If you have spent any time on Reddit, you have probably noticed that small number next to your username. That number is called Karma. Reddit uses it as a way to track the value you bring to the community. But how does Reddit karma work, and why does it matter? Let’s break it down.
What Is Reddit Karma?
Reddit karma is a score that reflects how much the community has upvoted or downvoted your posts and comments. It is essentially Reddit’s reputation system. The more you contribute valuable or entertaining content, the higher your karma grows.
There are two main types of karma:
- Post Karma: Earned when people upvote the posts you submit to subreddits.
- Comment Karma: Earned when people upvote the comments you leave under posts.
You can view your karma by clicking your user icon in the top right corner. There’s a menu that pops up, and you just click “view profile”. Then your karma is shown in the top right corner below your photo. Higher karma scores allow you to interact more freely on the site.
Note that the amount of karma in your account breaks down by subreddit, too. And that matters for anyone who wants to be active in some of the popular subreddits (the largest and most commonly viewed communities).
We will discuss that in more detail later. First…
How Do You Earn Karma?
You earn karma when other Reddit users upvote your posts or comments. That’s it. And yes, there are proven ways to get more karma on Reddit. They all break down to participating organically and authentically in the community.
How is Reddit karma calculated? The details are still subject to debate, but the fundamentals are simple. Post relevant and authentic comments, get upvotes, and your karma score will go up.
More specifically, you can:
- Post high-quality content that is original, helpful, funny, or thought-provoking.
- Participate in active subreddits where members are engaged and discussions are lively.
- Join relevant discussions with thoughtful, well-written comments.
- Share unique insights or resources that add real value to the conversation.
Each subreddit has its own culture. It’s just like any other social group. What earns karma in one community may fail completely in another. Context matters.
Tools like Karmatic.ai can help you find relevant conversations. If you’re building or monitoring a brand, it’s invaluable for tracking brand mentions, sentiment, and key terms across social media.
How Do You Lose Karma?
You lose karma when people downvote your posts or comments. This is commonly seen with troll responses, but it can happen to any unpopular opinion within the Reddit community.
Mods are usually pretty good about removing obvious troll responses and spam, but they don’t remove your post just because you said something people disagree with. And regardless of how it’s supposed to work, a downvote is often treated as a “disagree button”.
Common reasons for downvotes include:
- Posting off-topic content in a subreddit.
- Sharing spam or overly promotional material.
- Being rude, aggressive, or inflammatory in comments.
- Posting low-effort or unhelpful replies.
- Dissenting from the majority opinion in the specific subreddit.
Comments on Reddit usually show upvotes and downvotes. Sometimes there are exceptions, in that some communities hide comment karma, usually for a specific period, so it won’t influence people’s interpretations of your comment. But that isn’t the norm.
Does Karma Generate Immediately or Is There a Delay?
Karma does not update instantly. Reddit uses a scoring system that introduces small delays and randomization to prevent spam, manipulation, and vote brigading. The specific algorithm they use to calculate karma, including delays, isn’t something that’s shared with the public.
In most cases, you will see changes within a few minutes, but larger surges in karma may take hours to be fully reflected in your total score.
Is There “Hidden” Karma?
Yes. Kind of. While more positive interactions in a subreddit mean higher karma, it doesn’t look like a one-to-one ratio on your profile page.
Hidden karma refers to two things:
- Temporary vote hiding: On many subreddits, upvote and downvote counts are deliberately hidden for the first few hours after a post or comment is published. This is done to prevent early voting bias and mob mentality. You may receive upvotes during this period without seeing the exact number until the hiding period ends.
- Internal scoring adjustments: Reddit does not display the exact raw vote totals that determine karma. The platform applies algorithms that weigh votes differently and sometimes fuzz the visible numbers. This means the karma number you see is an adjusted figure rather than a direct count of upvotes minus downvotes.
Because of these mechanics, it is common for your karma to appear lower or higher than you expect based on the votes shown. Just be patient, and you’ll see the real upvotes appear as karma eventually.
Subreddit-Specific Karma vs. Overall Account Karma
Your total karma on Reddit is the sum of all your post and comment karma across every subreddit where you have participated. However, individual subreddits often track your karma within their own community separately.
For example:
- Subreddit-specific karma only reflects your contributions within that single subreddit. Some communities use this number to determine whether you can post or comment.
- Overall account karma is your combined karma from every subreddit and is visible on your profile. This is the number most people see when they visit your account.
A user can have very high karma in one subreddit but very little or even negative karma in another. This happens when content resonates strongly with one community but not with others.
What’s the Difference Between Post and Comment Karma?
- Post Karma is earned from the upvotes on the threads you start. Posting original content, images, or links that the community enjoys can generate large karma gains quickly.
- Comment Karma is earned from replies you leave under posts. Comment karma usually grows steadily over time, especially if you consistently contribute to active discussions.
While both count toward your total karma score, they reflect different strengths. High post karma suggests your original content resonates widely. High comment karma suggests you are valued for your insights and participation in conversations.
Key Takeaways
- Karma reflects your contributions to Reddit’s communities.
- You earn it through upvotes and lose it through downvotes.
- There is a delay in karma updates to discourage manipulation.
- Hidden karma is a result of vote hiding and internal scoring adjustments.
- Some communities have karma requirements for posting/commenting.
- Follow each community’s rules, provide value, and be authentic to earn karma.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does karma matter on Reddit?
Not in a monetary sense, but high karma can build trust, unlock posting privileges in certain subreddits, and increase your influence. There are ways to earn money on Reddit, including as part of their contributor program.
2. Can you buy karma?
No. Buying karma is against Reddit’s terms of service and can result in account bans. Even if you could buy karma, it wouldn’t be worth risking your account.
3. Does deleting posts affect karma?
It’s unclear whether mod-removed posts have a 1:1 relationship with karma declines. We’ve seen one popular post removed from a community while its resulting karma remained.
4. