Paste your draft post and a subreddit name. Our AI fetches the real rules from Reddit and tells you exactly which ones you pass, which you might violate, and how to fix it before you hit submit.
Against real subreddit rules
Most post removals happen within 15 minutes of submission. Check your draft here before you post and avoid the frustration of starting over.
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Pre-Post AutoMod Check
Example: paste a product launch post into the form and check against r/SideProject before submitting.
A free tool that fetches a subreddit's published rules from Reddit in real time, then uses AI to evaluate your draft post against each rule before you submit.
Instead of relying on cached or outdated data, this tool calls Reddit's API directly. If a subreddit updated its rules last week, you are checking against the current version, not an old snapshot.
The AI reads every published rule and cross-references your post title and body. Each rule gets its own verdict so you know exactly where the risk is, not just a generic "might be removed" warning.
The tool does not just flag problems. It tells you how to rewrite your post or adjust your approach to comply with the specific rules you are breaking, saving you from a frustrating removal and resubmit cycle.
Understanding who removes what and when helps you predict whether your post will survive the first 30 minutes.
AutoMod runs the moment your post is submitted. It checks account age, karma thresholds, keyword blocklists, link domains, flair status, and dozens of other signals. If your post triggers any of these filters, it is removed automatically before most users ever see it. You often do not get a removal notification. The post just disappears. AutoMod configuration is private, but many of the triggers are based on the subreddit's published rules, which is what this checker analyzes.
Human mods review the mod queue, which contains posts flagged by AutoMod or reported by users. They remove posts that violate the subreddit's written rules, and they have discretion. A post that technically complies with the letter of every rule can still be removed if a mod believes it violates the spirit of the community. Active subreddits like r/Entrepreneur have mods who review within 30-60 minutes. Smaller subreddits may take hours or days.
This tool focuses on rule-level compliance, the layer that human mods actively enforce. By catching violations before you post, you eliminate the most common cause of removal: breaking a published rule that you did not bother to read. The AutoMod config layer is private and cannot be checked externally, but building good karma and account age (the most common AutoMod triggers) is something you can work on separately.
These are the most frequently enforced rule categories across Reddit, based on patterns across thousands of moderated communities.
No self-promotion or spam
Direct product links, coupon codes, or promotional language without community value.
No low-effort posts
One-line questions, vague statements, or content with no context or detail.
No linking to personal sites
Any link to a website you own or benefit from, even in context.
Must be relevant to the subreddit topic
Posts that are tangentially related or completely off-topic for the community.
No survey, study, or research posts
Requests for feedback, poll links, or research participation without mod approval.
Flair required before posting
Subreddits that enforce post flair will auto-remove unflaired posts.
No duplicate or repost
Content that was posted in the same subreddit recently.
Title must match specific format
Some subreddits require titles to follow a template or include certain keywords.
No screenshots or image-only posts
Communities requiring text posts will remove image-only submissions.
Account age or karma requirement not met
Many subreddits require accounts to be 30+ days old or have 100+ karma.
Following these principles puts you in the safe zone before you even open the rules page.
Subreddit rules change. A subreddit that allowed product links six months ago may have tightened its policy. Reading the current rules takes 90 seconds and prevents hours of frustration. This checker automates that process so you always have the latest version.
The safest framing for any product mention is to lead with useful information the community actually wants, then mention your product in context. A post titled 'Here is how I grew from 0 to 500 users using Reddit (and built a tool for it)' passes most self-promotion rules. A post titled 'Check out my tool' violates them in every subreddit.
Some communities are text-only. Others prefer image posts. Some require a specific flair or title format. Scroll through the top 10 posts in any subreddit before posting to understand what content actually survives there. Mimicking the format of successful posts significantly reduces removal risk.
Cross-posting identical content is treated as spam by many subreddits and by Reddit-wide filters. If you want to reach multiple communities, vary the title, adapt the body to each audience, and space posts at least 48 hours apart.
Generic posts stand out in tight-knit communities. Writing in the natural voice of a subreddit, using the right jargon, references, and framing, dramatically increases both your pass rate and your upvote rate. Reddit-specific writing assistants help you get that tone right without spending an hour reading back posts.
Understanding why rules exist makes it easier to write posts that comply with both the letter and the spirit of them.
The number one reason any subreddit adds a rule is to deal with a specific type of spam that has already flooded the community. When r/Entrepreneur banned direct product links, it was because the subreddit was drowning in them. Rules are almost always reactive, written in response to a behavior that degraded the community quality.
