Short answer: Reddit karma is a rough score of how well your posts and comments have been received, based on the upvotes and downvotes they get. It is split into post karma and comment karma, and it does not rise one-for-one with upvotes. Its main practical use is getting past karma requirements that many communities set to keep out spam.
Karma confuses almost every new Reddit user: your post gets 200 upvotes but your karma barely moves, or a community removes your post because you do not have “enough” karma without saying how much is enough. This article explains what Reddit says about karma and how to deal with it sensibly.
What is Reddit karma?
Reddit describes karma as an approximate reflection of how much your contributions have meant to the community. Votes on your posts and comments add to or subtract from it, but Reddit does not publish the formula and states that upvotes and karma do not have a one-to-one relationship.
Reddit’s own advice is not to set out to collect karma but to be a good contributor. That sounds idealistic, but it is also practical: the habits that earn karma are the same ones that keep you clear of spam filters.
What are the types of Reddit karma?
Reddit’s help centre currently describes two types, shown separately on your profile. Older guides also mention awarder and awardee karma, which were tied to Reddit’s earlier awards system, but the current help article lists only post and comment karma.
| Type | Where it comes from | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Post karma | Votes on links, images, videos and text posts you submit | Some communities check it before letting you post |
| Comment karma | Votes on your comments | Shows real participation; some communities check it separately |
| Community comment karma | Comment karma earned inside one specific subreddit | Some communities only count karma earned with them |
| Total karma | Post and comment karma combined | Used for Reddit’s Contributor Program tiers |
To see your breakdown on desktop, click your avatar, choose View Profile and hover over your total karma. In the iOS and Android apps, open your profile and tap the About tab.
Why doesn’t my karma match my upvotes?
Three things explain most of the gap:
- No one-to-one link: Reddit says outright that upvotes and karma are not equal, so a post with hundreds of upvotes will not necessarily add hundreds of karma.
- Hidden scores: vote counts are hidden for the first few hours after a post is created so early votes do not sway others, and some communities hide scores for a while longer.
- Downvotes: karma reflects downvotes as well as upvotes, so a controversial comment can earn little or nothing even when it gets a lot of attention.
Many users call these discrepancies “vote fuzzing”. Reddit does not explain its exact method, so the honest summary is: treat karma as a rough indicator and the score on a post as approximate.
How do subreddit karma requirements work?
Many communities set a minimum amount of karma, a minimum account age or a verified email before you can post, mainly to stop spam. Moderators usually configure these through AutoModerator, and the exact numbers are rarely public.
Reddit now makes this less of a guessing game. Its Poster Eligibility Guide shows a message when you try to post in a community where you do not yet qualify, telling you which requirements you have not met. It can check comment, post and combined karma, comment karma within that community, account age and email verification, and it re-checks eligibility every six hours. It shows which criteria you pass or fail, but Reddit says it does not disclose the specific thresholds communities use.
What is the Contributor Quality Score?
Alongside karma, Reddit gives every account a Contributor Quality Score (CQS) to help flag likely spammers. It is based on past actions, network and location signals and account security steps such as email verification, and it places accounts in five tiers from Lowest to Highest. Moderators can use it in AutoModerator rules, for example to let high-CQS users skip a karma minimum.
Can you earn money from Reddit karma?
Not directly, but karma is one of the gates for Reddit’s Contributor Program, which pays out for awards received on your posts and comments. You need at least 100 total karma and at least 10 US dollars of qualifying award earnings within the last year. Members with 100 to 4,999 karma are Contributors and those with 5,000 or more are Top Contributors.
How do you build Reddit karma the right way?
Since new accounts often cannot post in the communities they care about, comment karma is the usual starting point:
- Comment early in new threads in communities you know well. A helpful answer in a fresh thread is seen by more people than the 300th comment on a popular one.
- Read each community’s rules before posting, including any karma or account-age notes in the sidebar.
- Start in welcoming communities. Reddit points new users to r/NewToReddit, an unofficial community that lists subreddits with low or no karma requirements.
- Verify your email, which some communities require and which is one of the signals behind your CQS.
- Post less, but better. One well-written post that suits the community beats several low-effort ones that get downvoted.
Avoid vote-swapping groups and karma farms: Reddit’s help centre says votes should reflect whether content adds to a conversation, and systems such as CQS exist to catch accounts that behave like spammers. We compare these schemes in engagement pods and follow-for-follow. For the wider strategy, from choosing subreddits to promoting a brand without getting banned, see our complete guide to growing on Reddit, and if you are starting from zero, our 30-day plan for a new account applies here too. Unfamiliar terms are defined in our social media growth glossary.
Frequently asked questions
Can Reddit karma go down?
Yes. Karma reflects downvotes as well as upvotes, so posts and comments that are heavily downvoted can reduce it.
How much karma do I need to post on Reddit?
There is no site-wide minimum. Each community sets its own rules, and Reddit does not disclose the exact thresholds, but the Poster Eligibility Guide will tell you which requirement you are missing.
Is comment karma or post karma more important?
It depends on the community. Reddit’s eligibility checks can look at post karma, comment karma, combined karma or comment karma earned inside that subreddit, so the one that matters is whichever the community has chosen.
What is a good amount of Reddit karma?
Reddit sets no official benchmark, but its Contributor Program offers a reference point: 100 total karma is the entry level and 5,000 or more puts you in the Top Contributor tier.
Sources: Reddit Help: What is karma?, Reddit Help: Poster Eligibility Guide, Reddit Help: Contributor Quality Score, Reddit Help: Contributor Program