Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Each community is shaped by its own rules, enforced by moderators, and you are asked to follow them
Reddit says every community is defined by its users and that some users help manage it as moderators. A community's culture is shaped explicitly by the community rules that moderators enforce and implicitly by upvotes, downvotes and discussion. You are asked to abide by the rules of communities you take part in and not to interfere with communities you are not a member of.
Supporting quotations
Some of these users help manage the community as moderators.
by the community rules enforced by moderators
Please abide by the rules of communities in which you participate and do not interfere with those in which you are not a member.
Qualifications & exceptions
The abide and do-not-interfere sentence is worded as a request ("Please"); consequences are described under Enforcement.
Not stated here
The text does not say how a community's own rules are published or what happens if they conflict with the platform-wide rules.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Rule 1: no harassment, bullying or violence threats; inciting violence or promoting hate is banned
Rule 1 says Reddit is a place for community and belonging and not for attacking marginalized or vulnerable groups. It says everyone has a right to use Reddit free of harassment, bullying and threats of violence. Communities and users that incite violence, or that promote hate based on identity or vulnerability, "will be banned". The rule links to separate policy pages on harassment and bullying, violent content and hate based on identity or vulnerability; their text appears in the later parts of this document.
Supporting quotations
Reddit is a place for creating community and belonging, not for attacking marginalized or vulnerable groups of people.
Communities and users that incite violence or that promote hate based on identity or vulnerability will be banned.
Qualifications & exceptions
The ban statement is phrased as "will be banned" for the two named conduct types (inciting violence, promoting hate based on identity or vulnerability); it does not say who decides or how.
Not stated here
The rule text itself does not define harassment, bullying, violence or hate; the linked policy pages supply those details.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Rule 2: follow community rules, participate authentically, and do not spam or disrupt communities
Rule 2 tells you to abide by community rules and to participate authentically in communities where you have a personal interest. It says not to spam, and not to engage in disruptive behaviors, including content manipulation, that interfere with Reddit communities. The words "spam" and "disruptive behaviors" link to separate policy pages whose text appears in later parts of this document.
Supporting quotations
Abide by community rules. Participate authentically in communities where you have a personal interest, and do not spam or engage in disruptive behaviors (including content manipulation) that interfere with Reddit communities.
Qualifications & exceptions
"Content manipulation" is given as an example inside the disruptive-behaviors prohibition ("including"), not as a separate rule.
Not stated here
The rule text does not itself define spam or disruptive behavior; the linked policy pages carry those details.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Rule 3: no instigating harassment with personal information, and no intimate media posted or threatened without consent
Rule 3 asks you to respect other people's privacy. It says instigating harassment, for example by revealing someone's personal or confidential information, is not allowed. Separately, you must never post, or threaten to post, intimate or sexually explicit media of someone without their consent. The links lead to separate policy pages on personal information and on intimate media that appear later in this document.
The personal-information prohibition is framed around instigating harassment, with revealing personal or confidential information given as an example ("for example"), not as an exhaustive description.
The intimate-media prohibition turns on lack of consent of the person shown.
Not stated here
The rule text does not define personal or confidential information or intimate media; the linked policy pages carry those details.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Rule 4: no sexual, abusive or suggestive content involving minors, and no predatory behavior toward a minor
Rule 4 says not to share, or encourage the sharing of, sexual, abusive or suggestive content involving minors. It adds that any predatory or inappropriate behavior involving a minor is also strictly prohibited. The words "sexual" and "abusive" link to separate policy pages that appear later in this document.
Supporting quotations
Do not share or encourage the sharing of sexual, abusive, or suggestive content involving minors.
Any predatory or inappropriate behavior involving a minor is also strictly prohibited.
Qualifications & exceptions
The first sentence covers sharing and encouraging the sharing of content; the second sentence separately covers behavior involving a minor.
Not stated here
The rule text does not define "suggestive" or "inappropriate"; the linked policy pages cover sexual and abusive content involving minors.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Rule 5: you need not use your real name, but do not intentionally mislead others or impersonate deceptively
Rule 5 asks you to be authentic. You do not have to use your real name, but you must not intentionally mislead others or impersonate an individual or entity in a deceptive manner. The words about misleading and impersonating link to separate policy pages that appear later in this document.
The impersonation prohibition is limited to impersonation "in a deceptive manner".
Not stated here
The rule text does not describe what counts as intentionally misleading; the linked policy pages carry those details.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Rule 6: properly label content and communities, particularly graphic, sexually explicit or offensive material
Rule 6 says to ensure people have predictable experiences on Reddit by properly labeling content and communities, particularly content that is graphic, sexually explicit or offensive. The rule does not say what labels are used or who must apply them; the enforcement list later mentions NSFW tags as a restriction Reddit may add to communities.
Supporting quotations
Ensure people have predictable experiences on Reddit by properly labeling content and communities, particularly content that is graphic, sexually-explicit, or offensive.
Qualifications & exceptions
The rule is worded as an obligation to label ("Ensure ... by properly labeling"), with graphic, sexually explicit and offensive content named as the particular focus ("particularly").
Not stated here
The rule text does not define the labels, the standards for "graphic" or "offensive", or who applies the labels.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Rule 7: do not post illegal content or solicit or facilitate illegal or prohibited transactions
Rule 7 says to keep it legal. You must not post illegal content, and you must not solicit or facilitate illegal or prohibited transactions. The words "illegal or prohibited transactions" link to a separate policy page that appears later in this document.
The transactions prohibition covers both soliciting and facilitating, and covers transactions that are illegal or that are prohibited (by Reddit).
Not stated here
The rule text does not say whose law decides what content is illegal.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Rule 8: do not break the site or interfere with normal use of Reddit
Rule 8 says not to break the site or do anything that interferes with normal use of Reddit. The words "break the site" link to a separate policy page that appears later in this document.
Supporting quotations
Don’t break the site or do anything that interferes with normal use of Reddit.
Not stated here
The rule text does not define what counts as breaking the site or interfering with normal use; the linked policy page carries those details.
Account & Service Control · Company practice
Reddit enforces its rules in a variety of ways that are not limited to the listed ones, including warnings
Reddit says it has a variety of ways of enforcing its rules, "including, but not limited to" the items on a list that follows. The first two items are asking you nicely, and then less nicely, to stop. The list is therefore examples of enforcement, not a complete set of what Reddit may do.
Supporting quotations
We have a variety of ways of enforcing our rules, including, but not limited to
Asking you nicely to knock it off
Asking you less nicely
Qualifications & exceptions
The list is introduced with "including, but not limited to", so the listed measures are not the only ones.
Not stated here
The text does not say which measure is used for which kind of violation or in what order.
Account & Service Control · Company practice
Enforcement can include suspending accounts, temporarily or permanently, and removing privileges or adding restrictions
Among the ways Reddit says it may enforce its rules are temporary or permanent suspension of accounts, and removal of privileges from, or adding restrictions to, accounts.
Supporting quotations
Temporary or permanent suspension of accounts
Removal of privileges from, or adding restrictions to, accounts
Qualifications & exceptions
Listed as examples within a non-exhaustive list of enforcement measures.
Not stated here
The list does not say what triggers a temporary versus a permanent suspension, or which privileges can be removed.
Account & Service Control · Company practice
Enforcement can include removing content, restricting communities (NSFW tags, Quarantining) and banning communities
Reddit says enforcement may also include adding restrictions to Reddit communities, such as adding NSFW tags or Quarantining, removing content, and banning Reddit communities. The Quarantining link leads to a separate policy page that appears later in this document.
Supporting quotations
Adding restrictions to Reddit communities, such as adding NSFW tags
Removal of content
Banning of Reddit communities
Qualifications & exceptions
Community restrictions are given as examples ("such as"), within a non-exhaustive list of enforcement measures.
Not stated here
The list does not say who decides a content removal or community ban, or what notice is given.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Harassment policy: do not bully, intimidate or target people or communities with abuse
The harassment policy reminds users that real people are behind usernames. It says not to engage in behavior that bullies, intimidates, or targets other people or communities with abuse. It prohibits behavior that crosses the line into targeted, severe or patterned abuse, including encouraging others to engage in abuse.
Supporting quotations
Do not engage in behavior that bullies, intimidates, or targets other people or communities with abuse.
we prohibit behavior that crosses the line into targeted, severe, or patterned abuse, including encouraging others to engage in abuse
Qualifications & exceptions
The prohibition is aimed at targeted, severe or patterned abuse; encouraging others to engage in abuse is included.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Harassment policy protects people from targeted abuse, not ideas or public figures from criticism
The policy says it is designed to protect people from targeted personal abuse, not to shield ideas, beliefs, organizations or public figures from criticism, even harsh criticism. Reddit says passionate debate and disagreement are a natural part of Reddit, and it is not against its rules to have a strong opinion, criticize someone's actions or downvote others' content.
Supporting quotations
This policy is designed to protect people from targeted personal abuse, not to shield ideas, beliefs, organizations, or public figures from criticism, even if it's harsh.
it’s not against our rules to have a strong opinion, criticize someone’s actions, or downvote others’ content
Qualifications & exceptions
This sentence sets the limit of the harassment prohibition: criticism of ideas, beliefs, organizations and public figures is not itself targeted abuse.
The limit is paired with the next sentence, which still prohibits targeted, severe or patterned abuse.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Singling out an individual or group for harassment is not allowed; the policy focuses on patterns and targeted actions
The policy says it is not allowed to single out an individual or group for harassment. It focuses on patterns of behavior and targeted actions, not just individual insults. The examples that follow are introduced with "includes, but is not limited to", so they are illustrations rather than a complete list.
Supporting quotations
It is not allowed to single out an individual or group for harassment. This policy focuses on patterns of behavior and targeted actions, not just individual insults. This includes, but is not limited to:
Qualifications & exceptions
The list that follows is not exhaustive ("includes, but is not limited to").
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Harassment includes severe personal attacks and targeting someone's vulnerabilities
The policy lists severe personal attacks, such as wishing or hoping for serious harm (for example death or severe illness) to fall on another person or using graphic insults to attack someone's dignity. It also lists targeting personal vulnerabilities, such as attacking someone on the basis of disclosed health conditions, past traumas, personal hardships or physical appearance.
Supporting quotations
Severe personal attacks, such as wishing or hoping for serious harm (e.g., death, severe illness) to fall upon another person, or using graphic insults to attack someone's dignity.
Targeting personal vulnerabilities, such as attacking someone on the basis of disclosed health conditions, past traumas, personal hardships, or physical appearance.
Qualifications & exceptions
Each item is given with "such as" examples; they are illustrations within a non-exhaustive list.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Harassment includes antagonizing communities, such as repeatedly trolling subreddits or undermining their purpose
The policy lists antagonizing communities as harassment. It says this could include repeatedly "trolling" subreddits with off-topic posts or undermining the purpose of the community.
