How to read subreddit rules before you post

Every community on Reddit has rules, and almost every removal comes from breaking one. But reading rules isn’t just reading a list. There’s a quick method that catches most problems before they happen. It takes about ten minutes.

Where to find the rules

Rules usually live in a few places. Check all of them.

• The sidebar or About section. On the website it’s on the right side. On the phone app, tap the community name and look for “About” or “Rules”.
• Pinned posts. At the top of the feed, there’s often a post from the moderators that adds detail.
• The wiki. Some communities have one, with longer explanations and FAQs.
• Post flair guides. If flair is required, there may be a note about which to choose.
• The “submit” page. Some communities show their rules when you try to post.

Read the written rules properly

Don’t skim. Go through each rule and ask what it means for you.

Look for words like:

• “No self-promotion” or “no advertising”. Check if it means no mentions at all, or no links, or only in a certain thread.
• “Must be related to…”. Is your post really about this topic?
• “No low-effort posts”. What counts as low effort here?
• “No links to…”. Some ban links to certain sites, or any links at all.
• “Account must be X days old” or “minimum karma”. These often appear as part of an automatic rule.
• “Search before posting”. This is a sign the same questions get asked a lot.

If a rule isn’t clear, don’t guess. Ask in modmail.

Then read the unwritten rules

This is the part people skip. Every community has habits that aren’t on the list. You learn them by watching.

Spend a few minutes on each of these:

1. Sort by Top for the past year. What do people love here?
2. Sort by New. What do normal posts look like? How fast do they get answers?
3. Look at the comments. What gets upvoted? What gets downvoted? What do the moderators write?
4. Look for removed posts, if you can see them. Notice what they have in common.
5. Check the tone. Is it casual, serious, funny, technical? Match it.

You’ll often spot a pattern that no rule mentions. For example, “everyone writes in full sentences and cites sources”, or “photos are required”.

A ten-minute checklist

Use this before posting anywhere new.

• I read every written rule
• I read the pinned posts
• I looked at the Top posts of the past year
• I looked at 20 or so recent posts
• I know whether links are allowed
• I know what the community says about self-promotion
• I know if there’s a required flair or format
• I checked that my account meets any age or karma limits
• My post fits what this community is about

If you can tick them all, go ahead. If not, don’t post yet.

How to spot a community that won’t welcome you

Some places are a poor fit for what you want to do. Warning signs:

• A rule that says no promotion of any kind, with no exceptions.
• A large number of removed posts and angry moderator comments.
• Posts that look like yours getting downvoted heavily.
• A habit of calling out marketers.

That doesn’t mean you can never take part. You can still answer questions, help people and build a name. You just shouldn’t try to sell there.

What to do if rules are strict but you still want to take part

Contribute without promoting. It’s a lot easier than it sounds.

• Answer questions fully.
• Share what you know.
• Keep your profile up to date so people can click on it if they’re curious.
• Wait to be asked. If someone asks “what do you use?”, you can answer, with a note about your connection.

Plenty of businesses get customers from communities that ban promotion, simply by being the person who gives the best answers.

Rules change, so check again

Moderators update rules, add new ones and change how they enforce them. Re-read the rules every month or two, and any time you notice something odd, like a new pinned post.

If your post has been removed, here’s what to do. And if you’re still choosing where to be active, our guide on finding the right subreddits can help.