's a limit to how often users can post and comment in a community, to prevent spammers. If you're brand new and don't have much karma yet, you may hit this spam filter, and the same can happen when you're new to a community that's especially sensitive to spam. Reddit's advice: even earning a small amount of karma by commenting on another post within that community can help you get past it.

> Reddit doesn't publish how often a new account may post before the spam filter steps in. If someone quotes you an exact number of posts per hour, they're guessing.

## Why won't Reddit tell you a community's exact karma requirement?

Because spammers would use it. Reddit's help page for the Poster Eligibility Guide says the specific karma and account age thresholds communities use aren't disclosed at this time to deter potential misuse. If a spammer knew a community wanted exactly 100 comment karma, they could build accounts to that exact number and stop. Keeping the number private makes the bar harder to game.

That has a practical consequence for you: lists online that claim to show each subreddit's karma minimum can't be checked against anything official. Moderators can also change their settings whenever they like, and Reddit says its eligibility evaluation refreshes every six hours to pick up changes to AutoModerator rules. A number that was right last month may be wrong today. The eligibility check on Reddit itself is the only source that reflects the current rules.

Some communities do write their minimum in their rules or sidebar anyway. When they do, take it as the moderators' statement of intent, and still trust the eligibility check when it disagrees, since that reads the live configuration.

## How do I check if I can post in a community?

Reddit built a tool for exactly this. The Poster Eligibility Guide is a pop-up that appears when you select Create a post in a community where you don't yet meet the minimum criteria. It tells you why you can't post and what you can do about it. You don't need to turn anything on: Reddit says no action is needed from you, and communities can't opt out of it at this time.

1. Open the community you want to post in.
2. Select Create a post.
3. If the Poster Eligibility Guide appears, read which criteria you meet and which you don't.
4. Work on the missing criterion: post karma, comment karma, account age or a verified email.
5. Come back later and try Create a post again.

*If no guide appears, nothing in the community's eligibility rules is blocking you.*

### What the guide tells you

Per Reddit's help center, when you check your eligibility you see three groups of results: the karma criteria you meet and don't meet, the account age criteria you meet and don't meet, and the account verification criteria you meet and don't meet. The possible reasons it gives for not being able to post are account age, karma restrictions, and not having a verified email address. It won't show the number you need, only whether you're above or below it.

### What the guide checks behind the scenes

Reddit's [moderator version of the same page](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/33702751586836-Poster-Eligibility-Guide-Post-Check) explains that the guide reads each community's AutoModerator settings and compares you against these criteria:

| Criterion | What it compares |
| --- | --- |
| Comment karma | Your total comment karma against what the community needs |
| Post karma | Your total post karma against what the community needs |
| Combined karma | Your post and comment karma added together |
| Comment subreddit karma | Comment karma you earned inside that community only |
| Account age | How old your account is against the community's minimum |
| Verified email | Whether you have a verified email address, if the community requires one |
| Approved submitter | Approved submitters and moderators never see the guide |

The guide blocks posting unless you meet every criterion the community has set. It only acts on rules that moderators set to remove a post immediately.

### Why you can pass the check and still get filtered

Passing the guide isn't a guarantee. Reddit says the Poster Eligibility Guide won't act on AutoModerator rules whose action is set to filter rather than remove. A filtered post is held for moderators to review instead of going live. So if a community filters low-karma accounts, the guide stays quiet, you post, and your post waits in the moderators' queue. Other tools covered below, like Crowd Control and the reputation filter, can also hold a post the guide never mentioned.

### Post Check is a different tool

You may also see Post Check. Reddit describes it as an experiment that uses a large language model to review your draft against the community's rules when you select Post, then highlights rules your post might break and suggests changes. It doesn't stop you from posting, it can make mistakes in both directions, and it only checks community rules, not Reddit's sitewide rules. Treat it as a second pair of eyes, not a verdict. Reddit says it's up to the moderators to interpret their own rules.

