Reddit Glossary

A

AMA

Stands for 'Ask Me Anything.' A popular Reddit format where a person (often a celebrity, expert, or someone with unique experiences) invites the community to ask them questions. AMAs are hosted primarily on r/IAmA and r/AMA.

Virtual recognition given to posts or comments by other users, often requiring Reddit coins. Awards range from simple icons to premium awards that grant the recipient Reddit Premium temporarily. Common awards include Gold, Silver, and Platinum.

Creating the false impression of grassroots community support through fake or paid accounts. Astroturfing is strictly prohibited on Reddit, easily detected by communities, and results in severe reputation damage and bans.

Reddit's built-in bot that moderators configure to automatically enforce rules. AutoMod can remove posts, filter content, reply to users, and perform various automated moderation tasks based on configurable conditions.

A user granted special permission to post in a subreddit that restricts submissions. Approved submitters bypass certain AutoModerator rules and spam filters. Moderators grant this status to trusted contributors.

Ban

A restriction that prevents a user from participating in a subreddit (subreddit ban) or the entire platform (site-wide ban). Bans can be temporary or permanent and are issued by moderators or Reddit administrators for rule violations.

An automated account that performs specific tasks on Reddit, such as moderating content, providing information, or responding to keywords. Some bots are helpful (like RemindMeBot), while others may be used for spam or manipulation.

A coordinated effort by users from one subreddit to mass-downvote, harass, or disrupt another subreddit or specific post. Brigading is strictly against Reddit's rules and can result in subreddit bans.

A sorting algorithm that uses statistical confidence to rank comments. Unlike 'Top' which simply counts net votes, 'Best' considers both the ratio of upvotes and the sample size, surfacing quality comments even with fewer total votes.

An official Reddit account representing a company or organization. Successful brand accounts participate authentically, follow community rules, and provide value rather than just promoting products.

Cake Day

The anniversary of when a user created their Reddit account. On Cake Day, a small cake icon appears next to the user's name. It's a tradition for Redditors to wish each other 'Happy Cake Day.'

Points accumulated from upvotes on a user's comments, minus downvotes. Comment karma is separate from post karma and contributes to a user's overall karma score. High comment karma often indicates an engaged, contributing member.

Another term for a subreddit. Reddit uses 'community' in its official interface to describe the individual forums dedicated to specific topics, interests, or themes.

Sharing a post from one subreddit to another while maintaining a link to the original. Crossposts credit the original poster and are a legitimate way to share relevant content across communities without reposting.

A personalized collection of subreddits curated by a user. Custom feeds (formerly called multireddits) allow users to group subreddits by theme and browse them together in a single feed.

A sorting option that surfaces posts and comments with high numbers of both upvotes AND downvotes. Controversial content generates strong, divided reactions. Useful for finding debates or polarizing opinions.

Cost Per Click—an advertising bidding model where you pay each time someone clicks your ad. Reddit CPC campaigns are charged only when users click through to your destination URL or engage with your content.

Cost Per Mille (thousand impressions)—an advertising bidding model where you pay for every 1,000 times your ad is shown. CPM campaigns are ideal for brand awareness when the goal is maximum visibility.

Cost Per View—an advertising bidding model for video ads where you pay when users watch your video content. CPV campaigns are available for Reddit's video ad formats and charge based on view milestones.

A tracking code placed on your website that reports back to Reddit Ads when visitors complete desired actions (purchases, signups, etc.). The pixel enables conversion tracking, attribution, and retargeting capabilities.

An advertising targeting method that shows ads to users who participate in specific subreddits. Community targeting is Reddit's most powerful targeting option, allowing precise audience selection based on subreddit membership.

Stands for 'Change My View.' A format where users present an opinion and invite others to challenge it with counterarguments. The subreddit r/changemyview is dedicated to productive, good-faith debates.

When a community repeatedly reinforces the same opinions, creating an echo chamber where alternative viewpoints are dismissed. Often used critically. Some subreddits exist specifically to parody circle jerk behavior.

Text that is copied and pasted repeatedly across Reddit, often satirically or ironically. Famous copypastas become recognizable memes. The subreddit r/copypasta collects and creates these viral text blocks.