Supporting quotations
Antagonizing communities, which could include repeatedly “trolling” subreddits with off-topic posts or undermining the purpose of the community.
Qualifications & exceptions
The wording is "could include", so the examples are not a defined limit.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Harassment includes sexualizing someone without consent and sending unsolicited sexual content
The policy lists sexualizing someone without their consent, sending unsolicited sexual content, or other unwanted sexualization as harassment.
Supporting quotations
Sexualizing someone without their consent, sending unsolicited sexual content, or other unwanted sexualization.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Harassment includes a sustained campaign of unwanted contact, such as following a user or creating abuse accounts
The policy lists a sustained campaign of unwanted contact as harassment, such as following a user across the platform to repeatedly antagonize them, or creating accounts specifically to abuse an individual.
Supporting quotations
A sustained campaign of unwanted contact, such as following a user across the platform to repeatedly antagonize them, or creating accounts specifically to abuse an individual.
Qualifications & exceptions
The examples are introduced with "such as" and are not a complete list.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Public figures can be criticized, but harassment campaigns against them or their family are not allowed
The policy notes that public figures may be subject to robust criticism and scrutiny related to their public role or persona. That does not permit harassment campaigns that directly target their family, compromise their personal safety, or incite serious harm upon them.
Supporting quotations
Public figures may be subject to robust criticism and scrutiny related to their public role or persona, but this does not permit harassment campaigns that directly target their family, compromise their personal safety, or incite serious harm upon them.
Qualifications & exceptions
The allowance covers criticism related to their public role or persona; the limit covers campaigns that target family, compromise personal safety or incite serious harm.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Harassment examples: wishing someone dies, piling on a post, and abusive usernames aimed at an individual
The policy gives examples of violations: a comment wishing, directly or indirectly, that someone gets cancer and dies; directing others to pile negative comments onto someone else's post; and creating an account with an abusive username that targets another individual and using it to reply to their comments.
Supporting quotations
A comment wishing, directly or indirectly, that someone gets cancer and dies.
Directing others to pile negative comments onto someone else's post.
Creating an account with an abusive username that targets another individual (e.g., u/IHateUserName) and using it to reply to their comments.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples of violations, not a complete list.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Harassment examples: following a user to continue an argument, unsolicited abusive chats and flooding an inbox
The policy gives examples of violations: following a user from one community to another to continue a previous argument on unrelated posts, contacting a user in a private unsolicited chat with insults or degrading comments, and flooding a user's inbox with dozens of messages containing only a greeting or emoji to overwhelm them.
Supporting quotations
Following a user from one community to another to continue a previous argument on unrelated posts.
Contacting a user in a private, unsolicited chat with insults or degrading comments.
Flooding a user's inbox with dozens of messages containing only a greeting or emoji to overwhelm them.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples of violations, not a complete list.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Harassment example: a community that sexualizes individuals' nonsexual media without consent
The policy gives, as an example of a violation, creating a community dedicated to sharing and sexualizing individuals' nonsexual media without their consent.
Supporting quotations
Creating a community dedicated to sharing and sexualizing individuals’ nonsexual media without their consent.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Not harassment: heated debate insults, criticism of public figures and sarcastic commentary communities
The policy gives examples that do not violate it: a comment in a heated debate calling someone a jerk or an idiot, a post criticizing a public figure's voting record or public statements, and a community dedicated to sarcastic commentary about an influencer's social media content.
Supporting quotations
A comment in a heated debate calling someone a jerk or an idiot.
A post criticizing a public figure’s voting record or public statements.
A community dedicated to sarcastic commentary about an influencer's social media content.
Qualifications & exceptions
These examples are given as not violating this policy; other Reddit rules and community rules are not addressed by the examples.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Not harassment: sharing your own story without directing action, and consensual adult sexual conversation
The policy also gives, as examples that do not violate it, sharing your own personal story about a negative interaction without directing others to take action against the person involved, and a consensual sexual conversation between adult users in chat or in an appropriate community.
Supporting quotations
Sharing your own personal story about a negative interaction you had, without directing others to take action against the person involved.
A consensual sexual conversation between adult users in chat or in an appropriate community.
Qualifications & exceptions
The personal-story example depends on not directing others to take action against the person involved.
The sexual-conversation example depends on consent, adult users, and chat or an appropriate community.
Account & Service Control · Procedure
Report harassment with the report button in the app or on reddit.com
To report content that potentially violates the harassment policy, you can use the report button next to the content in the app or on reddit.com. The policy also points to a page on Reddit's enforcement philosophy and to its latest Transparency Report on policy enforcement data.
Supporting quotations
To report content that potentially violates this policy, you can use the
To find out more about Reddit's enforcement philosophy, please click
Qualifications & exceptions
Reporting is described as something you "can" do; the text does not say what Reddit does after a report.
Not stated here
The pages behind the enforcement philosophy and Transparency Report links are not supplied in this document, so what they say is not explained here.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Violent content policy: do not threaten, encourage or glorify violence on Reddit
The violent content policy says to remember the human and not to threaten, encourage, or glorify violence on Reddit.
Supporting quotations
Remember the human and do not threaten, encourage, or glorify violence on Reddit.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
The violence policy targets credible risks and unsafe speech, and asks for context on violent posts that are allowed
The policy focuses on credible risks of real-world harm, including to oneself, or speech that genuinely makes others feel unsafe, while keeping space for legitimate discussion. Reddit says there are sometimes reasons to post violent content, such as educational, newsworthy, artistic, satire or documentary. If you post something violent in nature that does not violate these terms, you should provide context so the reason for posting is clear.
Supporting quotations
This policy focuses on credible risks of real-world harm (including to oneself) or speech that genuinely makes others feel unsafe, while maintaining space for legitimate discussions in various contexts.
if you’re going to post something violent in nature that does not violate these terms, ensure you provide context to the viewer so the reason for posting is clear
Qualifications & exceptions
The reasons to post violent content are given as examples ("e.g."), not a closed list.
The context requirement applies to violent posts that do not violate the policy.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Threatening, inciting or encouraging violence, including by coded references or memes, may violate the policy
The policy lists threatening violence, such as directly or indirectly stating an intent to physically harm or attack an individual, a group or a location. It also lists inciting or encouraging violence, such as calling for others to commit violent acts, including through coded references or memes with a known violent meaning.
Supporting quotations
Threatening violence, such as directly or indirectly stating an intent to physically harm or attack an individual, a group, or a location.
Inciting or encouraging violence, such as calling for others to commit violent acts, including through the use of coded references or memes with a known violent meaning.
Qualifications & exceptions
Items are things that "may violate" the policy and are given with "such as" examples.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Glorifying or celebrating violent events, such as praising mass shooters or mocking victims, may violate the policy
The policy lists glorifying or celebrating violent events, such as praising perpetrators of mass violence (for example mass shooters), sharing killers' manifestos, or mocking the victims of violent tragedies.
Supporting quotations
Glorifying or celebrating violent events, such as praising perpetrators of mass violence (e.g., mass shooters), sharing killers’ manifestos, or mocking the victims of violent tragedies.
Qualifications & exceptions
The examples are introduced with "such as" and are not a complete list.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Terrorist content is listed as something that may violate the violent content policy
The policy lists terrorist content as something that may violate it. The words link to a separate help page; this item gives no further description of what counts as terrorist content.
The linked page on terrorist content is not supplied in this document, so its definition and detail are not explained here.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Posting graphic or disturbing content purely to disgust or horrify users may violate the policy
The policy lists posting graphic or disturbing content purely to disgust or horrify users, such as sharing real-world gore without context or in unrelated communities, or sharing footage filmed by a perpetrator during an attack.
Supporting quotations
Posting graphic or disturbing content purely to disgust or horrify users, such as sharing real-world gore without context or in unrelated communities, or sharing footage filmed by a perpetrator during an attack.
Qualifications & exceptions
The listed behavior turns on the content being posted "purely" to disgust or horrify; the examples are introduced with "such as".
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Encouraging or glorifying suicide or self-harm, or giving self-harm instructions, may violate the policy
The policy lists encouraging or glorifying suicide or self-harm. It says that while discussions about mental health struggles are allowed, it is a violation to promote self-harm through imagery or text, or to request or give instructions on how to self-harm.
Supporting quotations
Encouraging or glorifying suicide or self-harm.
while discussions about mental health struggles are allowed, it is a violation to promote self harm through imagery or text, or request or give instructions on how to self-harm
Qualifications & exceptions
Discussions about mental health struggles are stated to be allowed; the violation is promoting self-harm or requesting or giving instructions.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Promoting severe sexual violence, or depicting malicious animal abuse for entertainment, may violate the policy
The policy lists promoting real-world sexual violence or sexual activity that involves severe physical injury or risk of death. It also lists depicting or encouraging the malicious abuse or suffering of animals for entertainment.
Supporting quotations
Promoting real-world sexual violence or sexual activity that involves severe physical injury or risk of death.
Depicting or encouraging the malicious abuse or suffering of animals for entertainment.
Qualifications & exceptions
The animal item is limited to malicious abuse or suffering shown for entertainment.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Non-violating violent content should be labeled NSFW, and some labeled graphic public-interest content may be allowed
The policy says content that depicts violence but does not violate the policy should be labeled Not Safe for Work (NSFW). It also says Reddit may allow appropriately labelled graphic content that has public interest value, such as legitimate news reporting, historical documentation or citizen journalism, provided it is not used to mock victims, celebrate violence or promote a perpetrator's message or ideology.
Supporting quotations
Content that depicts violence but doesn't violate this policy (as described above) should be labeled Not Safe for Work (“NSFW”).
we may allow appropriately labelled graphic content that has public interest value, such as legitimate news reporting, historical documentation, or citizen journalism, provided it is not used to mock victims, celebrate violence, or promote a perpetrator’s message or ideology
Qualifications & exceptions
The permission is worded "may allow" (Reddit's discretion) and requires appropriate labeling and a public-interest value.
The permission does not apply when the content is used to mock victims, celebrate violence or promote a perpetrator's message or ideology.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Violence examples: encouraging action against people, praising a mass shooter, threats and celebrating a killer
The policy gives examples of violations: a post with violent imagery that encourages others to take action against an individual or a group, creating a community that praises a mass shooter as a hero, posting threats against protest participants, counter-protesters or law enforcement agents, a seemingly artistic or hand-drawn illustration used to make a death threat against a specific real-world person, and a meme or image meant to celebrate a known killer.
Supporting quotations
A post including violent imagery that encourages others to take action against an individual or a group.
Creating a community that praises a mass shooter as a hero.
Posting threats against protest participants, counter-protesters, or law enforcement agents.