## What kinds of karma can a community require?

Reddit's [full AutoModerator documentation](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/52866343172500-Full-automoderator-documentation) lists the threshold checks moderators can write. Knowing them tells you what you might be measured on, even when you can't see the number.

| Check | What it measures | Floor Reddit notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| comment_karma | Your sitewide comment karma | Can't go below -100 |
| post_karma | Your sitewide post karma | Can't go below 0 |
| combined_karma | Post and comment karma together | Can't go below -100 |
| comment_subreddit_karma | Comment karma earned in that community | Can't go below -100 |
| post_subreddit_karma | Post karma earned in that community | Can't go below 0 |
| combined_subreddit_karma | Both kinds earned in that community | Can't go below -100 |
| account_age | Age of your account, in minutes up to years | Defaults to days |
| has_verified_email | A verified email address or a phone number | Yes or no |

### Sitewide karma versus community karma

The checks ending in subreddit_karma only count karma you earned inside that one community. Ten thousand karma from elsewhere doesn't help if a community requires 5 karma earned with them and you've never commented there. That's how an established account can still be blocked in a community it's new to.

**Sitewide karma**
- Counts votes from every community
- Shown on your profile
- Checked by comment_karma, post_karma and combined_karma
- Grows anywhere you participate

**Community karma**
- Counts votes from one community only
- Not shown as a single number on your profile
- Checked by the subreddit_karma checks
- Grows only by participating in that community

*A high total doesn't help if a community only counts karma earned there.*

### Account age

account_age compares how long ago your account was created with the community's minimum. Moderators can write it in minutes, hours, days, weeks, months or years, so a rule might say 60 hours or 3 months. There's nothing to do about account age except wait, which is why it's worth creating an account well before you need to post somewhere strict. If you're still choosing a name, our [Reddit username generator](/tools/reddit-username-generator) gives you ideas to start from.

### A verified email address

The has_verified_email check passes if you have a verified email address or a phone number on the account. If you signed up without an email, Reddit's [guide to adding one](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/14569265059860-How-do-I-register-or-add-my-email-to-my-Reddit-account) explains how, and Reddit then emails you a link to verify it.

1. **On reddit.com**: Open your Account Settings and click Email address under the General section.
2. **In the app**: Tap your avatar to go to your profile, open the menu near the top right, choose Settings, tap your username under Account Settings, then select Add email address under Basic Settings.
3. **Verify it**: Open the email Reddit sends and use the link to verify your address.

Reddit's page on [why you should verify an email](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043047552-Why-should-I-verify-my-Reddit-account-with-an-email-address) adds that verifying with a common, trusted email domain, such as Gmail, Apple, Hotmail, Outlook or Yahoo, is one way to signal that you're likely to use Reddit in good faith. It also lets you reset your password if you forget it.

### All criteria or any one of them

By default, when a moderator combines karma and age checks in one AutoModerator rule, all of them must be met for the rule to trigger. A moderator can set satisfy_any_threshold to true, and then one matching check is enough. Here's a worked example of why that matters. Say a rule filters accounts with less than 10 post karma and less than 30 days of age. With the default, only accounts that are both low on post karma and younger than 30 days get filtered, so an old account with little karma gets through. With satisfy_any_threshold turned on, failing either check is enough to be filtered. You can't see which way a community set it, which is another reason to rely on the eligibility check rather than guesses.

Reddit's own help page on the Contributor Quality Score includes a sample rule that filters comments from accounts with less than 20 combined karma unless their quality score is high. That's an example to show moderators how the tool works, not a sitewide standard, but it shows how karma checks are often mixed with other signals.