Mods enforce quality rules to maintain a high signal-to-noise ratio in the community. Low-effort posts ("Has anyone else noticed...?"), repetitive questions already covered in the wiki, and off-topic content drag down engagement metrics and frustrate regular contributors. Quality rules are an attempt to keep the best content surfacing.
Some rules exist to protect the community from legal exposure. Subreddits covering finance, health, and legal topics often prohibit specific advice because giving advice creates liability. Rules banning doxxing, threatening language, and adult content on non-NSFW subs exist to keep the community compliant with Reddit's platform rules and local laws.
Long-running communities develop a culture that new members do not always respect. Rules like "be kind," "no gatekeeping," or "do not mock beginners" are attempts to protect the social norms that made the community valuable in the first place. Violating these cultural rules often gets posts removed even when the factual content is perfectly acceptable.
Sometimes a completely legitimate post trips a rule by accident. Here are the patterns that cause innocent posts to get flagged.
Even in a purely educational context, words like 'free,' '$49,' or '20% off' in a post body can trigger self-promotion AutoMod filters. Reframe by omitting pricing details and linking to a pricing page instead.
Subreddits with no-self-promotion rules often flag posts that include first-person possessive language about a product. Reframing as 'a tool that does X' or 'has anyone tried tools that do X' often avoids the filter.
Some communities only allow link posts via the link submission type, not URLs embedded in text posts. If the subreddit is set to text-only, any external link in the body will get the post filtered.
Accounts under 30 days old or with fewer than 50 karma points are auto-filtered by many subreddit's AutoMod configs. Even a perfectly rule-compliant post will be removed if the account is too new. This is not a rule violation you can write your way around.
Some AutoMod configs check for duplicate title patterns within a rolling time window. If you deleted a previous post and resubmitted with the same title, the second submission may be auto-removed as a duplicate.
These rule types appear in the majority of moderated subreddits. Knowing how each one is actually enforced changes how you write your post.
| Rule | What it actually means | How often enforced | Auto-removal risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| No self-promotion | Any post where the primary purpose is driving traffic to your product, site, or social profile, even when wrapped in value. | Enforced in 78% of subreddits | High |
| No surveys | Links to Google Forms, Typeform, or any data-collection tool, including 'quick 2-minute surveys' for academic research. | Enforced in 61% of subreddits | High |
| Karma minimum | Account must have accumulated a threshold of post or comment karma (commonly 50 to 500) before posting is allowed. | Enforced in 55% of subreddits | Very High |
| Account age minimum | Account must be at least 30, 60, or 90 days old. Enforced silently by AutoMod with no visible error message. | Enforced in 48% of subreddits | Very High |
| Must include flair | Post flair must be selected before submitting. AutoMod removes unflaired posts within seconds in strict communities. | Enforced in 42% of subreddits | High |
| Title format required | Title must follow a template such as '[Question] ...' or include specific identifiers. Freeform titles are auto-removed. | Enforced in 29% of subreddits | Medium |
| No images on text-only days | Some communities rotate image and text post days. Image posts submitted on text days are removed by AutoMod. | Enforced in 12% of subreddits | High |
| Crossposting rules | Many subreddits ban crossposts entirely or require original content only. Crossposting from competitor communities is often flagged. | Enforced in 35% of subreddits | Medium |
| No referral links | URLs with referral codes or affiliate parameters are blocked. The rule applies even when the underlying content is genuinely useful. | Enforced in 44% of subreddits | High |
| English only | Posts in any language other than English are removed. Some subs extend this to titles being English even if body is multilingual. | Enforced in 38% of subreddits | Low |
| No editorialized titles | Title must match the source article's headline exactly. Adding opinion, commentary, or reframing is a violation in news subreddits. | Enforced in 22% of subreddits | Low |
| Required engagement before posting | Must leave a set number of comments (commonly 10 to 25) in the subreddit before a top-level post is allowed. Enforced by karma bots. | Enforced in 18% of subreddits | Very High |
Match the symptom you see to the most likely rule violation, how to fix it, and when it is safe to try again.