A post using a seemingly artistic or hand-drawn illustration to make a death threat against a specific real-world person.
A post sharing a meme or image meant to celebrate a known killer.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples of violations, not a complete list.
The illustration example shows that an artistic format does not prevent a death threat against a specific real-world person from violating the policy.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Violence examples: mocking a crash victim, self-harm instructions and a video of harming a stray cat
The policy gives examples of violations: posting a graphic image of a car crash victim with a title that makes fun of them, a post that provides instructions on methods of self-harm, and a video showing a person intentionally harming a stray cat.
Supporting quotations
Posting a graphic image of a car crash victim with a title that makes fun of them.
A post that provides instructions on methods of self-harm.
A video showing a person intentionally harming a stray cat.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples of violations, not a complete list.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Not a violation: labeled war images, a support-seeking self-harm post, and a picture of a legally hunted animal
The policy gives examples that do not violate it: a post discussing a war with graphic images correctly labeled NSFW, a user expressing thoughts of self-harm while seeking help in a support community, and a post showing a picture of a legally hunted animal.
Supporting quotations
A post discussing a war, with graphic images from the event correctly labeled as NSFW.
A user expressing thoughts of self-harm in the context of seeking help in a support community.
A post showing a picture of a legally hunted animal.
Qualifications & exceptions
The war example depends on the graphic images being correctly labeled NSFW.
The self-harm example depends on the context of seeking help in a support community.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Not a violation: a hyperbolic joke, labeled violent fiction or performance, and satirical political cartoons
The policy gives examples that do not violate it: a comment saying people who leave the toilet seat up should get shot, a music video or performance art that depicts violence as part of a creative or narrative story, and a satirical political cartoon using metaphorical imagery to criticize a public institution or social issue.
Supporting quotations
A comment saying, “people who leave the toilet seat up should get shot.”
A post sharing a music video or piece of performance art that depicts violence as part of a creative or narrative story, provided it is appropriately labeled and does not contain real-world gore, credible threats, or incitement to violence.
A satirical political cartoon or illustration using metaphorical imagery to criticize a public institution or social issue.
Qualifications & exceptions
The creative-work example is limited to work that is appropriately labeled and contains no real-world gore, credible threats or incitement to violence.
Account & Service Control · Procedure
Report violent content with the report button in the app or on reddit.com
To report content that potentially violates the violent content policy, you can use the report button next to the content in the app or on reddit.com. The policy also points to a page on Reddit's enforcement philosophy and to its latest Transparency Report on policy enforcement data.
Supporting quotations
To report content that potentially violates this policy, you can use the
To find out more about Reddit's enforcement philosophy, please click
Qualifications & exceptions
Reporting is described as something you "can" do; the text does not say what Reddit does after a report.
Not stated here
The pages behind the enforcement philosophy and Transparency Report links are not supplied in this document, so what they say is not explained here.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Hate policy: do not attack, incite harm or discriminate against anyone based on identity or vulnerability
The hate policy says not to attack, incite harm, or discriminate against any individual or group based on their identity or vulnerability.
Supporting quotations
Do not attack, incite harm, or discriminate against any individual or group based on their identity or vulnerability.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
The hate policy covers groups marginalized or attacked on listed factors and on other actual or perceived attributes
The policy covers individuals and groups marginalized or attacked on the basis of listed factors, or any other actual or perceived attributes used to reinforce existing inequality or promote exclusion. The listed factors are race, color, ethnicity, national origin and caste; religion; immigration status; gender, gender identity, sex and sexual orientation; disability; pregnancy; housing status and veteran status; and victims of violent crimes and their families.
Supporting quotations
Individuals and groups marginalized or attacked on the basis of the following factors, or any other actual or perceived attributes used to reinforce existing inequality or promote exclusion:
Race, color, ethnicity, national origin, caste
Religion
Immigration status
Gender, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation
Disability
Pregnancy
Housing status, veteran status
Victims of violent crimes and their families
Qualifications & exceptions
The list is not closed: the policy also covers "any other actual or perceived attributes" used to reinforce existing inequality or promote exclusion.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
The listed hate violations apply when they target others based on identity or vulnerability
The policy says the examples of violations that follow apply when they target others based on identity or vulnerability as described in the covered factors. They are described as some examples, not a complete list.
Supporting quotations
The following are some examples of violations that apply under this policy when targeting others based on their identity or vulnerability as described above.
Qualifications & exceptions
The examples are introduced as "some examples of violations", so the list is not exhaustive.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Hateful violent rhetoric may violate the policy, including calling for violence or wishing death or injury
The policy lists hateful violent rhetoric, which could include calling for violence against individuals or groups, wishing for their death or injury, and encouraging others to engage in targeted violent acts.
Supporting quotations
Hateful violent rhetoric, which could include:
Calling for violence against individuals or groups.
Wishing for their death or injury.
Encouraging others to engage in targeted, violent acts.
Qualifications & exceptions
The sub-items are introduced with "could include", so they are examples rather than a closed definition.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Endorsing hateful ideologies or symbols, and denying or minimizing hate-based violent events, may violate the policy
The policy lists hateful ideologies and denial, which may include endorsing or glorifying hateful symbols or ideologies that promote group supremacy, and denying or minimizing established hate-based violent events.
Supporting quotations
Hateful ideologies and denial, which may include:
Endorsing or glorifying hateful symbols or ideologies that promote group supremacy.
Denying or minimizing established hate-based violent events.
Qualifications & exceptions
The sub-items are introduced with "may include", so they are examples rather than a closed definition.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Dehumanizing a group, calling for its exclusion, and identity-based abuse patterns may violate the policy
The policy also lists reducing a group to something non-human, for example comparing them to animals or filth, or calling for their exclusion or segregation from political or economic life. It lists engaging in a pattern of abuse, site-stalking, or coordinating attacks to intimidate an individual or antagonize a community of people on the basis of their identity or vulnerability.
Supporting quotations
Reducing a group to something non-human (e.g., comparing them to animals or filth), or calling for their exclusion or segregation from political or economic life.
Engaging in a pattern of abuse, site-stalking, or coordinating attacks to intimidate an individual or antagonize a community of people, on the basis of their identity or vulnerability.
Qualifications & exceptions
The source list does not show whether these two items sit under the preceding sub-heading, so they are explained as items of the list.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Hateful tropes and inferiority claims, including resharing harmful stereotypes, may violate the policy
The policy lists hateful tropes and inferiority claims, which may include but are not limited to alleging physical, moral or mental inferiority, and resharing harmful narratives and stereotypes to reinforce prejudice against an individual or group.
Supporting quotations
Hateful tropes and inferiority claims, which may include but are not limited to:
Alleging physical, moral, or mental inferiority.
Resharing harmful narratives and stereotypes to reinforce prejudice against an individual or group.
Qualifications & exceptions
The sub-items are introduced with "may include but are not limited to", so they are examples rather than a closed definition.
Account & Service Control · Company practice
Reddit assesses context when judging hate reports, separating genuine attacks from commentary, education or condemnation
The policy says context is critical. When evaluating a report, Reddit assesses the activity of a community or an individual user, their pattern of behavior and the content itself. This lets it distinguish genuine hateful attacks, bad faith "humor" or coded language from content shared for purposes like social or political commentary, educational uses or condemnation of hate.
Supporting quotations
Context is critical. When evaluating a report, we assess the activity of a community or an individual user, their pattern of behavior, and the content itself.
This allows us to distinguish genuine hateful attacks, bad faith “humor,” or coded language from content shared for purposes like social or political commentary, educational uses, or condemnation of hate.
Qualifications & exceptions
The purposes listed as distinct from hateful attacks are given as examples ("like"), not a closed list.
Not stated here
The text does not say how the assessment is weighed or who makes it.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Hate examples: comments or memes saying a group is disgusting, controls the media, or should not have rights
The policy gives examples of violations: a comment alleging that an ethnic group is disgusting and shouldn't exist, promoting that a certain religious group controls the media or is entirely composed of terrorists, and a meme declaring that it is sickening that people of color have the right to vote.
Supporting quotations
A comment alleging that an ethnic group is disgusting and shouldn't exist.
Promoting that a certain religious group controls the media or is entirely composed of terrorists.
A meme declaring that it is sickening that people of color have the right to vote.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples of violations, not a complete list.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Hate examples: a community mocking disabilities, gender-based attacks and a hateful username
The policy gives examples of violations: a community dedicated to mocking people with physical disabilities, directly replying to someone's post to attack their gender, a comment stating that a specific individual is too stupid to lead a country because of their gender or racial identity, and creating an account with a hateful username that targets a protected group.
Supporting quotations
A community dedicated to mocking people with physical disabilities.
Directly replying to someone's post to attack their gender.
A comment stating that a specific individual is too stupid to lead a country because of their gender or racial identity.
Creating an account with a hateful username that targets a protected group (e.g., u/KillAll[EthnicGroup]).
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples of violations, not a complete list.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Hate examples: a hateful symbol posted without context and a comment arguing that raping women should be acceptable
The policy gives examples of violations: posting an image of a hateful symbol, for example a swastika, without context, and a comment arguing that raping women should be acceptable and not a crime.
Supporting quotations
Posting an image of a hateful symbol (e.g., swastika) without context.
A comment arguing that raping women should be acceptable and not a crime.
Qualifications & exceptions
The symbol example turns on the image being posted "without context".
These are examples of violations, not a complete list.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Not a hate violation: insulting a political party, discussing an official's statement, or criticizing migration policy
The policy gives examples that do not violate it: a comment in a heated debate insulting one's political party, reposting a news article to a relevant community to discuss a statement made by a public official, and a post criticizing a government's policy on migration.
Supporting quotations
A comment in a heated debate insulting one's political party.
Reposting (fka crossposting) a news article to a relevant community to discuss a statement made by a public official.
A post criticizing a government's policy on migration.
Qualifications & exceptions
These examples are given as not violating this policy; they do not address other Reddit rules.
Not stated here
The example refers to a government's migration policy, not to a linked document; the text of any such government policy is not supplied here and the card does not describe it.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Not a hate violation: a personal story of discrimination, or an offensive image with a clear educational purpose
The policy gives examples that do not violate it: sharing your own personal story about experiencing discrimination in the workplace, and an offensive image shared with a post caption clearly indicating an educational, documentary or scientific purpose.
Supporting quotations
Sharing your own personal story about experiencing discrimination in the workplace.
An offensive image shared with a post caption clearly indicating an educational, documentary, or scientific purpose.
Qualifications & exceptions
The image example depends on a caption that clearly indicates an educational, documentary or scientific purpose.