## What else can hold my post even if I have enough karma?

Karma minimums are only one layer. Moderators can turn on safety filters that look at more than karma, and Reddit runs its own spam detection. Here's what each one does, so you can recognize it.

| Filter | Who turns it on | What it looks at | What you'll notice |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Poster Eligibility Guide | Automatic, from the community's AutoModerator removal rules | Karma, account age, verified email | A message before you can post |
| AutoModerator filter rules | Moderators | Karma, age, words, links and more | Your post is held in the mod queue for review |
| Crowd Control | Moderators | Community karma, account age, membership | Comments collapsed, posts held for review |
| Reputation filter | Moderators | Contributor Quality Score | Posts held for review |
| Sitewide spam filter | Reddit | How often you post, your karma, how new you are to the community | Posts or comments don't appear |

### Contributor Quality Score

Reddit gives every account a [Contributor Quality Score](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/19023371170196-What-is-the-Contributor-Quality-Score), a classification built to spot likely spammers and accounts less likely to contribute positively. It's based on signals including past actions taken on your account, network and location signals, and the steps you've taken to secure your account, such as verifying your email. Accounts land in one of five tiers: highest, high, moderate, low or lowest. Reddit says scores update regularly and you can move up or down based on your activity and behavior. You can't see your own tier.

### The reputation filter

Moderators can turn on the [reputation filter](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/27441485903124-Reputation-filter), which automatically filters content from users who may be spammers, are likely to have content removed, or have unestablished accounts. It's informed by the Contributor Quality Score, which uses karma, verification and other account signals. Moderators choose between moderate filtering and high filtering, and filtered content waits in their review queue.

### Crowd Control

[Crowd Control](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/15484545006996-Crowd-Control) is aimed at people who aren't trusted members of a community yet. For comments, moderators pick a level: moderate filtering catches accounts with negative community karma, high filtering adds new accounts, and maximum filtering adds people who haven't joined the community. Comments get collapsed or held. Crowd-controlled posts can't be collapsed, so they're held in the moderators' queue and stay invisible until a moderator approves them.

### Approved users skip the limits

Moderators can add people to an approved users list. Reddit's [approved users page](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/15484466715284-User-Management-approved-users) says that even in a public community, adding a trusted member to the list removes restrictions around how often they post or how new their account is. Private and restricted communities use the same list to decide who can view or post at all. If you have a real reason to post in a strict community, for example you're the person behind a project the community discusses, asking the moderators politely through mod mail is legitimate. They may say no.

### An account flagged for spam

If your posts, comments, chat messages and profile aren't showing up as expected across Reddit, not just in one community, Reddit says your account might have been flagged for spam or inauthentic activity. Its page [My account was flagged](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360045309012-My-account-was-flagged-for-spam-or-inauthentic-activity) says to log in to the affected account in a browser, go to the appeals page, and submit the form if you believe the flag was a mistake. Karma won't fix this one, and posting more can make it look worse.

## How do I find a community's rules?

Every community lists its rules in its sidebar. Reddit's page [What is the community sidebar?](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/28621482218260-What-is-the-community-sidebar) explains where to look on each platform, and Reddit encourages you to read it before you take part in a community for the first time.

### On reddit.com

The sidebar sits on the right of the screen when you open a community. It usually includes an About community section, user flair options, bookmarks to FAQs and wiki pages, a Rules section listing what is and isn't allowed, and the list of moderators, with a link to message them.

### In the Reddit app

On a phone, open the community, tap See more under its description, and go to the About tab. You'll find the description, Rules, resources, related subreddits and the moderators there.

Reddit app: Community page › See more › About tab › Rules

*Read the rules and any linked wiki before your first post in a community.*

### The rules that trip up new posters most

- Required flair. Moderators can make post flair mandatory, and Reddit's [post flair page](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/15484545678996-Post-Flair) notes the requirement only works when the community lets members assign flair. If you see flair options, pick one.
- Post type. Some communities only take text posts, or only links or images.
- Format. Reddit's help center notes that some communities have rules about how to format a post or what must be included, such as a tag in the title.
- Self-promotion. Reddit's [spam guidance for moderators](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/28012014962580-How-do-I-keep-spam-out-of-my-community) says promotional content isn't spam in itself, but some communities ban it outright and others follow a 10% rule: only 10% of your posts and comments in the community can be self-promotional.
- Karma or age minimums written in the rules. Some communities state them, many don't.

If you plan to share the same post in several communities, read each one's rules separately. Our guide on [cross-posting to multiple platforms](/blog/how-to-cross-post-to-multiple-platforms) covers adapting one post for different audiences, and the same thinking applies to different subreddits.