Default Subreddit

Historically, subreddits that new users were automatically subscribed to upon joining Reddit. Reddit discontinued default subreddits in 2017, replacing them with r/popular and personalized recommendations.

A way to express disapproval of a post or comment by clicking the down arrow. Downvotes reduce a post's visibility and decrease the author's karma. According to Reddiquette, downvotes should be used for content that doesn't contribute, not for disagreement.

Stands for 'Does Anyone Else.' Used to ask if others share a particular experience, opinion, or habit. Originally from r/DoesAnybodyElse, now used widely across Reddit to seek validation or find like-minded users.

Edit

Users can modify their posts and comments after publishing. Edited comments display an asterisk (*) next to the timestamp unless edited within the first few minutes (ninja edit). It's customary to note what was edited.

The ratio of interactions (upvotes, comments, shares) to total impressions or reach. Engagement rate measures content resonance and is often more meaningful than raw view counts for assessing Reddit marketing effectiveness.

Stands for 'Explain Like I'm 5.' A request for a simple, jargon-free explanation of a complex topic. The subreddit r/explainlikeimfive is dedicated to accessible explanations of complicated subjects.

Flair

Customizable tags that appear next to usernames (user flair) or post titles (post flair). Flair helps identify users' roles or expertise and categorizes posts within subreddits. Moderators control available flair options.

The main landing page of Reddit, displaying popular content from subscribed subreddits (for logged-in users) or from r/popular (for logged-out users). Getting to the front page significantly increases a post's visibility.

Stands for 'Fixed That For You.' Used when someone humorously or seriously corrects or modifies someone else's statement. Often quoted with the 'fix' shown. Can be playful or passive-aggressive depending on context.

Gilding

The act of giving someone a Gold award (or historically, any premium award). When a post or comment is 'gilded,' it's highlighted with a gold icon. The term comes from Reddit Gold, the original premium award.

A post containing multiple images that users can swipe or click through. Gallery posts allow up to 20 images in a single submission, useful for sharing collections, before/after comparisons, or step-by-step content.

Hot

A sorting option that displays posts based on a combination of recency and upvote velocity. 'Hot' shows content that is currently popular and receiving engagement, balancing new posts with proven popular ones.

The tendency for Reddit communities to form and reinforce collective opinions. Hive mind can lead to echo chambers where dissenting views are downvoted. Understanding community hive mind is crucial for effective participation.

IAMA

Stands for 'I Am A' and is the prefix used in AMA post titles (e.g., 'IAMA NASA astronaut, AMA'). The r/IAmA subreddit hosts AMAs from notable figures, while r/AMA accepts AMAs from anyone.

An advertising targeting method that reaches users based on their demonstrated interests and behaviors across Reddit, inferred from subreddit activity, engagement patterns, and content consumption.

Stands for 'In This Thread.' Used to summarize or comment on the overall nature of a discussion, often humorously. Example: 'ITT: People who have never owned a cat giving cat advice.'

Stands for 'If I Recall Correctly.' Used when sharing information from memory that may not be perfectly accurate. Indicates the commenter believes something to be true but acknowledges uncertainty.

Karma

Reddit's point system reflecting a user's contributions to the platform. Karma is earned through upvotes on posts and comments and lost through downvotes. While karma has no monetary value, it indicates community standing and may be required to post in some subreddits.

The practice of posting low-effort, highly upvotable content specifically to accumulate karma quickly. Often involves reposting popular content, posting in 'free karma' subreddits, or exploiting emotional content. Generally frowned upon.

Lurker

A user who reads Reddit content without posting, commenting, or voting. Lurking is common and acceptable—many users lurk for months or years before their first contribution. The term carries no negative connotation.

Stands for 'Life Pro Tip.' Advice intended to improve quality of life in some way. The subreddit r/LifeProTips is dedicated to sharing helpful hints and practical wisdom for everyday situations.

A post that links to external content (articles, images, videos). Link posts show the destination domain and drive traffic to outside websites. Many subreddits have rules about acceptable link sources.

Mod

Short for moderator. Mods are volunteer users who manage subreddits by enforcing rules, removing inappropriate content, and fostering community. They have tools to ban users, remove posts, and configure subreddit settings.