Account & Service Control · Procedure
Report hateful content with the report button in the app or on reddit.com
To report content that potentially violates the hate policy, you can use the report button next to the content in the app or on reddit.com. The policy also points to a page on Reddit's enforcement philosophy and to its latest Transparency Report on policy enforcement data.
Supporting quotations
To report content that potentially violates this policy, you can use the
To find out more about Reddit's enforcement philosophy, please click
Qualifications & exceptions
Reporting is described as something you "can" do; the text does not say what Reddit does after a report.
Not stated here
The pages behind the enforcement philosophy and Transparency Report links are not supplied in this document, so what they say is not explained here.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Spam is never allowed: repeated or unsolicited actions that negatively affect users, communities or Reddit
The spam policy says not to use Reddit for repeated or unsolicited mass engagement. It defines spam as repeated or unsolicited actions, whether automated or manual, that negatively affect users, communities and/or Reddit itself, and says spam is never allowed. Reddit says spammers compromise everyone's use of Reddit by artificially inflating exposure to unwanted or irrelevant content.
Supporting quotations
Do not use Reddit for repeated or unsolicited mass engagement.
Spam – defined as repeated or unsolicited actions (whether automated or manual) that negatively affect users, communities, and/or Reddit itself – is never allowed.
Qualifications & exceptions
The definition covers both automated and manual actions and turns on the actions being repeated or unsolicited and having a negative effect on users, communities and/or Reddit.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Mass-posting, mass-tagging, unsolicited messages and repeated reposting for karma may violate the spam policy
The policy lists mass-posting repetitive content for the purpose of exposure or financial gain, mass-tagging other users or sending large amounts of unsolicited chat or private messages, and repeatedly posting or sharing old content for the purpose of rapidly gaining karma.
Supporting quotations
Mass-posting repetitive content for the purpose of exposure or financial gain.
Mass-tagging other users or sending large amounts of unsolicited chat or private messages.
Repeatedly posting or sharing old content for the purpose of rapidly gaining
Qualifications & exceptions
The first and third items depend on the purpose stated (exposure or financial gain; rapidly gaining karma).
These are things that "may violate" the policy and are not a complete list.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Spam-facilitating tools, link-masking and multiple accounts to inflate subscriber counts may violate the policy
The policy lists using tools, for example bots or generative AI tools, that may break Reddit or facilitate the proliferation of spam. It also lists link-masking or redirecting to harmful domains, and leveraging multiple accounts to artificially inflate the subscriber count of a subreddit.
Supporting quotations
Using tools (e.g., bots, generative AI tools) that may break Reddit or facilitate the proliferation of spam.
Link-masking or redirecting to harmful domains.
Leveraging multiple accounts to artificially inflate the subscriber count of a subreddit.
Qualifications & exceptions
The tools item is limited to tools that "may break Reddit or facilitate the proliferation of spam"; the policy does not prohibit all bots or generative AI tools by this item.
These are things that "may violate" the policy and are not a complete list.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Spam examples: bots that continuously promote products, and automating creation of many accounts or communities
The policy gives examples of violations: programming a bot that continuously promotes specific products or services within a community or across many communities, and automating the creation of multiple Reddit accounts or communities.
Supporting quotations
Programming a bot that continuously promotes specific products or services within a community or across many communities.
Automating the creation of multiple Reddit accounts or communities.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples of violations, not a complete list.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Spam examples: harmful-link messages, repeated off-topic posts, and repeated NSFW content in safe-for-work spaces
The policy gives examples of violations: sending large amounts of unsolicited private messages to expose others to harmful links, such as malware, phishing or deceptive pop-ups; repeatedly posting unrelated, off-topic or link-farmed content that disrupts conversations within a community; and repeatedly sharing "not-safe for-work" content in "safe-for-work" spaces.
Supporting quotations
Sending large amounts of unsolicited private messages to expose others to harmful links, such as malware, phishing, deceptive pop-ups, etc.
Repeatedly posting unrelated/off-topic/link-farmed content that disrupts conversations within a community.
Repeatedly sharing "not-safe for-work" content in "safe-for-work" spaces.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples of violations, not a complete list.
The examples turn on repetition or on large amounts, not on a single message or post.
Account & Service Control · Procedure
To avoid being labeled a spammer, post authentic content and be thoughtful about frequent links to your own business
The policy suggests posting authentic content into communities where you have a personal interest. If your contributions to Reddit consist primarily of links to a business you run, own or otherwise benefit from, it asks you to be thoughtful about the frequency of posting, or to consider advertising opportunities using Reddit's self-serve platform.
Supporting quotations
Post authentic content into communities where you have a personal interest.
If your contributions to Reddit consist primarily of links to a business that you run, own, or otherwise benefit from, please be thoughtful about the frequency of posting, or consider advertising opportunities using our
Qualifications & exceptions
This is guidance worded as suggestions ("please be thoughtful", "consider") rather than a stated rule.
The business-links guidance applies when contributions consist "primarily" of such links.
Not stated here
The text does not say how much posting of business links is too much.
Account & Service Control · Procedure
If unsure whether content is spam, check community rules; moderators adjudicate what is spammy in their communities
The policy says that if you are unsure whether your content is considered spam, you should check whether the community has specific rules in addition to the guidelines in the policy. It notes that community moderators adjudicate what constitutes unwanted or spammy content in their communities and may take action accordingly. You may also contact the community's moderators for clarification.
Supporting quotations
check to see if the community you want to engage with has specific rules in addition to the guidelines above.
community moderators adjudicate what constitutes unwanted/spammy content in their communities and may take action accordingly
You may also contact the moderators of the community if you need additional clarifications.
Qualifications & exceptions
Moderators of a community decide what counts as unwanted or spammy content there, and may take action accordingly.
Not stated here
The text does not say what action moderators may take.
Account & Service Control · Procedure
Report spam with the report button in the app or on reddit.com
To report potential spam, you are asked to use the report button next to the content in the app or on Reddit.com. The policy also points to a page on Reddit's enforcement philosophy and to its latest Transparency Report on policy enforcement data.
Supporting quotations
To report potential spam, please use the
For more information, please visit Reddit's
Qualifications & exceptions
The text says "please use the report button"; it does not say what Reddit does after a report.
Not stated here
The pages behind the enforcement philosophy and Transparency Report links are not supplied in this document, so what they say is not explained here.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Rule 3: do not share intimate or sexually explicit media of a person created or posted without their permission
The policy asks you to respect the privacy of others and warns that you can cause serious harm by posting something shared in private that was never intended to be shared in public. It says Rule 3 prohibits sharing intimate or sexually explicit media of a person that was created or posted without their permission.
Supporting quotations
Respecting the privacy of others means being mindful of the impact of posting someone’s picture or video.
you can cause serious harm when posting something that was shared in private and wasn’t ever intended to be shared in public.
Rule 3 prohibits sharing intimate or sexually explicit media of a person created or posted without their permission.
Qualifications & exceptions
The prohibition turns on the media being created or posted without the person's permission.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Intimate media covers nudity or sexual conduct, including AI-generated or faked depictions, and salacious "creepshots"
The policy says intimate media include a depiction of the person in a state of nudity or engaged in any act of sexual conduct, including depictions that may have been AI-generated or faked. It also prohibits images or video of intimate parts of a person's body, even if the person is clothed or in public, if contextualized in a salacious manner, such as "creepshots" or "upskirt" imagery.
Supporting quotations
Intimate media include a depiction of the person in a state of nudity or engaged in any act of sexual conduct, including depictions that may have been AI-generated or faked.
Images or video of intimate parts of a person's body, even if the person is clothed or in public, if contextualized in a salacious manner (e.g., "creepshots" or "upskirt" imagery), are also prohibited.
Qualifications & exceptions
Images of intimate body parts of a clothed or public person are covered only if contextualized in a salacious manner.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
The rule applies to leaked or stolen images when the person reports no consent, and to faking explicit content
The policy says the rule applies to leaked, stolen or privately-shared images of an individual where the individual, or their representative, reports that they do not consent to the public sharing of the images. It also says that images or video of another person posted for the specific purpose of faking explicit content or soliciting "lookalike" pornography, such as "deepfakes" or "bubble porn", is against the rule.
Supporting quotations
The Rule applies to leaked, stolen or privately-shared images of an individual where the individual, or their representative, reports that they do not consent to the public sharing of the images.
Additionally, images or video of another person posted for the specific purpose of faking explicit content or soliciting “lookalike” pornography (e.g. “deepfakes” or "bubble porn") is also against the Rule.
Qualifications & exceptions
For leaked, stolen or privately-shared images, the rule applies where the individual or their representative reports that they do not consent.
The faking and lookalike pornography part turns on the specific purpose of faking explicit content or soliciting lookalike pornography.
Not stated here
The text does not say what Reddit does when no report is made by the individual or their representative.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Intimate media violations include reshared sexting photos, covert images, unwanted nudes and stolen images
The policy gives examples that violate the rule: private sexting photos reshared with anyone other than the intended recipient, regardless of whether there was an intent to humiliate, intimidate or violate privacy; a topless image of someone sunbathing in their garden, apparently taken without their awareness; an accidental nip-slip moment of a person in public caught on camera; sharing nude shots of a famous model taken with their consent if they indicate they do not want those images shared publicly; and offering or soliciting stolen intimate or sexually explicit images of somebody.
Supporting quotations
Some examples that violate the Rule:
Private sexting photos reshared with anyone other than the intended recipient, regardless of whether there was an intent to humiliate, intimidate, or to violate the person’s privacy.
Topless image of someone sunbathing in their garden, apparently taken without their awareness.
Accidental nip-slip moment of a person in public caught on camera.
Sharing nude shots of a famous model taken with their consent if they indicate they do not want those images shared publicly.
Offering or soliciting stolen intimate or sexually explicit images of somebody.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples of violations, not a complete list.
The sexting example applies regardless of whether there was an intent to humiliate, intimidate or violate privacy.
The famous model example applies where the model indicates they do not want the images shared publicly.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
The rule does not apply to consented commercial media, fictional AI-generated sexual media or artistic depictions
The policy notes that the rule does not apply to media distributed commercially with the consent of those depicted, AI-generated sexual media that depicts fictional people or characters, or artistic depictions such as cartoons and anime. It adds that people should keep in mind Reddit's rules on respecting the intellectual property of others.
Supporting quotations
Note that the rule does not apply to media distributed commercially with the consent of those depicted, AI-generated sexual media that depicts fictional people or characters, or artistic depictions (e.g., cartoons, anime, etc.)
although keep in mind our rules regarding respecting the intellectual property of others.
Qualifications & exceptions
The commercial media exception requires distribution with the consent of those depicted.
The AI-generated media exception is limited to media depicting fictional people or characters; faked depictions of a real person are covered by the earlier card.