## How do I get karma on Reddit the right way?

Reddit's own advice is simple: don't set out to collect karma, set out to be a good contributor, and let karma follow. In practice that means a few habits that also happen to clear most community bars.

### Comment first, in the community you want to post in

Because some communities count only karma earned with them, the fastest legitimate route into a strict community is to join it and leave helpful comments for a while. Reddit says even a small amount of karma from commenting within a community can help you past the spam filter there. Answer questions you actually know about, add detail, and skip one-word replies.

### Start in communities that welcome new users

Reddit's karma page points new users to a list of new-user-friendly communities without high karma restrictions, kept by r/NewToReddit. Reddit is clear that r/NewToReddit is an unofficial community run by users, not by Reddit admins. It's still a useful place to learn how Reddit works and earn your first karma without hitting filters.

### Make posts people want to upvote

Reddit's page [What can I do to get my posts noticed?](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/204519249-What-can-I-do-to-get-my-posts-noticed) suggests three things: pick the community where your post is most relevant, follow its rules, and repost to other communities where it genuinely fits. A clear, specific title helps people decide to open your post, and our [Reddit title counter](/tools/reddit-title-counter) shows how much room you have left.

### Secure and verify your account

Verifying your email satisfies the has_verified_email check, and Reddit lists securing your account among the signals behind the Contributor Quality Score. It takes two minutes and helps with filters you can't see.

**Before your first post in a strict community**
- [ ] Verify your email address
- [ ] Read the rules in the sidebar or About tab
- [ ] Join the community and comment helpfully for a while
- [ ] Select Create a post and read any eligibility message
- [ ] Pick the required flair and the allowed post type
- [ ] Check your title fits and follows the format
- [ ] Post once, then sort by New to find it

*Each item matches a check or rule described above.*

## Can I buy karma or use karma farming?

Don't. Reddit's policy on [Disrupting Communities](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043066412-Disrupting-Communities) prohibits vote cheating or manipulation, whether manual or automated. It names creating multiple accounts, using voting services or automation to change vote counts, coordinated voting with a group of people or bots, and automated means to manipulate karma. The same policy treats creating or using another account to get around a community ban as ban evasion, so a fresh account is no way around a moderator's decision either.

Spam rules matter here as well. Reddit's moderator guidance lists repeatedly posting the same or similar comments in a thread, a community or across communities among the behaviors that may be considered spam and lead to removal or a ban. Copy-paste comments posted to farm karma fit that description.

### What happens if you're caught

Reddit says it decides on enforcement based on the type and severity of the violation and your history. For some violations, a user first receives a warning, then a 3-day ban, then a 7-day ban, then a permanent ban. Certain violations lead straight to a permanent ban. Reddit can also remove content, restrict privileges and restrict the creation of new accounts.

- First violation: Often a warning, depending on the rule and how serious it is
- Next violation: A 3-day ban
- After that: A 7-day ban
- Then: A permanent ban
- Serious cases: Some violations go straight to a permanent ban

*Reddit's described escalation for many rule violations. Your history counts.*

While an account is banned, Reddit's page on [banned accounts](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360045734511-My-account-was-banned-for-violating-Reddit-Rules) says you lose the ability to vote, post, comment, send chats, report content and create communities, among other things. A few weeks of honest commenting is a much better trade.

## What should I do if my post was removed anyway?

Work through these in order. Each one rules out a cause before you take the next step.

1. **Sort by New**: Most communities sort by Hot by default, which favors posts with the most upvotes. A brand-new post can be there and still out of sight. On reddit.com, pick New from the menu above the posts. In the app, tap the sort menu on the left and choose New.
2. **Look for a removal note**: Check the post and your inbox. Reddit's flair tools let moderators tag a post with a removal reason, so look at the post's flair as well as any comment or message from the mods.
3. **Reread the rules**: Check flair, post type, title format and any self-promotion limit. Fix the problem in a new post rather than arguing with the old one.
4. **Message the moderators**: If you think the removal was a mistake, send mod mail. On reddit.com, use Message the mods under the moderators section of the sidebar. In the app, open the community's menu and tap Message moderators.
5. **Check Reddit's status**: Reddit's help center suggests checking its status page in case there's an incident, and trying again once it's resolved.