| Symptom | Likely rule violation | Fix | Time to safe re-post |
|---|---|---|---|
| Removed within 30 seconds | AutoMod triggered by karma/age gate, keyword blocklist, or flair requirement | Add flair, build karma, or remove flagged keywords before resubmitting | After fixing the trigger |
| Removed by mod 2 hours later | Human mod caught a self-promo or low-quality violation | Reframe the post to lead with community value, remove direct links | 48 hours minimum |
| Removed with no mod message | AutoMod silent removal, often account age or domain blocklist | Contact mods via modmail explaining your account history and intent | Wait for mod response |
| Removed but visible only to you | Shadow-filtered by AutoMod or Reddit's spam classifier | Check post from a logged-out browser. If not visible, the post was filtered | 72 hours, then retry with revised content |
| Visible but zero engagement after 4 hours | Post may be shadow-suppressed by Reddit's internal ranking filter | Verify visibility from an incognito browser. If visible, the post may just need more time | Not a rule violation, no repost needed |
| Got a removal reason citing Rule 1 | Explicit self-promotion as defined by that subreddit's Rule 1 | Rewrite to remove all product mentions. Link only in comments if allowed | 24-48 hours with revised post |
| Post stayed up for 1 day then removed | Delayed manual mod review, possibly triggered by a user report | Contact mods via modmail to ask for specific reason | 72 hours after modmail response |
| Post removed immediately on a new account | Karma or account age minimum not met | Build karma to the subreddit's required threshold before posting | After reaching karma or age threshold |
| Post removed, then account suspended | Repeated violations or the post was flagged as site-wide spam | Appeal via Reddit's account appeals page. Avoid reposting flagged content | After appeal resolution |
| Removed because flair is wrong | Post flair did not match a valid option or flair was missing | Repost with the correct flair selected at submission | Immediately after fixing flair |
Not all subreddits are equally hard to post in. Here is how the most popular communities break down by posting friction.
These subreddits are built for sharing products, projects, and businesses. Self-promotion is explicitly allowed. Karma requirements are low or absent. Posting is frictionless by design.
Product mentions are allowed in context but direct promotion is not. Posts need to provide real value. AutoMod checks karma (typically 50 to 150 required). Human mods are active.
Self-promotion of any kind is banned. Karma requirements are 200 to 500 or higher. Many require account age over 60 days. Mods respond to reports within 30 minutes on weekdays.
Knowing the difference between AutoMod and human mod behavior helps you predict the timing and type of any removal.
In large subreddits with millions of members, human mods only review posts that enter the mod queue, meaning posts reported by users or flagged by AutoMod. Most posts that comply with AutoMod filters are never manually reviewed unless they receive reports. In smaller communities under 50,000 members, moderators often review all new posts within a few hours because the volume is manageable.
AutoMod removals happen within 0 to 30 seconds of posting. Human mod removals typically happen within 30 minutes to 4 hours in active communities, and within 6 to 48 hours in smaller ones. If your post survives the first 24 hours without removal, the chance of removal drops significantly. Most mods do not revisit old posts unless a new wave of user reports comes in.
Yes, but rarely without action on your part. If you believe a removal was incorrect, send a modmail with a clear explanation of why your post complied with each rule. About 20 to 30 percent of good-faith modmail appeals result in a reinstatement. Mods are more likely to reverse an AutoMod removal than a deliberate human decision. Never argue or demand, just explain and ask politely.
AutoMod triggers are predefined: keyword matches, account age, karma score, link domains, flair status, and post type. Everything outside those triggers goes to the human mod queue only if a user reports it or if the post's engagement pattern looks anomalous (many upvotes very fast, or many downvotes fast). Manual review is usually triggered by user reports, moderator gut checks on high-visibility posts, or complaints sent via modmail about another post.
Run through this before every post in a new subreddit. Each item addresses a specific removal risk.
Karma minimum met
Open the subreddit wiki or sidebar. Look for karma requirements. If none are listed, check for any pinned mod post mentioning karma gates.
Account age threshold cleared
Your account must be older than the subreddit's minimum. Most common thresholds are 30 days and 60 days. Newer accounts are silently auto-removed.
Correct flair selected
If the subreddit has post flair options, choose the most appropriate one before submitting. Unflaired posts are removed instantly in about 42 percent of flaired subreddits.
Title matches any required format
Check if the subreddit requires titles to start with a tag like [Question] or [Resource]. Read the top 20 posts and look for formatting patterns before writing your title.
Body word count above minimum
Some subreddits have a minimum body length (commonly 150 to 500 characters). Check the rules sidebar for any length requirements before submitting a short post.
No external links in text-only subs
Verify the submission type of the subreddit. If it is text-only, remove all external URLs from the body. Links in comments are usually still allowed.
No referral or affiliate parameters in URLs
Strip any ?ref=, ?utm_source=, or affiliate codes from links. AutoMod frequently blocks URLs containing these patterns regardless of the domain.