A user who volunteers to maintain and manage a subreddit. Moderators set rules, remove rule-breaking content, ban disruptive users, and shape the community's culture. They're identified by a green 'MOD' badge when distinguishing their comments.

A private messaging system between users and a subreddit's moderation team. Users can send modmail to appeal bans, report issues, or ask questions. Moderators respond as a team rather than individually.

The original name for custom feeds—a curated collection of subreddits grouped together. Multireddits can be private or public. Users create them to organize subreddits by theme (e.g., all gaming subs, all news subs).

Stands for 'My Reaction When' or 'My Face When.' Used to share GIFs or images expressing an emotional reaction to a described situation. Common format: 'MRW I find out the meeting was cancelled.'

The text formatting syntax used for Reddit posts and comments. Markdown allows bold, italics, links, lists, headers, and other formatting. Learning basic Markdown significantly improves post and comment quality.

A single, centralized post created to consolidate discussion of a major event or topic. Megathreads prevent subreddits from being flooded with duplicate posts. Often pinned and used for live events, controversies, or announcements.

A post that discusses the subreddit itself rather than its primary topic. Meta posts address community rules, moderation decisions, subreddit culture, or propose changes. Some subreddits require meta discussions in dedicated threads.

An image, video, or text format that spreads virally through communities, often with variations. Reddit is a major source and distribution channel for internet memes. Many subreddits are dedicated to specific meme formats.

New

A sorting option that displays posts in strict chronological order, newest first. Browsing 'New' is how Redditors discover content before it becomes popular and is essential for moderators monitoring their communities.

Stands for 'Not Safe For Work.' A tag for content that is inappropriate for professional settings, typically indicating adult, graphic, or disturbing content. NSFW content is hidden by default and requires user consent to view.

Content that naturally fits the style, tone, and format of the subreddit where it's posted. Native content doesn't feel like marketing—it provides genuine value while potentially serving business goals. Essential for Reddit marketing success.

An account created for a specific gimmick, persona, or recurring joke. Examples include accounts that only respond in poems, drawings, or roleplay as a character. Popular novelty accounts become Reddit celebrities.

Reddit's redesigned interface launched in 2018, featuring a card-based layout, integrated media, and modern design. New Reddit is the default for new users, though some features differ from Old Reddit.

OC

Stands for 'Original Content.' A tag indicating that the poster created the content themselves rather than sharing something found elsewhere. OC is often encouraged and rewarded in creative communities.

Stands for 'Original Poster'—the person who created a post or started a thread. In comments, OP's username is often highlighted. The term helps identify who initiated the discussion when many users are participating.

The visibility and engagement content receives without paid promotion. On Reddit, organic reach depends on upvotes, timing, and community relevance. High organic reach indicates content that genuinely resonates with the audience.

The legacy Reddit interface (old.reddit.com) preferred by many long-time users. Old Reddit has a denser, text-focused layout compared to New Reddit's card-based design. Users can set Old Reddit as their default in preferences.

Pinned Post

A post that moderators have fixed to the top of a subreddit, ensuring it remains visible regardless of sorting. Subreddits can have up to two pinned posts at a time, typically used for announcements, rules, or megathreads.

Points accumulated from upvotes on a user's posts (submissions), minus downvotes. Post karma is separate from comment karma. High post karma indicates someone who frequently shares content that the community values.

Reddit's primary advertising format that appears natively in feeds alongside organic content. Promoted posts look like regular posts but are labeled 'Promoted' and can target specific subreddits, interests, or demographics.

A highly active Reddit user with significant karma, influence, or recognition. Power users often have posts reach the front page regularly. Some power users are controversial figures due to perceived karma farming or agenda-pushing.

A direct, permanent URL to a specific comment within a thread. Permalinks allow sharing or referencing individual comments. Access via the 'permalink' or 'share' option under any comment.

Reddit's native voting feature allowing OPs to create multiple-choice questions with up to 6 options. Polls show live vote counts and close after a set duration. Available when creating posts in supported subreddits.