### How to write mod mail that gets a reply

Reddit's [guide to contacting moderators](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043043792-How-do-I-contact-the-moderators-of-a-community) recommends mod mail over a direct chat, a clear and concise description of the issue, and patience, since it can take a while for moderators of a large community to respond. Their reply lands in your chat inbox marked MOD. Link the removed post, say which rule you think applied and what you changed, and ask one specific question, such as whether a text version would be allowed.

### Don't repost the same thing over and over

Reposting a removed post several times can look like spam to both moderators and Reddit's filters. Fix it, post once, and if it's removed again, ask before you try a third time.

### If the moderators won't budge

Reddit's page on [disputes with moderators](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205192355-How-can-I-resolve-a-dispute-with-a-moderator-or-moderator-team) says moderators are free to run their communities as they choose, as long as they follow the Reddit Rules and the Moderator Code of Conduct. If mod mail doesn't resolve it, Reddit suggests finding a similar community to take part in instead. A strict karma minimum isn't something Reddit will overrule. If you believe a moderator is actually breaking Reddit's rules, our guide on [how to report a subreddit](/blog/how-to-report-a-subreddit) covers the right channel.

## How does PostMesh handle Reddit community rules?

If you post to Reddit regularly, or alongside other networks, [PostMesh posts to Reddit](/platform/reddit) through Reddit's official API, to your profile or to a community you can post in, right away or scheduled up to 30 days ahead. Before it sends, it checks the community rules it can read: it shows the community's flairs, warns you if flair is required, and checks which post types the community allows.

It can't tell you a community's karma minimum, because Reddit doesn't disclose those thresholds to anyone. That part is still on you: meet the eligibility criteria first, then schedule.

| What happens | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| The community requires flair | Pick a flair in the Reddit options before posting |
| The community doesn't allow this type of post | Switch to a text or link post, or choose another community |
| The image didn't upload to Reddit | PostMesh sends the post as text instead. Check the image is JPEG, PNG or GIF under 20 MB |

Posts from PostMesh can be text, a link, or one image, with a title up to 300 characters and a body up to 40,000 characters. Video and image galleries aren't supported for Reddit yet. You can test a long body against that limit with the [Reddit post character counter](/tools/reddit-post-character-counter), or paste one caption into the [post checker](/tools/post-checker) to see how it fits every network at once. If you're weighing tools, our comparison of [a scheduler versus a management platform](/blog/social-media-scheduler-vs-management-platform) explains what each kind does, and [pricing](/pricing) lists the plans.

> Scheduling doesn't change how Reddit treats a post. The same karma minimums, filters and spam limits apply whether you post by hand or through an app, so a post scheduled into a community you don't qualify for will still be blocked or filtered.

## What to do next

If you're blocked right now, open the community, select Create a post and read exactly which criterion you miss. If it's community karma, comment helpfully there for a while. If it's account age, give it time and build karma in welcoming communities meanwhile. If it's email, verify it today. Then read the rules once more before your first post, so the karma you earned isn't wasted on a removal for missing flair.

Reddit is also only one place your posts can quietly fail to appear. If you post on X as well, our [X shadowban test](/blog/x-shadowban-test) explains how to check whether your reach is limited there, and [why your Facebook post isn't posting](/blog/why-cant-i-post-on-facebook) covers the same problem on Facebook. For limits across every network in one place, see our [social media character limits](/blog/social-media-character-limits) guide, and if you share one post in several places, read whether [cross-posting hurts engagement](/blog/does-cross-posting-hurt-engagement) before you do.

## Questions

### Do you need karma to comment on Reddit?

Not everywhere, but communities can set comment requirements too, and Crowd Control can collapse comments from accounts with negative community karma or new accounts. Commenting is usually the easiest way to start earning karma.

