You typed a thoughtful reply. You spent five minutes on it. You hit submit.
And nothing happened. No error. No explanation. Just your comment sitting in your profile, invisible to everyone else.
That is the AutoMod silence. And it is almost always because you failed a Reddit karma requirement checklist you did not even know existed.
Most beginners treat karma like XP in a video game – a number that goes up when you say something smart. That is wrong. Karma is actually a reputation gate. Subreddits set minimum thresholds to keep out bots, trolls, and brand-new accounts that look like throwaways.
If you skip these checks, you are posting into a void. Here is the checklist that fixes that.
Why this checklist matters more than you think
Every subreddit is a separate club with its own doorman. Some clubs let you in the moment you arrive. Others require a coat, a tie, and a minimum of 500 karma.
Without a checklist, you are guessing. You might post in the wrong subreddit, accumulate the wrong type of karma, or waste days trying to participate in a community that will never show your content.
This checklist gives you a repeatable process. Run it before every post or comment, and you will never get silenced by AutoMod again.
Check 1: The subreddit sidebar – the first place to look
Open the subreddit. Scroll down on the right side. Look for a section that says “Posting requirements” or “Minimum karma needed” or “Account age.”
Some subreddits are explicit. r/technology requires 100 combined karma. r/wallstreetbets requires 500 combined karma and an account older than 60 days. r/AskHistorians has no stated karma minimum, but their AutoMod is aggressive – any new account gets flagged.
What to do: Copy the requirement text into a note. If the sidebar is vague, search subreddit name + karma requirement on Google. Other users will have posted the exact threshold.
Check 2: Your comment karma vs. post karma – they are not the same
Reddit karma is split into two categories. Comment karma comes from upvotes on your comments. Post karma comes from upvotes on your posts.
Many subreddits check only one type. r/politics only cares about comment karma. r/gaming only cares about post karma. If you have 10,000 post karma but zero comment karma, you will be blocked from r/politics.
What to do: Open your profile and look at the two numbers. If the subreddit requires comment karma, focus on commenting, not posting.
Check 3: Account age – the hidden timer
Account age is the most common hidden requirement. Subreddits set it to prevent spammers from creating a new account every day.
Typical thresholds:
– Low-security subreddits: 7 days
– Medium-security subreddits: 30 days
– High-security subreddits: 60 to 90 days
What to do: Check your account age in your profile settings. If you are under the threshold, wait. Do not try to post early – it will just flag your account.
Check 4: Combined karma thresholds – the math you need to do
Some subreddits use combined karma: comment karma + post karma.
r/fitness requires 50 combined karma. r/relationships requires 100 combined karma. If you have 30 comment karma and 20 post karma, you meet the threshold. But if you have 30 comment karma and 10 post karma, you do not.
What to do: Add your two karma numbers together. Compare them to the subreddit’s requirement. If you are short, focus on whichever karma type is easier to earn in that community.
Check 5: The “controversial” filter – your post might be visible but ignored
This is the one most people miss. Even if you meet all karma and age requirements, your post might be sorted into “controversial” by Reddit’s algorithm. That means it appears at the bottom of the feed, seen by almost no one.
You passed the gate, but the gate led to an empty room.
What to do: Check your post’s score after 30 minutes. If it is 0 or negative, the title or timing is wrong. Delete it, adjust, and repost later. Do not let a dead post sit there – it hurts your Reddit account reputation.
Common mistakes that keep you below the threshold
- Posting in the wrong subreddit first. You cannot build karma in a subreddit that requires karma to post. Start in default subreddits like r/AskReddit, r/funny, or r/pics, which have no requirements.
- Ignoring comment karma. Many people post and wonder why they are blocked. The requirement is often for comment karma, not post karma.
- Posting during dead hours. Even with enough karma, if you post at 3 AM EST, your post will get zero engagement and zero upvotes. Post during peak hours for your time zone.
- Using a brand-new account. Buy Reddit accounts that are aged? That is a risky path. Reddit detects purchased accounts quickly through login patterns and content style. Do not waste money on something that gets banned in a week.
Mini scenario: how one user beat the requirements in 3 days
Sarah wanted to post in r/entrepreneur, which requires 50 combined karma and an account older than 30 days.
She had a 7-day-old account with 0 karma.
Day 1: She commented on 10 posts in r/AskReddit. She answered questions about business failures, productivity tips, and tools she used. Each comment was 3 to 5 sentences. She ended the day with 25 comment karma.
Day 2: She posted a photo of her messy desk in r/Workspaces. The title was “This is what a real workday looks like.” It got 40 upvotes. She now had 25 comment karma + 40 post karma = 65 combined karma. Threshold met.
Day 3: She waited until her account turned 30 days old. Then she posted in r/entrepreneur. It stayed visible. She got 12 upvotes and three genuine replies.
The checklist worked because she checked the requirements first, built the right type of karma, and waited for the age gate.
Final practical takeaway
Do not post and pray. Run the five checks before you type anything:
- Read the subreddit sidebar for explicit requirements.
- Know whether the subreddit checks comment karma, post karma, or both.
- Check your account age against the subreddit’s hidden timer.
- Add your two karma types together if it is a combined threshold.
- Monitor your post’s score after 30 minutes to avoid the controversial filter.
If you follow this Reddit karma requirements checklist, you will stop wasting time on invisible posts and start getting actual engagement. That is the whole point.
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FAQ
Q: Can I bypass karma requirements by messaging the moderators?
A: Sometimes. Some subreddits have a “request to post” option. But most will ignore you if your account is new. Build karma first. It is faster than begging mods.
Q: Does deleting a post remove its karma?
A: Yes. Karma earned from a post is removed when you delete the post. Do not delete posts that have upvotes unless you are okay losing that karma.
Q: How do I check my exact karma numbers?
A: Open your profile on the old Reddit design (old.reddit.com/user/yourusername). It shows comment karma and post karma separately. The new design hides this.
Q: What is the fastest way to earn comment karma?
A: Answer questions in r/AskReddit during peak hours (12 PM to 3 PM EST). Keep answers under 5 sentences. Add a personal story. Meme answers get downvoted.
Q: Can I buy an aged account to skip the wait?
A: You can, but Reddit’s fraud detection is strong. Purchased accounts often get flagged for unnatural login patterns. Where to buy Reddit accounts that last? There is no reliable source. Build your own.
