Reddit Karma Explained: What It Is, How It Works, and Why It Matters
Karma is Reddit’s reputation signal. It’s not a “currency”, but it affects how people (and many communities) perceive your account. If you’re new, the fastest way to gain karma is to post helpful comments in relevant subreddits and avoid repetitive or promotional behavior.
- What is karma? A score based on upvotes/downvotes on your posts and comments.
- Why it matters? Many subreddits use it as a trust signal for posting/commenting.
- How to earn it? Helpful comments + community-fit posts, consistently over time.
On this page
What karma is (plain English)
Karma is a reputation-like score built from how the community votes on your contributions. Upvotes generally increase karma and downvotes generally decrease it. Karma helps other users (and many communities) quickly estimate whether an account participates in good faith.
Post karma vs comment karma
Earned when your comments get upvoted. This is usually the fastest path for new accounts.
Earned when your posts get upvoted. This often requires better timing, formatting, and community fit.
Why some subreddits require karma
Many subreddits use minimum karma/age requirements to reduce spam and low-quality drive-by posting. If your posts get removed automatically, you may be hitting filters. Start here: Post Removed by AutoModerator: Reasons + Fixes.
How to earn karma (safe checklist)
- Pick 3–5 subreddits you genuinely understand.
- Read rules and top posts from the last 7–30 days.
- Comment first (helpful answers beat hot takes).
- Write specifics: examples, steps, context.
- Post discussion-first content (questions, experiments, lessons learned).
- Stay consistent (a little every day beats big bursts).
- If removed: fix formatting/flair, don’t repost blindly.
What to avoid
- Copy/paste comments across multiple threads
- Posting the same link repeatedly
- High volume in short windows (looks automated)
- Any form of vote manipulation
- Write one strong comment per thread
- Summarize value in the post itself
- Slow down after warnings
- Ask mods when unsure
Next step
Read next: Why Your Reddit Post Is Not Showing (Top Causes + Fix Checklist).
FAQ
How much karma do I need to post?
It depends on the subreddit. Some have no minimum, others use filters. Always check local rules and pinned posts.
Is karma 1 upvote = 1 point?
Not exactly. Reddit uses internal scoring logic; focus on quality and consistency instead of chasing numbers.
What’s the fastest way for new accounts?
Helpful comments in relevant subreddits + discussion-first posts. Avoid repetition and aggressive promotion.