### How much karma do you need to post on Reddit as a new user?

It depends on the community. Many have no minimum, some do, and Reddit doesn't disclose the exact thresholds, so check with Create a post in each one.

### Can I see the exact karma a subreddit requires?

Only if the moderators write it in their rules. Reddit's Poster Eligibility Guide shows whether you meet the criteria but not the numbers, to deter misuse.

### Does karma from one subreddit count in another?

Your sitewide karma counts everywhere a community checks total karma. Checks that use community karma only count what you earned inside that community.

### Why does my post disappear right after I submit it?

A filter or AutoModerator rule may have removed or held it, or Reddit's spam filter may have caught a new account. Sort by New, read the rules, then message the moderators.

### Does deleting a downvoted post give me karma back?

Reddit's help pages don't say how deleting content affects karma, so don't count on it. Focus on contributions people upvote instead.

### Is it against Reddit's rules to buy karma or upvotes?

Yes. Reddit prohibits vote manipulation, including voting services, multiple accounts and automated means to manipulate karma.

### How long does it take to get enough karma to post?

There's no set time because each community's bar is different and hidden. Account age minimums also mean some communities require waiting no matter how much karma you have.

### Can moderators let me post without the karma?

Yes. Moderators can add you as an approved user, which removes restrictions on how often you post or how new your account is. Ask politely through mod mail.

### Does PostMesh check karma requirements before posting to Reddit?

No, because Reddit doesn't disclose them. PostMesh checks required flair and allowed post types, and shows each community's flairs before you post.

## Sources

- [Reddit Help: What is karma?](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/204511829-What-is-karma)

- [Reddit Help: Post Check & Poster Eligibility Guide](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/35317229808660-Post-Check-Poster-Eligibility-Guide)

- [Reddit Help: Poster Eligibility Guide & Post Check (moderators)](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/33702751586836-Poster-Eligibility-Guide-Post-Check)

- [Reddit Help: Full automoderator documentation](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/52866343172500-Full-automoderator-documentation)

- [Reddit Help: Why can't I see my post?](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360045989712-Why-can-t-I-see-my-post)

- [Reddit Help: What is the Contributor Quality Score?](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/19023371170196-What-is-the-Contributor-Quality-Score)

- [Reddit Help: Reputation filter](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/27441485903124-Reputation-filter)

- [Reddit Help: Crowd Control](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/15484545006996-Crowd-Control)

- [Reddit Help: User Management, approved users](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/15484466715284-User-Management-approved-users)

- [Reddit Help: My account was flagged for spam or inauthentic activity](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360045309012-My-account-was-flagged-for-spam-or-inauthentic-activity)

- [Reddit Help: What is the community sidebar?](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/28621482218260-What-is-the-community-sidebar)

- [Reddit Help: Post Flair](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/15484545678996-Post-Flair)

- [Reddit Help: How do I keep spam out of my community?](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/28012014962580-How-do-I-keep-spam-out-of-my-community)

- [Reddit Help: What is my cake day?](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205242215-What-is-my-cake-day)

- [Reddit Help: How do I register or add my email to my Reddit account?](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/14569265059860-How-do-I-register-or-add-my-email-to-my-Reddit-account)

- [Reddit Help: Why should I verify my Reddit account with an email address?](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043047552-Why-should-I-verify-my-Reddit-account-with-an-email-address)

- [Reddit Help: What can I do to get my posts noticed?](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/204519249-What-can-I-do-to-get-my-posts-noticed)

- [Reddit Help: Disrupting Communities](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043066412-Disrupting-Communities)

- [Reddit Help: Content Moderation, Enforcement, and Appeals](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/23511059871252-Content-Moderation-Enforcement-and-Appeals)

- [Reddit Help: My account was banned for violating Reddit Rules](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360045734511-My-account-was-banned-for-violating-Reddit-Rules)

- [Reddit Help: How do I contact the moderators of a community?](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043043792-How-do-I-contact-the-moderators-of-a-community)

- [Reddit Help: How can I resolve a dispute with a moderator or moderator team?](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205192355-How-can-I-resolve-a-dispute-with-a-moderator-or-moderator-team)