Not stated here
The intellectual property rules the note points to are not supplied in this part of the document, so what they require is not explained here.
Report non-consensual intimate media with the inline report feature or a report page
To report non-consensual intimate media, you can use the inline report feature on the app or website, or visit a report page. If somebody has shared intimate images of you or somebody you know, the policy points to a help article for more information and support.
Supporting quotations
To report non-consensual intimate media, you can use the inline report feature on the app or website, or you can visit
If somebody has shared intimate images of you or somebody you know, click
Qualifications & exceptions
The text does not say what Reddit does after a report.
Not stated here
The help article linked for support is not supplied in this document, so what it says is not explained here.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Reddit prohibits sexual or suggestive content and predatory behavior involving minors, including CSAM
Reddit prohibits any sexual or suggestive content, and predatory or inappropriate behavior, involving minors (people under 18) or someone who appears to be a minor. This includes sharing, offering or asking for child sexual exploitation content, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), which the policy describes as a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor, including the display of a child's nude body part in a sexual way. The prohibition applies even if the content is self-generated by a minor, shared with other minors, or reshared to criticize or denounce its existence.
Supporting quotations
Reddit prohibits any sexual or suggestive content, and predatory or inappropriate behavior, involving minors (i.e., people under 18 years old) or someone who appears to be a minor.
This includes sharing, offering, or asking for child sexual exploitation content, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
CSAM can be defined as a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor, including the display of a child’s nude body part in a sexual way.
This prohibition applies even if the content is self-generated by a minor, shared with other minors, or reshared to criticize or denounce its existence.
Qualifications & exceptions
The prohibition covers someone who "appears to be a minor", not only a person known to be under 18.
The CSAM definition is introduced with "can be defined as", so it describes the term rather than limiting the prohibition.
The prohibition applies even when the content is self-generated by a minor, shared with other minors, or reshared to criticize or denounce it.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Fictional content that sexualizes minors is generally prohibited, with a possible artistic expression exception
The policy generally prohibits fantasy or fictional content, such as stories, deepfakes or photoshopped media, that depicts, encourages or normalizes child sexual exploitation or sexual interest in children, or otherwise sexualizes minors. An exception may be made for genuine artistic expression that does not encourage or normalize the sexualization of children, for example representations from popular movies, TV shows or paintings. Depending on the context, sexualization of minors can also include depictions of minors who are fully clothed and not engaged in explicit sexual acts.
Supporting quotations
We generally prohibit fantasy or fictional content (e.g. stories, deepfakes, photoshopped media) that depicts, encourages, or normalizes child sexual exploitation, sexual interest in children, or otherwise sexualizes minors
although an exception may be made for genuine artistic expression that does not encourage or normalize the sexualization of children
Depending on the context, sexualization of minors can also include depictions of minors that are fully clothed and not engaged in explicit sexual acts.
Qualifications & exceptions
The prohibition is stated as "generally", and the artistic expression exception is worded as something that "may be made", so it is not a guaranteed permission.
Whether a depiction of a clothed minor counts depends on context.
Not stated here
The text does not say who decides whether content is genuine artistic expression.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Examples of violating content include sexualized cartoons of children, sexualizing comments and soliciting "nudes"
The policy gives a non-exhaustive list of examples that violate it: a cartoon depiction of a prepubescent child engaged in a sexual act; a comment sexualizing a non-sexual image or video of a minor; a community sexualizing a celebrity who is younger than 18, or was younger than 18 in the content depicted; a post encouraging or advocating to normalize paedophilia as a socially acceptable sexual orientation; and soliciting or offering "nudes" of minors, whether the poster is an adult or a minor. It adds that if you are unsure about a piece of content involving a minor, you should not share it.
Supporting quotations
Here's a non-exhaustive list of examples that violate this policy:
A cartoon depiction of a prepubescent child engaged in a sexual act
A comment sexualizing a non-sexual image or video of a minor
A community sexualizing a celebrity who is younger than 18 y.o., or was younger than 18 y.o. in the content depicted
A post encouraging or advocating to normalize paedophilia as a socially acceptable sexual orientation
Soliciting or offering "nudes" of minors, whether the poster is an adult or a minor
If you are unsure about a piece of content involving a minor, do not share it.
Qualifications & exceptions
The list is described as non-exhaustive.
The celebrity example covers content depicting the celebrity when younger than 18 as well as currently.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Predatory or inappropriate behavior involving a minor is strictly prohibited, including on other platforms
The policy says any form of predatory or inappropriate behavior involving a minor is strictly prohibited. It says this may include a variety of interactions, such as asking a minor to engage in sexual conversations, asking a minor to produce or share nude or suggestive images of themselves (which it says qualifies as CSAM solicitation), an adult attempting to meet with a minor in real life, or engaging in sexual role-play where an adult might assume the role of a minor. Using Reddit to facilitate inappropriate interactions with minors on other platforms, websites or via electronic devices is also prohibited.
Supporting quotations
any form of predatory or inappropriate behavior involving a minor is strictly prohibited.
This may include a variety of interactions such as asking a minor to engage in sexual conversations, asking a minor to produce or share nude or suggestive images of themselves (which qualifies at CSAM solicitation), an adult attempting to meet with a minor in real life, or engaging in sexual role-play where an adult might assume the role of a minor.
Using Reddit to facilitate inappropriate interactions with minors on other platforms, websites or via electronic devices is also prohibited.
Qualifications & exceptions
The interactions are introduced with "may include", so they are examples rather than a closed definition.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Examples of violating behavior include messaging explicit media to a minor, threats, and grooming-style exchanges
The policy gives a non-exhaustive list of examples that violate it: directly messaging nude or sexually explicit images or videos to a minor; threatening a minor if they do not share nude images; an adult engaging a minor in sexually explicit conversation; an adult requesting an intimate or sexual encounter off platform with a minor; and an exchange between an adult and a minor that may include a combination of flattery, offers of gifts, or requests for personal information or to meet privately online or in real life.
Supporting quotations
Here's a non-exhaustive list of examples that violate this policy:
Direct messaging nude or sexually-explicit images or videos to a minor
Threatening a minor if they don't share nude images
An adult engaging a minor in sexually explicit conversation
An adult requesting an intimate or sexual encounter off platform with a minor
An exchange between an adult and a minor that may include a combination of flattery, offers of gifts, or requests for personal information or to meet privately online or in real life
Qualifications & exceptions
The list is described as non-exhaustive.
The last example is worded as an exchange that "may include" a combination of the listed elements.
Account & Service Control · Company practice
Rule 4 enforcement goes beyond legal definitions, uses context and signals, and allows some news and education
Reddit says it enforces Rule 4 against a range of harmful content and behaviors, and that some prohibitions go above and beyond legally-defined requirements. In some cases it relies on contextual information or signals from the community to determine the inappropriate nature of the content or behaviors. It recognizes that child sexual exploitation and related topics may be discussed in the context of news stories, societal concern or preventative education, and says it may allow that discourse as long as it does not violate the letter or spirit of the prohibitions listed above.
Supporting quotations
We enforce Rule 4 against a range of harmful content and behaviors. Some of our prohibitions go above and beyond legally-defined requirements.
in some cases, we do rely on contextual information or signals from the community to determine the inappropriate nature of the content or behaviors.
we may allow this discourse to happen as long as it does not violate the letter or spirit of the prohibitions listed above.
Qualifications & exceptions
Discussion in news, societal concern or preventative education contexts is something Reddit "may allow", and only as long as it does not violate the letter or spirit of the prohibitions.
Not stated here
The text does not say which community signals Reddit relies on.
Account & Service Control · Procedure
Report sexual content or inappropriate behavior involving minors with the in-line report feature or a report page
To report sexual or suggestive content or inappropriate behavior involving minors, you can use the in-line report feature on the app or website, or visit a report page.
Supporting quotations
To report sexual or suggestive content or inappropriate behavior involving minors, you can use the in-line report feature on the app or website, or you can visit
Qualifications & exceptions
The text does not say what Reddit does after a report.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Depictions of physical, emotional or sexual abuse or severe neglect of minors are not allowed
The policy says there is no excuse for the maltreatment of minors, whether physical, emotional or sexual abuse or severe neglect, and that depictions of this type of abuse are not allowed on Reddit. It says the rule extends to depictions of the aftermath of abuse resulting in the death or serious injury of a minor.
Supporting quotations
There is no excuse for the maltreatment of minors, be it physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, or severe neglect – depictions of this type of abuse are not allowed on Reddit.
This Rule extends to depictions of the aftermath of abuse resulting in the death or serious injury of a minor.
Qualifications & exceptions
The prohibition is on depictions of abuse; discussion of maltreatment and newsworthy content are addressed in the later cards.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Abuse examples: beatings, degrading acts, forced drug use, promoting punishment and distressed restrained children
The policy gives a non-exhaustive list of examples that violate it: a video of a teacher beating a child in class; a depiction of a minor made to sleep in a cage or in unsanitary conditions; a video depicting the bullying or humiliation of a minor or making them perform degrading acts; a video of someone encouraging or forcing a child to use drugs, ingest a dangerous substance or engage in a dangerous challenge; a subreddit, post or comment encouraging or celebrating the corporal punishment of children; a post promoting or encouraging child malnutrition or starvation as a form of punishment; an image or video of a child physically restrained and visibly in distress; and an image of a child with visible bruising or physical injuries, posted without context or when the context justifies maltreatment.
Supporting quotations
Here's a non-exhaustive list of examples that violate this policy:
A video of a teacher beating a child in class
A depiction of a minor made to sleep in a cage or in unsanitary conditions
A video depicting the bullying or humiliation of a minor or making them perform degrading acts
A video of someone encouraging or forcing a child to use drugs, ingest a dangerous substance or engage in a dangerous challenge
A subreddit, post or comment encouraging or celebrating the corporal punishment of children
A post promoting or encouraging child malnutrition or starvation as a form of punishment
An image or video of a child physically restrained and visibly in distress
An image of a child with visible bruising or physical injuries, posted without context, or when the context justifies maltreatment
Qualifications & exceptions
The list is described as non-exhaustive.
The bruising example applies where the image is posted without context, or when the context justifies maltreatment.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
The rule does not prohibit conversations about maltreatment by survivors or concerned community members seeking help
The policy says the rule does not prohibit conversations about maltreatment in which survivors of abuse or concerned community members are discussing their experience or seeking help.
Supporting quotations
this Rule does not prohibit conversations about maltreatment in which survivors of abuse or concerned community members are discussing their experience or seeking help.
Qualifications & exceptions
The permission is for conversations by survivors or concerned community members discussing their experience or seeking help; it does not say depictions of abuse are allowed in those conversations.
Newsworthy abuse content is assessed case by case, with zero tolerance when context is missing or malicious
The policy says that if content is clearly newsworthy or the context of its posting is deemed relevant to the public interest, for example a teacher denouncing abuse practices normalized at their school, Reddit will evaluate whether the rule applies on a case-by-case basis. As a rule of thumb, if the content depicts the abuse of a child without any context, or the context is malicious or insufficient, Reddit says it will apply a zero tolerance approach. It asks users to bear this in mind when posting.
Supporting quotations
if the content is clearly newsworthy or the context of its posting is deemed relevant to the public interest (e.g. a teacher denouncing abuse practices normalized at their school), we will evaluate if the Rule applies on a case-by-case basis.
as a rule of thumb, if the content depicts the abuse of a child without any context – or the context is malicious or insufficient – we will apply a zero tolerance approach.
Qualifications & exceptions
Newsworthy or public-interest content is evaluated case by case, not exempt.
The zero tolerance approach is stated as a rule of thumb for content with no context, or malicious or insufficient context.
Not stated here
The text does not say who evaluates the context or what counts as sufficient context.
Account & Service Control · Procedure
Report abuse content involving minors with the inline report feature or a report page
To report abuse content involving minors, you can use the inline report feature on the app or website, or visit a report page.
Supporting quotations
To report abuse content involving minors, you can use the inline report feature on the app or website, or you can visit
Qualifications & exceptions
The text does not say what Reddit does after a report.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Do not impersonate individuals or entities in a misleading or deceptive manner
The impersonation policy says not to impersonate individuals or entities in a misleading or deceptive manner. It lists pretending to be or represent an existing individual or organization in order to mislead or confuse others, and posing as an individual or organization that does not exist in order to make others believe they are engaging with a real entity.
Supporting quotations
Do not impersonate individuals or entities in a misleading or deceptive manner.
Pretending to be or represent an existing individual or organization in order to mislead or confuse others.
Posing as an individual or organization that does not exist in order to make others believe they are engaging with a real entity.
Qualifications & exceptions
Both listed items turn on the intent to mislead, confuse or make others believe they are engaging with a real entity.
These are things that "may violate" the policy and are not a complete list.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
You need not use your real name, but may not misrepresent identity or affiliation; parody accounts should disclose
The policy says you are free to engage on the platform without using your real name or revealing your identity, but you are not allowed to misrepresent your identity or affiliation to mislead or deceive others. In line with this, Reddit encourages communities and user accounts dedicated to an individual or entity for commentary, fandom, satire or parody to disclose as such, for example by specifying "unofficial" in the name or description or clearly explaining the purpose of the community, to avoid confusion.
Supporting quotations
You are free to engage on the platform without using your real name or revealing your identity.
you're not allowed to misrepresent your identity or affiliation to mislead or deceive others.
user accounts that are dedicated to an individual or entity for the purpose of commentary, fandom, satire, or parody, to disclose as such (e.g., specify "unofficial" in the name or description, clearly explain the purpose of the community, etc.) to avoid confusion.
Qualifications & exceptions
The prohibition is on misrepresenting identity or affiliation to mislead or deceive; using a pseudonym is allowed.
The disclosure for commentary, fandom, satire or parody accounts is worded as encouraged, not required.
Not stated here
The Moderator Code of Conduct page linked from this paragraph is not supplied in this document, so what it says is not explained here.
Account & Service Control · Company practice
Profile or community elements such as name, description, picture and activity may indicate impersonation
When determining violations, the policy says elements of a user profile or community, such as name, description, profile picture and activity, may all be indicators of impersonation.
Supporting quotations
Elements of a user profile or community such as name, description, profile picture, and activity may all be indicators of impersonation.
Qualifications & exceptions
These elements are described as possible indicators ("may all be indicators"), not as conclusive.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Impersonation examples: unauthorized business deals, look-alike usernames, fake spokespeople, agencies and admins
The policy gives examples of violations: using the name of a business and offering deals to users on its behalf without authorization; creating an account with a username almost identical to another account's to confuse others about which account they are interacting with; offering an AMA with an account pretending to be the spokesperson for an established organization; creating a community posing as the job listing community for a fictional recruitment agency; using an account that poses as an official government agency and engages users on public matters; and misrepresenting yourself as a Reddit admin with an account that uses the Reddit name and branding.
Supporting quotations
Some examples of policy violations
Using the name of a business and offering deals to users on its behalf without authorization.
Creating an account with a username almost identical to another account's username to confuse others about which account they are interacting with.
Offering an AMA with an account pretending to be the spokesperson for an established organization.
Creating a community posing as the job listing community for a fictional recruitment agency.
Using an account that poses as an official government agency and engages users on public matters.
Misrepresenting yourself as a Reddit admin with an account that uses the Reddit name and branding.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples of violations, not a complete list.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Not impersonation: discussing a company by name, fan accounts that do not assume identity, official brand communities
The policy gives examples that do not violate it: using a company's name for the purpose of discussing its products, services or business practices; using the name of a celebrity for a fan account that does not assume that identity in interactions with others; and creating your brand's official community to directly engage with users.
Supporting quotations
Using a company's name for the purpose of discussing its products, services, or business practices.
Using the name of a celebrity for a fan account that doesn't assume that identity in interactions with others.
Creating your brand's official community to directly engage with users.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples, not a complete list.
The fan account example depends on the account not assuming the celebrity's identity in interactions with others.
Account & Service Control · Procedure
Report impersonation with the report button next to the content in the app or on reddit.com
To report content that potentially violates the impersonation policy, you can use the report button next to the content in the app or on reddit.com. The policy also points to a page on Reddit's enforcement philosophy and to its latest Transparency Report on policy enforcement data.
Supporting quotations
To report content that potentially violates this policy, you can use the
For more information, please visit Reddit's
Qualifications & exceptions
The text does not say what Reddit does after a report.
Not stated here
The pages behind the enforcement philosophy and Transparency Report links are not supplied in this document, so what they say is not explained here.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Do not use Reddit to exchange illegal or prohibited goods and services with other users, though you may discuss them
The policy says not to use Reddit to exchange illegal or prohibited goods and services with other users. It says you are free to discuss all sorts of products and services, including those that may not be legal where you are, but certain user-to-user transactions are not allowed.
Supporting quotations
Do not use Reddit to exchange illegal or prohibited goods and services with other users.
You are free to discuss all sorts of products and services, including those that may not be legal where you are, but keep in mind that certain user-to-user transactions are not allowed.
Qualifications & exceptions
The restriction is on user-to-user transactions; discussing products and services is allowed.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Transactions in drugs, alcohol, tobacco, medicines, firearms and explosives between users are not allowed
The policy says it is not allowed to buy, sell, gift or encourage the transaction of listed goods or services with other users, whether implicitly or explicitly. The first items are recreational drugs and precursor chemicals used to manufacture them; alcohol, tobacco or vaping products, pharmaceutical drugs (including prescription or over the counter medicines) or other controlled substances; and firearms, ammunition, explosives, firearms parts and enhancements, or specific instructions (such as 3D printing files) to produce any of those items.
Supporting quotations
It is not allowed to buy, sell, gift, or encourage the transaction of the following goods or services with other users, whether implicitly or explicitly:
Recreational drugs and/or precursor chemicals specifically used to manufacture them
Alcohol, tobacco or vaping products, pharmaceutical drugs (including prescription or over the counter medicines), or other controlled substances
Firearms, ammunition, explosives, firearms parts and enhancements (e.g., bolt, clips, trigger, scope, silencer/suppressor, muffler, bump stock, magazine, glock switch, conversion kit, etc.), or specific instructions (i.e., 3D printing files) to produce any of the aforementioned
Qualifications & exceptions
The prohibition covers buying, selling, gifting or encouraging transactions with other users, whether implicitly or explicitly.
The firearms parts list is introduced with "e.g.", so it gives examples rather than a closed list.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Transactions in paid sexual services, trafficking, stolen goods, personal information and fraud are also not allowed
The list of goods and services that may not be bought, sold, gifted or encouraged between users also includes in-person paid sexual services; human body parts or organs, or any service involving human trafficking; wild animals, endangered species and derived animal products, or any service involving wildlife trafficking; stolen goods; personal information; fraudulent goods or activities (for example falsified documents or certifications, fake fiat or digital currency, or deceptive investment schemes); and services or goods obtained through fraudulent or illegal access, such as hacked information.
Supporting quotations
In-person, paid sexual services
Human body parts or organs, or any service involving human trafficking
Wild animals, endangered species and derived animal products, or any service involving wildlife trafficking
Stolen goods
Personal information
Fraudulent goods or activities (e.g. falsified documents or certifications, fake fiat or digital currency, deceptive investment schemes, etc.)
Services or goods obtained through fraudulent or illegal access (e.g., hacked information)
Qualifications & exceptions
The sexual services item is limited to in-person, paid services.
The fraud examples are introduced with "e.g.", so they are not a closed list.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Transaction violation examples: drug deals, production or theft instructions, sex work, fake degrees and hacking
The policy gives examples of violations: suggesting a move to private messaging with an implication to transact drugs; a post depicting controlled substances and providing contact information or another implicit indication that they are for sale; providing or seeking detailed instructions on the production of illicit drugs; a post seeking the location of an erotic massage parlor; a post seeking a "sugar daddy/momma" or to be a "sugar baby" for an in-person relationship; providing detailed instructions on how to commit theft or obtain stolen goods; offering to sell or buy a digital currency to manipulate its price for personal gain; promoting a website that offers to fabricate school transcripts or degrees; and a comment offering hacking services or the sale of hacked materials.
Supporting quotations
Suggesting to move to private messaging methods with an implication to transact drugs.
A post depicting controlled substances and providing contact information or other implicit indication that they are for sale.
Providing or seeking detailed instructions on the production of illicit drugs.
A post seeking the location of an erotic massage parlor.
A post seeking a “sugar daddy/momma” or seeking to be a “sugar baby” for an in-person relationship.
Providing detailed instructions on how to commit theft or obtain stolen goods.
Offering to sell or buy a digital currency in an effort to manipulate the price of the currency for personal gain.
Promoting a website that offers to fabricate school transcripts or degrees.
A comment offering hacking services or the sale of hacked materials.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples of violations, not a complete list.
The sugar daddy/momma example is limited to seeking an in-person relationship.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Not a violation: chemistry discussion, health resources, recovery stories, buying a holster, firearm communities
The policy gives examples that do not violate it: a scientific discussion about compounds used in specific drugs in a chemistry subreddit; a comment asking for or offering health resources, including the location of licensed pharmacies where prescribed medications can be legally obtained; a post that shares personal experiences of drug or alcohol use or recovery; a post seeking to buy a holster or shooting glasses; and a community dedicated to discussions about firearm ownership or shooting sports.