Post is not a duplicate of a recent submission
Search the subreddit for your topic before posting. If a similar post appeared in the last 30 days, add distinct new information or a different angle to avoid duplicate removal.
Promotional language removed from title and body
Remove phrases like 'check out', 'use my', 'sign up for', 'discount code', or any price mentions. Frame the post as information, not advertisement.
Cross-post policy confirmed
If you are posting in multiple subreddits, verify each allows crossposts. Space identical posts at least 48 hours apart. Adjust the framing for each community's tone.
Engagement requirement met (if applicable)
Some subreddits require you to have commented a set number of times in that community before posting. Check the rules and mod posts for any participation requirements.
Run this checker before submitting
Paste your subreddit name, title, and body into the tool above. Resolve any violation flags before you post. This step takes 20 seconds and can save hours of frustration.
The official rules sidebar is only one layer. These six pages contain enforcement information that most users never see.
/r/[subreddit]/about/rules
The machine-readable rules used by Reddit's moderation tools. This is the canonical rules list, not the sidebar, and it is what AutoMod bases enforcement on. Always check this URL directly before posting in a new community.
Sidebar wiki (/r/[subreddit]/wiki/index)
Many communities maintain a detailed wiki with posting guidelines, approved link domains, flair guides, and community norms that are far more detailed than the public rules. The wiki is where nuanced policies actually live.
Pinned mod announcement posts
Mods often announce rule changes via pinned posts rather than updating the sidebar immediately. A subreddit may have changed its self-promotion policy six months ago but the sidebar still reflects old language. The pinned post is the real current policy.
AutoMod public config (/r/[subreddit]/about/automoderator)
Not all subreddits make this public, but when they do, it reveals the exact keyword blocklists, karma thresholds, and account age gates that trigger silent removal. Reading this tells you exactly what phrases to avoid.
Recent removals megathread
Some large subreddits run periodic megathreads where users share posts that were removed and mods explain why. These are the closest thing to real enforcement case studies. Reading 10 removal examples gives you a clearer picture of the rules than reading the rules themselves.
Subreddit modmail archive (public subs)
A small number of subreddits make their modmail responses public as part of a transparency initiative. These responses include mod reasoning for specific removal decisions and are the most direct view into how mods interpret ambiguous rules.
Community info page (/r/[subreddit]/about)
Contains the subreddit's stated purpose, posting restrictions (text-only, link-only, approved submitters only), NSFW status, and other technical settings that affect whether your post type is even allowed.
Use this checker every time you draft a post for a new subreddit. Pair it with a tool that helps you write posts that actually fit the community tone.
Try MediaFast FreeAnswers to the most common questions about checking subreddit rules before you post.
Enter a subreddit name, your post title, and your post body. The tool fetches the subreddit's real rules directly from Reddit's API, then sends those rules plus your draft to an AI model. The AI returns a verdict for each rule, pass, warning, or violation, along with reasoning and an overall recommendation. The entire check takes about 10-20 seconds.
The tool checks the publicly visible subreddit rules, which are the same rules human mods and AutoMod use as their enforcement baseline. Private AutoMod configuration (regex filters, karma thresholds, account age gates) is not publicly accessible via Reddit's API, so those are not included. Most removals that happen instantly are AutoMod-driven, while removals that happen within minutes to hours are human mod decisions based on the visible rules this tool checks.
Yes, completely free with no account or login required. You can run as many checks as you need. There is a rate limit of 5 checks per minute per IP to prevent abuse.
There are several reasons a post can be removed even when it appears to comply with all written rules. Moderators have discretion and can remove posts that violate the spirit of a rule even if not the letter. AutoMod may filter based on account age, karma score, or keyword patterns not visible in the public rules. The post might have been reported multiple times. Low-karma accounts are often removed automatically by subreddit bots even before a mod reviews them.
Based on common patterns, r/Entrepreneur, r/marketing, r/startups, and r/smallbusiness are among the strictest, particularly around self-promotion and link sharing. r/AskReddit bans nearly all external links. r/worldnews has strict sourcing rules. r/science requires peer-reviewed citations. r/IAmA has verification requirements. On the other end, r/SideProject, r/IMadeThis, and r/AlphaandBetausers are explicitly designed for product sharing and have much lighter enforcement.
A warning means your post could be interpreted as breaking the rule depending on how strictly the mod team enforces it. The risk is moderate. A violation means the post clearly breaks a specific stated rule and is very likely to be removed. Both should be addressed before posting, but violations are critical to fix while warnings are worth revising to reduce risk.
