You want to stop manually removing spam posts and repetitive questions in your subreddit. That’s what this guide covers: setting up Reddit’s AutoModerator bot so it handles the boring moderation work for you. This is a practical walkthrough—not a reference dump of every possible YAML rule.
Before you start: what you actually need
AutoModerator is not a separate bot you invite. It’s a script that runs inside your subreddit’s configuration. To edit it, you need:
- Moderator permissions: You must have the “config” permission in the subreddit (full permissions work too).
- A subreddit with at least one mod: The config page won’t appear for subreddits without moderators.
- Basic familiarity with YAML: You’ll write rules in plain text with indentation. It’s forgiving, but indentation matters.
Step 1: Find the config page
Go to your subreddit and navigate to:
https://www.reddit.com/r/YOURSUBNAME/about/automoderator
If you have the right permissions, you’ll see a large text editor with an “Edit” button. If you see a 403 or a “page not found” error, check your permissions first. Many new moderators assume AutoModerator is broken when they simply lack the “config” permission.
Step 2: Learn the anatomy of a rule
A rule has two parts: the condition (what triggers it) and the action (what happens). Here’s a very basic rule that removes posts from accounts younger than 3 days:
type: submission
author:
account_age: "< 3 days"
action: remove
action_reason: "Account too young"
That’s it. type tells it what to check, author is the condition, and action says what to do. The action_reason is a short note that appears in your mod log, so you know why it was removed.
Step 3: Write three practical rules
Let’s build a small, functional rule set. Start with a removal rule for obvious spam, a filter rule for content that needs human review, and a comment reply rule for new users.
Rule 1: Remove posts with link shorteners
type: submission
domain: [bit.ly, tinyurl.com, t.co, goo.gl]
action: remove
action_reason: "Link shortener used"
Rule 2: Filter posts with certain keywords for manual review
type: submission
title (includes): ["free crypto", "get rich", "guaranteed profit"]
action: filter
action_reason: "Potential scam keyword"
Filtering is safer than removal. The post is held in the mod queue, and you can approve it if it’s actually fine.
Rule 3: Reply to first-time posters
type: submission
author:
combined_karma: "< 10"
comment: |
Welcome to the sub! Your post has been approved. Please read the rules
before posting again.
comment_stickied: true
Stickied comments help new users see the reply without it getting buried.
Step 4: Test and check the mod log
After saving your config, Reddit will tell you if the YAML is valid. If it says “saved successfully,” you’re good. If it shows an error, it will point to the line where the problem is.
To test, create a test post from an alternate account (or ask another mod to do it). Check the mod log by going to your subreddit and clicking “Mod Log” in the mod tools. You’ll see each rule trigger with the action_reason you wrote.
Step 5: Fix common failures
AutoModerator is reliable, but it’s also literal. Here are the most common issues:
- Rule not firing: Check your syntax. A missing colon or extra space can break a rule.
- Rule fires too much: Your regex or keyword list is too broad. Review the
action_reasonentries in your mod log to see what’s being caught. - Rule doesn’t apply to edits: By default, AutoModerator doesn’t re-check edited posts or comments. If you need it to, add
is_edited: trueto the rule. - Moderator bypass: By default, AutoModerator ignores actions from moderators (unless
moderators_exempt: falseis set). This is usually what you want, but it can confuse testing.
Practical example: a founder subreddit setup
Let’s walk through a real scenario. You moderate r/StartupFeedback. You’re tired of removing crypto scam posts and low-effort “rate my app” posts with no context.
Here’s a small config that works:
# Remove link shorteners
type: submission
domain: [bit.ly, tinyurl.com, t.co]
action: remove
action_reason: "Shortened link"
# Filter common scam keywords for manual review
type: submission
title (includes): ["get rich", "defi", "pump", "guaranteed returns"]
action: filter
action_reason: "Possible scam"
# Flag low-context feedback requests
type: submission
title (regex): "rate my (app|startup|idea)"
action: filter
action_reason: "Needs more context"
The third rule uses regex (title (regex)) to catch variations of “rate my app,” “rate my startup,” etc. It filters them so you can approve the ones that include enough detail.
Checklist before you go live
- [ ] Confirm you have the “config” permission.
- [ ] Start with 2–3 rules, not 20.
- [ ] Use
filterfor uncertain cases,removeonly for clear violations. - [ ] Write a unique
action_reasonfor every rule. - [ ] Test with a low-karma account (your main account won’t trigger most rules).
- [ ] Check the mod log after testing to confirm each rule fires.
Practical takeaway
AutoModerator is not a set-and-forget system. It’s a filter you tune over time. Start small, check your mod log weekly, and add rules only when you see a pattern. If you’re setting up a subreddit from scratch, this how to reddit automoderator guide gives you a working foundation in under 20 minutes.
If your rules are fine but posts are still disappearing, the issue might be outside your config. A Reddit post not showing can also be caused by site-wide spam filters or account-level restrictions. AutoModerator removed post is only one of several possible causes.
Keep your config simple, document your rules in the mod notes, and always prefer filter over remove until you’re sure about the edge cases. That’s the whole game.
FAQ
Q: How do I access AutoModerator for my subreddit?
A: Go to https://www.reddit.com/r/YOURSUBNAME/about/automoderator. You need the “config” moderator permission. If you don’t see the editor, check your permissions first.
Q: Why is my AutoModerator rule not working?
A: Usually it’s a YAML syntax issue—a missing colon, wrong indentation, or a typo in the field name. Reddit will show a parse error when you save. If it saves fine but doesn’t trigger, check your type and condition fields. Also confirm you’re not testing from a moderator account, since mods are exempt by default.
Q: What’s the difference between remove and filter?
A: remove deletes the post or comment immediately. filter holds it in the mod queue for human review. Use filter when you’re unsure, and remove only for clear violations like spam links or hate speech.
Q: Can AutoModerator reply to users?
A: Yes. Use the comment field in a rule to post a reply. You can also set comment_stickied: true to pin the comment to the top of the thread.
Q: Does AutoModerator work on comments too?
A: Yes. Set type: comment instead of type: submission to apply rules to comments. You can also use type: any to cover both.