Quarantine

A restricted status applied to subreddits with highly offensive or controversial content. Quarantined subreddits require explicit opt-in to view, show warnings, don't appear in searches, and generate no ad revenue.

Reddit Premium

Reddit's paid subscription service that removes ads, grants monthly coin allocations, and provides access to the exclusive r/lounge subreddit. Users can also receive temporary Premium access through certain awards.

A person who uses Reddit. The term encompasses everyone from casual lurkers to power users. Being called a 'Redditor' simply means you're part of the Reddit community.

Reddit's informal code of conduct and etiquette guidelines. Reddiquette covers voting behavior, posting practices, and community interaction standards. While not official rules, following Reddiquette is encouraged for positive community participation.

Content that has been previously posted to Reddit, either in the same subreddit or elsewhere. While some reposts are acceptable (for new audiences), frequent reposting without credit is generally criticized, especially recent reposts.

A sorting option that shows posts gaining traction quickly. Rising content has received initial upvotes and is on its way to potentially reaching 'Hot.' Engaging with rising posts often leads to higher-visibility comments.

The prefix used before subreddit names in URLs and references (e.g., r/AskReddit, r/gaming). It denotes a subreddit and is universally recognized across Reddit. Typing r/name links directly to that subreddit.

Reddit's self-service advertising platform (ads.reddit.com) where advertisers create campaigns, set targeting, manage budgets, and track performance. Similar to Facebook Ads Manager or Google Ads interface.

An advertising strategy that shows ads to users who have previously visited your website or engaged with your content. Reddit supports retargeting through custom audiences built from conversion pixel data.

The programming interface that allows third-party applications to interact with Reddit. The API powers mobile apps, bots, data analysis tools, and browser extensions. Reddit's 2023 API pricing changes caused significant controversy.

Restrictions on how frequently users can post, comment, or perform actions. New accounts and low-karma users face stricter limits. Rate limiting prevents spam and encourages quality over quantity of contributions.

Reddit Public Access Network—Reddit's livestreaming feature allowing users to broadcast video content. RPAN streams appear in a dedicated section and can be interactive with live chat and awards.

Reddit Enhancement Suite—a popular browser extension that adds features like infinite scrolling, user tagging, enhanced filtering, keyboard navigation, and night mode. Widely used by power users to improve the Reddit experience.

Shadowban

A site-wide ban where the user can still post, but their content is invisible to everyone else. Shadowbans are typically issued by Reddit administrators for spam or manipulation. Users often don't realize they're shadowbanned initially.

The right-hand column on desktop Reddit containing subreddit information, rules, related communities, and moderator lists. On mobile, sidebar content is accessible through the 'About' tab. Reading the sidebar before posting is encouraged.

Reddit's alien mascot. Snoo is the white alien figure in Reddit's logo and is often customized by subreddits to reflect their themes. The name 'Snoo' comes from 'What's new?'—the question Reddit aims to answer.

Another term for a pinned post. Moderators 'sticky' posts to keep them at the top of the subreddit. The term comes from the idea of a post being 'stuck' in place regardless of votes or age.

A forum dedicated to a specific topic within Reddit. Each subreddit has its own rules, moderators, and community culture. There are subreddits for virtually every interest, from r/science to r/funny. Anyone can create a subreddit.

A user who has joined a subreddit to see its content in their home feed. Subscriber counts indicate a subreddit's size and are publicly visible. Subscribers were previously called 'readers' in Reddit's interface.

The publicly displayed number on posts and comments representing net upvotes minus downvotes. Reddit applies 'vote fuzzing' to displayed scores to prevent manipulation, so the number may vary slightly on each page load.

Promoting a product, service, or agenda while pretending to be an unbiased community member. 'Shill' is a common accusation on Reddit. Authentic disclosure of affiliations is always preferable to perceived shilling.

The overall emotional tone of community reactions to a topic, brand, or post—positive, negative, or neutral. Monitoring sentiment on Reddit provides authentic consumer insights unavailable through other channels.

Reddit's automated system that detects and removes spam content. New accounts and those with low karma trigger more aggressive filtering. Legitimate posts sometimes get caught and require moderator approval.

