How to Post on Reddit

November 8, 2024 7:46 AM

I am new to reddit and my posts to subgroups keeping getting deleted with no reason. Can you please explain and provide tips? I also emailed the mods.
posted by TRUELOTUS to Technology (10 answers total)

Some groups limit post for people with low karma. There should be a removal notice. Wait for the mods.
posted by Ferrari328 at 7:49 AM on November 8, 2024 [3 favorites]

Yeah, with a new account, it's best to spend a little time upvoting stuff and making friendly/helpful comments on a sub before making new posts. Rules and procedures can vary pretty widely, but especially smaller close-knit communities don't really like rando newbs showing up to post stuff that may be very well worn there. Make sure to find the sidebar and read it! This can be mostly invisible on mobile, so make sure to look on a desktop/laptop as well. Also note that many/most subs have near twins, so check those out too. E.g. The popular and maddeningly bro-y /r/marijuanaenthusiasts is all about trees. This is because r/trees was there first, and it is for cannabis discussion. Haha get it? But other tree subs include r/arboriculture/, r/sfwtrees, r/forestry, etc. If you feel like posting the subs (or even types of subs) in question you might get more specifically useful advice.
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:00 AM on November 8, 2024 [5 favorites]

Many/most subs have rules about who can/cannot post, what forms those posts can take, allowed language, etc. etc. It's possible you have been unknowingly violating those rules. Many subs require you joining the sub before you can post.

Are these new posts, or replies to existing threads?
posted by Thorzdad at 8:49 AM on November 8, 2024 [1 favorite]

Just want to add that depending on the sub, the moderators can delete you randomly, and even when you ask why, won't necessarily tell you. I asked some questions in a sailing sub because I'm writing a novel and wanted some expert input. This harmless question was immediately deleted, and when I wrote to a moderator and asked why (and noted that I'd seen other such questions on the sub) I got no response.
posted by gigondas at 10:10 AM on November 8, 2024

I mod two subs and the biggest reason I remove posts is that they break the rules. I don't always explain the exact details of why, but I do try to pick the right reason from the small list we made a long time ago. So, make sure you have read the rules in detail. Some people claim they cannot see the rules. Well, stop using the app or whatever is not letting you see those rules if that is true.

Even if you did read the rules, did you search the sub to see if the same things is posted all the time? The sub for my state gets at least one question per day about things to do and "must sees" for tourists. I'd be limiting those if I was the mod. Lastly, many subs have auto mods set to remove posts from new accounts. This is so much more common with all the election troll posts. I'll bet it will get better in a week or so, then bad again in January around the inauguration.

Keep reading, search if you have a question, and eventually you will build up enough karma.
posted by soelo at 1:29 PM on November 8, 2024 [2 favorites]

Ultimately it depends on the subreddit, but the broad strokes are like what other comments have already said.

I highly suggest searching for posts similar to yours. Very often this is the cause of post removal. Search broadly and not just for the exact wording you would use. If there are weekly threads for common questions, use those to comment. Don't just comment with your question though. Try responding to other people in those threads with helpful responses that demonstrate your familiarity with the subject matter. Comments like that will usually get you upvotes, and thus karma, and help you get above any minimum karma thresholds moderators may have set.

Also, find the sidebar and read everything you can. Some subreddits have names that are misleading and the sidebar can help you figure out when you're lost or misunderstood what the subreddit is about.

Lastly, you might just have extremely niche interests in highly gate kept subjects or those moderators may just be clique-ish jerks. Try branching out to other more generic subreddits too and then working your way back toward the ones you started with.
posted by Nec_variat_lux_fracta_colorem at 3:55 PM on November 8, 2024 [1 favorite]

One more thought: you didn't mention if you were posting from a computer or a phone.

If you're on a phone, the app you're on may not make the sidebar obvious. If that's the case, figure out where it is and READ it, because like others have mentioned, it's got important info there.
posted by stormyteal at 7:59 PM on November 8, 2024

Have you spent some time reading the subreddit to get a feel for it? I spend a lot of time on a smallish / niche subreddit, and while it's actually super friendly to newbies, a lot of posts get deleted when people come crashing in without paying attention to what's going on.
posted by maleficent at 7:45 AM on November 9, 2024

A lot of subreddits also have account age limits to reduce trolls and bots.
posted by slidell at 10:36 AM on November 9, 2024

Ever since the Reddit administration killed off a lot of the apps and tools that helped moderators manage active subreddits, a lot of the remaining mods retreated to a low-effort brute force moderation style. Without the tools, it's just too much work to caretake and curate the way they used to, so they set up an auto-moderator bot to enforce simple blanket rules, or make snap decisions when they would have been more involved before. If you've just joined Reddit, keep in mind that you're looking at a lot of people who lost a bitter war.
posted by Harvey Kilobit at 5:34 AM on November 10, 2024