Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Restriction or exception
Community rules and platform-wide rules both apply, enforced by different people
Reddit says each community has its own rules, enforced by that community's moderators (and shaped informally by votes and discussion). Underneath those, there are platform-wide rules that apply to everyone on Reddit, and those are enforced by Reddit's own staff, whom it calls admins. You are asked to follow the rules of communities you take part in and not to interfere with communities you are not a member of.
Supporting quotations
Please abide by the rules of communities in which you participate and do not interfere with those in which you are not a member.
Below the rules governing each community are the platform-wide rules that apply to everyone on Reddit. These rules are enforced by us, the admins.
Qualifications & exceptions
The abide/do-not-interfere sentence is worded as a request ("Please") rather than a stated penalty; consequences are described under Enforcement.
Not stated here
The text does not say how a community's own rules are published or what happens when community rules conflict with the platform-wide rules.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Restriction or exception
Reddit asks you to follow the spirit of the rules, not only the letter
Reddit frames the rules as a shared set that communities depend on, and asks users to follow both the exact wording and the intent behind them. The sentence is phrased as a request ("We ask"), so it signals how Reddit may read the rules rather than listing a separate prohibition.
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We ask that you abide by not just the letter of these rules, but the spirit as well.
Not stated here
The text does not say how "the spirit" of a rule is determined or who decides when conduct violates the spirit but not the letter.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Context
No community should be used as a weapon, and everyone should expect privacy and safety
Reddit says communities are meant to create belonging and that no community should be used as a weapon or to diminish belonging for others. It also says everyone on Reddit should have an expectation of privacy and safety and asks users to respect the privacy and safety of others. Reddit also acknowledges you may find some communities unrelatable or even offensive; that alone is not framed as a violation.
Supporting quotations
no community should be used as a weapon
everyone on Reddit should have an expectation of privacy and safety, so please respect the privacy and safety of others
Qualifications & exceptions
The privacy and safety sentence is phrased as an expectation and a request ("please"); specific prohibitions are in the numbered rules and linked policies.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Restriction or exception
Rule 7: do not post illegal content or solicit or facilitate illegal or prohibited transactions
Rule 7 prohibits posting illegal content and soliciting or facilitating illegal or prohibited transactions. The link leads to a policy page on illegal or prohibited transactions, later in this document.
Supporting quotations
Don't post illegal content, and don't solicit or facilitate [illegal or prohibited transactions]
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Restriction or exception
Illegal or prohibited transactions: do not use Reddit to exchange illegal or prohibited goods or services
The policy tells users 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 page header says "Updated 10 days ago", a relative time with no absolute date.
The restriction concerns user-to-user transactions; discussion is described as allowed.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Restriction or exception
Buying, selling, gifting or encouraging prohibited transactions, implicitly or explicitly, is not allowed
The policy says it is not allowed to buy, sell, gift, or encourage the transaction of the listed goods or services with other users, whether implicitly or explicitly.
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:
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Restriction or exception
Drugs, alcohol, tobacco, medicines, controlled substances, firearms, ammunition and explosives cannot be transacted
The list includes recreational drugs and precursor chemicals; alcohol, tobacco or vaping products, pharmaceutical drugs (including prescription or over-the-counter medicines) and other controlled substances; and firearms, ammunition, explosives, firearms parts and enhancements (examples given include bolt, clips, trigger, scope, silencer or suppressor, muffler, bump stock, magazine, glock switch and conversion kit) or instructions such as 3D printing files to produce them.
Supporting quotations
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
Qualifications & exceptions
Legal vendors are addressed separately in the note on licensed vendors (see the card on permitted discussion and licensed vendor links).
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Restriction or exception
Paid in-person sexual services, human body parts or trafficking, and wild or endangered animals cannot be transacted
The list also includes in-person, paid sexual services; human body parts or organs, or any service involving human trafficking; and wild animals, endangered species and derived animal products, or any service involving wildlife trafficking.
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
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Restriction or exception
Stolen goods, personal information, fraudulent goods and hacked goods or services cannot be transacted
The list also includes stolen goods; personal information; fraudulent goods or activities (examples given include falsified documents or certifications, fake fiat or digital currency, and deceptive investment schemes); and services or goods obtained through fraudulent or illegal access, such as hacked information.
Supporting quotations
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)
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · User right or choice
Discussing legal access and linking licensed vendors is allowed; other user transactions are at your own risk
The note says discussing how to legally access controlled goods, or sharing external links to appropriately licensed vendors of legal goods and services, is allowed. Examples include licensed pharmacies filling valid prescriptions, licensed vendors of controlled substances, online or offline firearm dealers holding the necessary government-issued license, and licensed animal welfare organizations providing adoption services. For non-prohibited transactions arranged with other users (examples given: selling camping gear, a photography shoot), the note says users do so at their own risk.
Supporting quotations
Discussing how to legally access controlled goods or sharing external links to appropriately licensed vendors of legal goods and services are allowed.
licensed pharmacies filling valid prescriptions, licensed vendors of controlled substances, online or offline firearm dealers holding the necessary government-issued license, or licensed animal welfare organizations providing adoption services
If you decide to arrange non-prohibited transactions (e.g., selling camping gear, photography shoot, etc.) with other users, please understand that you're doing so at your own risk.
Qualifications & exceptions
The allowance covers discussion and links to appropriately licensed vendors; it does not permit user-to-user transactions of the listed goods.
The note says Reddit users arrange non-prohibited transactions "at your own risk"; the source does not describe any Reddit protection or liability position beyond that sentence.
Not stated here
The source does not say how Reddit determines that a vendor is appropriately licensed.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Context
Transaction violations: drug deals, production instructions, sexual services, theft help, fake degrees, hacking
Example violations: suggesting a move to private messaging with an implication of transacting drugs; a post depicting controlled substances with contact information or other implicit indication they are for sale; providing or seeking detailed instructions on producing 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 fabricates school transcripts or degrees; and a comment offering hacking services or 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
Examples illustrate the policy; the source does not say they are the only violations.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · User right or choice
Examples that do not violate the policy: a scientific discussion about compounds used in specific drugs in a chemistry subreddit; a comment asking for or offering health resources, including locations of licensed pharmacies where prescribed medications can be legally obtained; a post sharing 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 under this policy only; other policies or community rules may still apply.
Legal Rights & Agreement Rules · Restriction or exception
Apps must register and comply with the Developer Terms, Data API Terms and Responsible Builder Policy
A note says apps must register and comply with Reddit's Developer Terms (including the Data API Terms) and its Responsible Builder Policy. Those documents are linked but not part of this joined document.
Supporting quotations
Note: Apps must [register](https://developers.reddit.com/app-registration) and comply with our [Developer Terms](https://redditinc.com/policies/developer-terms) (including the [Data API Terms](https://redditinc.com/policies/data-api-terms)) and [Responsible Builder Policy](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/articles/42728983564564-Responsible-Builder-Policy).
Not stated here
The Developer Terms, Data API Terms, Responsible Builder Policy and the app registration page are not supplied in this document, so their requirements are unknown here.