Low-effort, often absurdist or humorous content posted for entertainment rather than meaningful discussion. Shitposting is embraced in some communities and banned in others. Quality shitposts achieve ironic appreciation.

A text-only post without an external link. Self posts appear with 'self.[subreddit]' as the domain. Originally, self posts didn't earn karma (changed in 2016). Ideal for discussions, questions, and stories.

Thread

A post and all its associated comments. The term comes from the threaded comment structure where replies branch off from parent comments. 'Going down the thread' means reading through all the comments.

A temporary or anonymous account created for posting sensitive content without associating it with one's main account. Common for personal confessions, controversial opinions, or questions users don't want linked to their identity.

A sorting option that ranks posts by total upvotes minus downvotes. 'Top' can be filtered by time period (hour, day, week, month, year, all-time). 'Top of All Time' shows a subreddit's most upvoted content ever.

A user who posts inflammatory, offensive, or off-topic content to provoke emotional responses. Trolling disrupts discussions and is against most subreddits' rules. The advice 'Don't feed the trolls' means ignoring rather than engaging with them.

The algorithmic principle where older posts lose ranking priority over time, regardless of vote count. Reddit's Hot algorithm heavily weights recency, causing even popular posts to fade from front pages within 24-48 hours.

Premium advertising placement that gives a brand dominant visibility on Reddit, including homepage takeovers, trending takeovers, or category takeovers. Takeovers are high-cost, high-visibility placements typically for major campaigns.

Stands for 'Today I Learned.' A popular format for sharing interesting facts or discoveries. The subreddit r/todayilearned is one of Reddit's largest communities, dedicated to sharing new knowledge.

Stands for 'Today I F***ed Up.' A format for sharing embarrassing mistakes or failures. The subreddit r/tifu features confessional stories of personal mishaps, often humorous or cautionary.

Stands for 'Too Long; Didn't Read.' A brief summary placed at the end of long posts for readers who want the key points quickly. Considered good etiquette for lengthy content. Can also be used as criticism of overly verbose posts.

u/

The prefix used before usernames in URLs and references (e.g., u/spez). Typing u/username links directly to that user's profile. The u/ prefix distinguishes users from subreddits (r/).

A way to express approval of a post or comment by clicking the up arrow. Upvotes increase a post's visibility and add to the author's karma. The upvote system is fundamental to how Reddit surfaces quality content.

Vote Manipulation

Using multiple accounts, bots, or coordinated groups to artificially inflate or deflate votes. Vote manipulation is a serious offense that can result in permanent bans. Reddit employs algorithms to detect and counteract it.

The speed at which a post accumulates upvotes and engagement. High velocity in the first hour dramatically impacts ranking. A post with 50 upvotes in 30 minutes ranks higher than one with 100 upvotes over 5 hours.

Wiki

A collaborative documentation section within a subreddit, often containing FAQs, guides, resources, and detailed information about the community's topic. Wikis are editable by moderators and sometimes trusted community members.

YSK

Stands for 'You Should Know.' A format for sharing useful information, tips, or public service announcements. The subreddit r/YouShouldKnow features practical knowledge posts intended to help the community.

AMA

Award

Astroturfing

AutoModerator

Approved Submitter

Ban

Bot

Brigading

Best

Brand Account

Cake Day

Comment Karma

Community

Crosspost

Custom Feed

Controversial

CPC

CPM

CPV

Conversion Pixel

Community Targeting

CMV

Circle Jerk

Copypasta

Default Subreddit

Downvote

DAE

Edit

Engagement Rate

ELI5

Flair

Front Page

FTFY

Gilding

Gallery Post

Hot

Hive Mind

IAMA

Interest Targeting

ITT

IIRC

Karma

Karma Farming

Lurker

LPT

Link Post

Mod

Moderator

Modmail

Multireddit

MRW/MFW

Markdown

Megathread

Meta Post

Meme

New

NSFW

Native Content

Novelty Account

New Reddit

OC

OP

Organic Reach

Old Reddit

Pinned Post

Post Karma

Promoted Post

Power User

Permalink

Poll

Quarantine

Reddit Premium

Redditor

Reddiquette

Repost

Rising

r/

Reddit Ads Manager

Retargeting