What Is Reddit Karma ? The Short Answer
Reddit karma is a score that represents how much other Reddit users have upvoted your posts and comments. Every time someone clicks the up arrow on something you shared, you earn one point of karma. Downvotes subtract points.
Think of it as a rough reputation score. It doesn’t unlock secret features, but many subreddits use karma thresholds to limit who can post or comment. Without enough karma, your contributions may be automatically removed.
How Do You Actually Get Karma?
You earn karma in two ways:
- Post karma: When you submit a link, image, or text post to a subreddit, and people upvote it.
- Comment karma: When you reply to someone else’s post or comment, and people upvote your reply.
You cannot directly convert one type into the other. A user with 10,000 post karma but only 50 comment karma has a very different profile than someone with balanced karma.
Why Karma Matters (And Where It Doesn’t)
Karma matters most for access. Many large subreddits like r/funny, r/pics, or r/wallstreetbets automatically remove posts or comments from accounts with low karma. This is their way of filtering out bots and brand-new users.
Karma matters less for quality. A high karma number does not mean your content is good or that you are a trusted member of a specific community. Subreddit moderators care more about your visible comment history and whether you follow Reddit rules.
Outside of Reddit, karma is essentially meaningless. No employer, advertiser, or platform cares about it.
Comment Karma vs Post Karma: Which One Should You Focus On?
For a beginner, comment karma is often more useful than post karma. Here is why:
- Comment karma shows you can hold a conversation and follow subreddit norms.
- Mods reviewing your account will see actual interactions, not just a single popular post.
- It is easier to earn consistently because you can participate in many threads without needing a viral idea.
Post karma still has value, especially if you want to submit original content. Some subreddits require both types. But if you only have one popular post and nothing else, your profile looks thin.
A good goal for the first month is to build at least 100–200 comment karma in a few niche subreddents you actually care about.
Practical Example: Karma in a Real Subreddit
Let’s say you want to post in r/startups. You create a new account and immediately post a link to your blog. It gets removed in seconds.
Why? The subreddit’s automoderator requires accounts to be at least 30 days old and have 50+ comment karma. Your account has 0 comment karma and is 1 hour old.
Instead, you should:
1. Spend a week reading r/startups.
2. Find a thread asking for feedback on business ideas.
3. Leave a thoughtful, 3-sentence reply.
4. Do this 10–15 times over a few days.
After a week, you have 60 comment karma and a visible history of useful comments. Now your post stays visible.
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Karma (or Get You Banned)
- Posting links immediately. Most subreddits flag new accounts that post external links. Wait until you have some comment history.
- Copy-pasting the same comment. Reddit’s anti-spam systems detect duplicates. They will shadowban your account.
- Arguing with downvoters. If a comment gets negative, do not edit it to complain. That almost always attracts more downvotes.
- Ignoring subreddit rules . Every community has its own list. Read the sidebar before you post.
- Buying upvotes or karma. Reddit bans accounts caught using vote manipulation services. The karma is worthless if the account gets suspended.
Small Checklist for Building Karma Safely
- [ ] Read the rules of any subreddit before you post or comment.
- [ ] Find 3–5 subreddits about topics you genuinely know or enjoy.
- [ ] Sort by “new” and leave helpful replies on recent threads.
- [ ] Do not post external links for the first 2–3 weeks.
- [ ] Aim for at least 50 comment karma before attempting your first post.
- [ ] Review your account’s Reddit account setup to make sure your profile looks complete and legitimate.
Final Takeaway
Reddit karma is not a measure of your worth as a human being. It is a simple gatekeeping tool that Reddit communities use to maintain quality. Build it slowly by participating in discussions you actually care about. Focus on comment karma first. Follow the rules. Do not try to game the system.
If you take one thing away from this guide: real, helpful comments are worth more than any single viral post. They build the visible history that makes moderators trust you.
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FAQ
Q: What is the difference between post karma and comment karma?
A: Post karma comes from upvotes on posts you submit to subreddits. Comment karma comes from upvotes on your replies in comment threads. Both appear separately on your profile.
Q: How much karma do I need to post on Reddit?
A: It depends on the subreddit. Some require zero karma. Others require 50, 100, or even 500 comment karma. Check the sidebar or pinned posts of any subreddit you want to use.
Q: Can you lose karma?
A: Yes. When people downvote your posts or comments, you lose karma. You can also lose karma if moderators remove a post that had upvotes.
Q: Does buying a Reddit account with karma work?
A: It can give you an account with existing karma and history, but you must still warm up the account and follow the rules of each subreddit. Karma alone does not guarantee approval.
Q: Is it better to have high post karma or high comment karma?
A: For most beginners, comment karma is more useful because it shows you can interact properly in discussions. Many subreddits set comment karma minimums, not post karma minimums.