Supporting quotations
A scientific discussion about compounds used in specific drugs in a chemistry subreddit.
A comment asking for or offering health resources, including the location of licensed pharmacies where prescribed medications can be legally obtained.
A post that shares personal experiences of drug or alcohol use and/or recovery.
A post seeking to buy a holster or shooting glasses.
A community dedicated to discussions about firearm ownership or shooting sports.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples, not a complete list.
Account & Service Control · Procedure
Report prohibited transactions with the report button next to the content in the app or on reddit.com
To report content that violates the policy, you can use the report button next to the content in the app or on reddit.com. The policy also points to a page on Reddit's enforcement philosophy and to its latest Transparency Report on policy enforcement data.
Supporting quotations
To report content that violates this policy, you can use the
For more information, please visit Reddit's
Qualifications & exceptions
The text does not say what Reddit does after a report.
Not stated here
The pages behind the enforcement philosophy and Transparency Report links are not supplied in this document, so what they say is not explained here.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Site interference policy: do not break Reddit, interfere with its normal use, or create apps that violate the API rules
The policy says not to break Reddit, interfere with its normal use, or create programs or applications ("apps") that violate Reddit's API rules. It says the rule applies to all users or entities accessing or interacting with Reddit's services, including API access and the behavior of apps, such as bots, AI agents and non-human operated accounts, to ensure that they are transparent, accountable and do not degrade the experience for users.
Supporting quotations
Don't break Reddit, interfere with its normal use, or create programs or applications (“apps”) that violate our API rules.
This rule applies to all users or entities accessing or interacting with Reddit’s services.
This includes API access and the behavior of apps –including bots, AI agents, and non-human operated accounts– to ensure that they are transparent, accountable, and do not degrade the experience for users.
Qualifications & exceptions
The rule applies to all users or entities accessing or interacting with Reddit's services, not only to account holders.
Not stated here
The API rules the policy refers to are not set out in this document, so what they require is not explained here.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Bypassing guardrails, unauthorized scraping, disrupting services and unpermitted data collection may violate the policy
The policy lists bypassing security, safety or technical guardrails, including evading enforcement, exceeding access limits, or assisting anyone in misusing the platform. It lists scraping Reddit or its services without an authorized agreement; disrupting or interrupting Reddit's services, such as by degrading platform performance, introducing malicious code, or exploiting bugs and vulnerabilities; and accessing or collecting data from Reddit or its users without permission.
Supporting quotations
Bypassing security, safety, or technical guardrails, including evading enforcement, exceeding access limits, or assisting anyone in misusing the platform.
Scraping Reddit or its services without an authorized agreement.
Disrupting or interrupting Reddit's services, such as by degrading platform performance, introducing malicious code, or exploiting bugs and vulnerabilities.
The scraping item turns on the absence of an authorized agreement.
The data item turns on the absence of permission.
These are things that "may violate" the policy and are not a complete list.
Not stated here
The Responsible Builder Policy linked from the data collection item is not supplied in this document, so what it says about permission is not explained here.
The text does not say how to obtain an authorized agreement for scraping.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Apps that show deleted content, pose as humans, misuse credentials or hide promoted posts may violate the policy
The policy lists creating or operating apps that continue to use or display public content deleted by users or removed for Reddit Rules violations; mask as a human or fail to register as an app; use developer credentials for unauthorized purposes; intentionally remove or hide Reddit's promoted posts or sponsored headlines; or use automation for unsolicited outreach, such as unprompted DMs or Chat requests.
Supporting quotations
Creating or operating apps that:
Continue to use or display public content deleted by users or removed for Reddit Rules violations;
Use developer credentials for unauthorized purposes;
Intentionally remove or hide Reddit’s promoted posts or sponsored headlines;
Use automation for unsolicited outreach (e.g., unprompted DMs or Chat requests).
Qualifications & exceptions
The five sub-items are listed under creating or operating apps; the source list does not show nesting, so they are read as the items that follow that heading.
The "unsolicited outreach" examples are introduced with "e.g.", so they are not a closed list.
Not stated here
The page linked for registering an app and getting an app label is not supplied in this document, so what it requires is not explained here.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Creating accounts by automated or agentic means, or misusing features to disrupt others, may violate the policy
The policy lists creating accounts through automated or agentic means, and misusing platform features in a way that disrupts the experience for others.
Supporting quotations
Creating accounts through automated or agentic means.
Misusing platform features in a way that disrupts the experience for others.
Qualifications & exceptions
The feature misuse item turns on the misuse disrupting the experience for others.
These are things that "may violate" the policy and are not a complete list.
Account & Service Control · Company practice
Reddit administrators may quarantine communities that are highly offensive to average users or dedicated to hoaxes
The policy says that on a platform as open and diverse as Reddit there will sometimes be communities that, while not prohibited, average users may find highly offensive or upsetting, or communities dedicated to promoting hoaxes that warrant additional scrutiny. In these circumstances Reddit Administrators may apply a quarantine. The purpose is to prevent a community's content from being accidentally viewed by those who do not knowingly wish to do so, or viewed without appropriate context.
Supporting quotations
there will sometimes be communities that, while not prohibited, average users may nevertheless find highly offensive or upsetting.
communities may be dedicated to promoting hoaxes (yes we used that word) that warrant additional scrutiny
Reddit Administrators may apply a quarantine.
The purpose of quarantining a community is to prevent its content from being accidentally viewed by those who do not knowingly wish to do so, or viewed without appropriate context.
Qualifications & exceptions
Quarantine is something Reddit Administrators "may apply"; the policy does not promise a quarantine for any given community.
Quarantine applies to communities that are not prohibited.
Not stated here
The text does not say how Reddit decides a community is highly offensive or dedicated to hoaxes.
Account & Service Control · Company practice
Quarantined communities show an opt-in warning, earn no revenue and are hidden from feeds and search
The policy says quarantined communities and their subscribers are still fully obliged to abide by the Reddit Rules and remain subject to enforcement measures. A quarantined community displays a warning that requires users to explicitly opt in to viewing the content, generates no revenue, does not appear in non-subscription-based feeds such as Popular, and is not included in search or recommendations. Reddit may also enforce additional product restrictions that exist now or as they may develop in the future, for example removing custom styling tools. Moderators are notified by mod mail if their community has been placed in quarantine.
Supporting quotations
Quarantined communities and their subscribers are still fully obliged to abide by the
and remain subject to enforcement measures.
Quarantined communities will display a warning that requires users to explicitly opt-in to viewing the content.
They generate no revenue, do not appear in non-subscription-based feeds (eg Popular), and are not included in search or recommendations.
Reddit may also enforce a number of additional product restrictions that exist currently or as they may develop in the future (eg removing custom styling tools).
Moderators will be notified via mod mail if their community has been placed in quarantine.
Qualifications & exceptions
Reddit may enforce additional product restrictions that exist currently or as they may develop in the future, so the list of effects is not closed.
Account & Service Control · Procedure
Moderators may appeal a quarantine by showing moderation changes sustained for at least one month
To be removed from quarantine, community moderators may present an appeal. The appeal should include a detailed accounting of changes to community moderation practices, which could include adding more moderators, creating new rules, employing more aggressive auto-moderation tools or adjusting community styling. It should also offer evidence of sustained, consistent enforcement of these changes over a period of at least one month, demonstrating meaningful reform of the community. Moderators should only submit credible appeals supported by notable and sustained community transformation, and are encouraged to take the time they need to craft a successful appeal.
Supporting quotations
To be removed from quarantine, community moderators may
The appeal should include a detailed accounting of changes to community moderation practices.
The appeal should also offer evidence of sustained, consistent enforcement of these changes over a period of at least one month, demonstrating meaningful reform of the community.
Moderators should only submit credible appeals that are supported by notable and sustained community transformation.
Qualifications & exceptions
The appeal is worded as something moderators "may present", and the requirements as what the appeal "should" include.
Appropriate changes may vary from community to community.
Not stated here
The text does not say how long Reddit takes to decide an appeal or what happens if it is declined.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Disruptive behavior policy: do not manipulate votes, evade enforcement or otherwise disrupt Reddit communities
The policy says not to manipulate votes, evade enforcement, or otherwise disrupt Reddit communities. It explains that each community is shaped by its own rules (enforced by moderators), by community members and by upvotes and downvotes, and that communities and their members are expected to act in good faith and abide by the sitewide Reddit Rules. Reddit says it prohibits disruptive behaviors that seek to interfere with how Reddit communities operate.
Supporting quotations
Do not manipulate votes, evade enforcement, or otherwise disrupt Reddit communities.
Reddit communities and their members are also expected to act in good faith and abide by our sitewide
We prohibit disruptive behaviors that seek to interfere with how Reddit communities operate.
Qualifications & exceptions
The prohibition is aimed at behaviors that "seek to interfere" with how communities operate.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Vote cheating or manipulation, including multiple accounts, automation and coordinated voting, may violate the policy
The policy lists vote cheating or manipulation, whether manual, programmatic or otherwise. This could include creating and employing multiple accounts, voting services or any automation to manipulate vote counts by increasing or decreasing them; coordinated voting with an organized group of people (or bots) to target a specific post, a user's posts or content from a domain; and automated means to manipulate karma.
Supporting quotations
Vote cheating or manipulation, whether manual, programmatic, or otherwise. This could include:
Creating and employing multiple accounts, voting services, or any automation to manipulate vote counts by either increasing or decreasing them.
Engaging in coordinated voting with an organized group of people (or bots) to target a specific post, a user's posts, content from a domain, etc.
Automated means to manipulate
Qualifications & exceptions
The sub-items are introduced with "This could include", so they are examples rather than a closed definition.
The source list does not show nesting, so the three sub-items are read as the examples that follow the vote manipulation item.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Ban evasion with multiple accounts, or reconstituting a banned or quarantined community, may violate the policy
The policy lists ban evasion. This includes creating or using multiple accounts to circumvent a community ban issued by a community moderator, or to violate Reddit policies following a site-wide ban issued by Reddit admins. It also includes creating or repurposing a community to reconstitute a community that Reddit admins previously banned or quarantined.
Supporting quotations
Ban evasion, which includes:
Creating or using multiple accounts to circumvent a community ban issued by a mod of a community or to violate Reddit policies following a site-wide ban issued by Reddit admins.
Creating or repurposing a community to reconstitute a community that was previously banned or quarantined by Reddit admins.
Qualifications & exceptions
The first example covers both a moderator's community ban and an admin site-wide ban, but the site-wide case is worded as violating Reddit policies after that ban.
The reconstitution example refers to communities banned or quarantined by Reddit admins, not by community moderators.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Abuse of reporting channels, including high-volume reports on non-violating content, may violate the policy
The policy lists abuse of reporting channels. This could include sending a high volume of reports targeting non-violating content in a specific community or by a specific user, using the report feature to send abusive messages to community moderators or Reddit admins, and encouraging or coordinating other users to abuse Reddit's reporting channels.
Supporting quotations
Abuse of reporting channels. This could include:
Sending a high volume of reports targeting non-violating content in a specific community or by a specific user.
Using Reddit’s report feature to send abusive messages to community moderators or Reddit admins.
Encouraging or coordinating other users to engage in abuse of Reddit’s reporting channels.
Qualifications & exceptions
The sub-items are introduced with "This could include", so they are examples rather than a closed definition.
The first example turns on both a high volume of reports and the content being non-violating.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Community disruption may look like repeated reports or bans across several communities
The policy lists community disruption and says that, among other things, it could look like being repeatedly reported for violating community rules across several communities, being repeatedly reported by members of similar communities for sending unsolicited chat messages, or being banned across several communities dealing with the same topics.
Supporting quotations
Community disruption. Among other things, this could look like:
Being repeatedly reported for violating community rules across several communities.
Being repeatedly reported by members of similar communities for sending unsolicited chat messages.
Being banned across several communities dealing with the same topics.
Qualifications & exceptions
The list is introduced with "Among other things, this could look like", so it is not a closed definition.
The signals turn on repetition and on several communities, not on a single report or ban.
Not stated here
The text does not say how many reports or bans across how many communities count as disruption.
The community rules these items refer to are each community's own rules and are not supplied in this document, so what they require is not explained here.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
The Moderator Code of Conduct also prohibits moderators from encouraging or allowing organized community interference
A note says the Moderator Code of Conduct also prohibits moderators from encouraging or allowing organized community interference, and points to Rule 3 of that code, Respect Your Neighbors.
Supporting quotations
also prohibits moderators from encouraging or allowing organized community interference.
Qualifications & exceptions
The Moderator Code of Conduct is a separate document that is not supplied in this saved text, so its wording is not explained here.
Not stated here
Rule 3 of the Moderator Code of Conduct is only referred to, so its text is not explained here.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Not disruption: asking for advice elsewhere, downvoting off-topic content, or viewing a community that banned you
The policy gives examples that do not violate it: visiting a community you are not a member of to ask for advice or a recommendation, downvoting a piece of content that is off topic in a community you are part of, and viewing content in a community you were previously banned from, without engaging with the community.
Supporting quotations
Visiting a community you're not a member of to ask for advice or a recommendation.
Downvoting a piece of content that is off topic in a community you are part of.
Viewing content in a community you were previously banned from, without engaging with the community.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples, not a complete list.
The downvoting example is limited to off-topic content in a community you are part of, and the banned-community example is limited to viewing without engaging.
Account & Service Control · Procedure
Report vote manipulation or ban evasion through a webform
To report potential vote manipulation or ban evasion, the policy asks you to file a report through a webform. It also points to a page on Reddit's enforcement philosophy and to its latest Transparency Report on policy enforcement data.
Supporting quotations
To report potential vote manipulation or ban evasion please file a report through
For more information, please visit Reddit's
Qualifications & exceptions
The reporting instruction names vote manipulation and ban evasion; it does not say where to report other disruptive behavior listed above.
Not stated here
The pages behind the enforcement philosophy and Transparency Report links are not supplied in this document, so what they say is not explained here.
Account & Service Control · Company practice
Reddit uses reports from moderators and users plus internal systems to aggregate signals about disruptive behavior
Reddit says it uses a combination of reports by moderators, users and internal systems to aggregate signals and determine whether someone's behavior may constitute a violation of the disruptive behavior policy.
Supporting quotations
We also use a combination of reports by moderators, users, and internal systems to aggregate signals and determine whether someone's behavior may constitute a violation under this policy.
Qualifications & exceptions
The text describes the inputs Reddit uses; it does not say how signals are weighed or what Reddit does once it decides there is a violation.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Do not post someone's personal information or links to it; doing so will get you banned
The policy answers that posting someone's private or personal information is not okay. Reddit says it is quite open and pro-free speech, but it is not okay to post someone's personal information or links to personal information, including links to public Facebook pages and screenshots of Facebook pages with the names still legible. It says posting someone's personal information will get you banned, and asks you to edit out personally identifiable information when posting screenshots.
Supporting quotations
No. Reddit is quite open and pro-free speech, but it is not okay to post someone's personal information or post links to personal information.
This includes links to public Facebook pages and screenshots of Facebook pages with the names still legible.
Posting someone's personal information will get you banned.
When posting screenshots, be sure to edit out any personally identifiable information to avoid running afoul of this rule.
Qualifications & exceptions
The ban consequence is stated as "will get you banned", without saying whether it applies to a community or the whole site.
Not stated here
The text does not define "personal information" beyond the Facebook examples and personally identifiable information in screenshots.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Public figures can be an exception to the personal information rule, but not for harassment or vigilantism
The policy says public figures can be an exception to the personal information rule, for example posting professional links to contact a congressman or the CEO of a company. It adds that you should not post anything inviting harassment, should not harass, and should not cheer on or upvote obvious vigilantism.
Supporting quotations
Public figures can be an exception to this rule, such as posting professional links to contact a congressman or the CEO of a company.
But don't post anything inviting harassment, don't harass, and don't cheer on or upvote obvious vigilantism.
Qualifications & exceptions
The exception is worded as "can be", and the examples are professional contact links, so it is not a general permission to post any information about public figures.
Cross-references
narrows (model-proposed): Do not post someone's personal information or links to it; doing so will get you banned — exception_to: Public figures can be an exception to the general rule against posting personal information, limited to examples such as professional contact links and subject to the bar on inviting harassment or cheering on vigilantism.
Account & Service Control · Procedure
Report a personal information violation through a report page
To report a personal information violation, the policy asks you to visit a report page.
Supporting quotations
To report a Personal Information violation, please visit
Qualifications & exceptions
The text does not say what Reddit does after a report.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Misleading content policy: do not engage in deceptive interactions or share content manipulated to mislead others
The policy says not to engage in deceptive interactions or share content that has been manipulated to mislead others.
Supporting quotations
Do not engage in deceptive interactions or share content that has been manipulated to mislead others.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Manipulating information or unduly influencing public health, safety or geopolitical narratives may violate the policy
The policy lists efforts to manipulate information or unduly influence narratives pertaining to public health concerns, public safety or geopolitical events.
Supporting quotations
Efforts to manipulate information or unduly influence narratives pertaining to public health concerns, public safety, or geopolitical events.
Qualifications & exceptions
The item turns on efforts to manipulate information or "unduly" influence narratives; it does not prohibit discussing these topics.
This is a thing that "may violate" the policy and is not a complete list.
Not stated here
The text does not define what counts as undue influence.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Deliberately undermining civic or electoral processes, including with misleading voting claims, may violate the policy
The policy lists deliberate attempts to interfere with or undermine the integrity of civic or electoral processes, including misleading claims about the time, place and means of voting or census; voter eligibility requirements or specific groups' ability to vote; and rules and procedures governing the electoral or other civic processes.
Supporting quotations
Deliberate attempts to interfere with or undermine the integrity of civic or electoral processes, including misleading claims about:
time, place, and means of voting or census;
voter eligibility requirements or specific groups' ability to vote;
rules and procedures governing the electoral or other civic processes.
Qualifications & exceptions
The item turns on deliberate attempts and on misleading claims.
The three sub-items are introduced with "including", so they are examples rather than a closed definition.
Not stated here
The rules and procedures governing electoral or civic processes are not set out in this document, so what they require is not explained here.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Sharing disguised look-alike websites, or altered or fabricated content presented to mislead, may violate the policy
The policy lists sharing a website or domain that is deliberately altered or disguised to mimic another. It also lists altered or fabricated content presented to mislead, or falsely attributed to an individual or entity to cause harm.
Supporting quotations
Sharing a website or domain that is deliberately altered or disguised to mimic another.
Altered or fabricated content presented to mislead, or falsely attributed to an individual or entity to cause harm.
Qualifications & exceptions
The website item turns on the site being deliberately altered or disguised to mimic another.
The content item turns on the content being presented to mislead, or falsely attributed to cause harm.
These are things that "may violate" the policy and are not a complete list.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Misleading content examples: undisclosed influence campaigns, false voting information, edited videos and forged records
The policy gives examples that violate it: an organization using multiple, seemingly unconnected accounts across several local communities to influence a specific political outcome; an undisclosed, coordinated influence campaign by (but not limited to) foreign actors to sow discord across communities; purposely misstating that voting stations are closed to discourage others from voting; promoting a video edited to make it appear that a well-known person made statements and took actions they had not on a topic of public interest; and sharing forged government records or other authoritative documents to mislead others.
Supporting quotations
Some examples that violate this policy
An organization using multiple, seemingly unconnected accounts across several local communities in order to influence a specific political outcome.
An undisclosed, coordinated influence campaign by (but not limited to) foreign actors to sow discord across communities.
Purposely misstating that voting stations are closed to discourage others from voting.
Promoting a video edited to make it appear like a well-known person made statements and took actions they had not on a topic of public interest.
Sharing forged government records or other authoritative documents to mislead others.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples of violations, not a complete list.
The influence campaign example is not limited to foreign actors.
Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception
Not a violation: criticizing civic processes, resharing altered content to condemn it, or a tagged AI cartoon
The policy gives examples that do not violate it: criticizing civic or electoral processes and discussing proposed improvements; resharing altered or fabricated content to explicitly call out or condemn content manipulation; and sharing a tagged AI-generated cartoon in a comics community that allows both real and AI art.
Supporting quotations
Criticizing civic or electoral processes and discussing proposed improvements.
Resharing altered or fabricated content to explicitly call out or condemn content manipulation.
Sharing a tagged AI-generated cartoon in a comics community that allows both real and AI art.
Qualifications & exceptions
These are examples, not a complete list.
The AI cartoon example depends on the cartoon being tagged and the community allowing both real and AI art.
Account & Service Control · Company practice
Reddit uses reports from moderators and users plus internal systems to aggregate signals about misleading behavior
Reddit says it uses a combination of reports by moderators, users and internal systems to aggregate signals and determine whether someone's behavior may constitute a violation of this policy. The policy also points to a page on Reddit's enforcement philosophy and to its latest Transparency Report on policy enforcement data.
Supporting quotations
We use a combination of reports by moderators, users, and internal systems to aggregate signals and determine whether someone's behavior may constitute a violation under this policy.
For more information, please visit Reddit's
Qualifications & exceptions
The text describes the inputs Reddit uses; it does not say how signals are weighed or what Reddit does once it decides there is a violation.
Not stated here
The pages behind the enforcement philosophy and Transparency Report links are not supplied in this document, so what they say is not explained here.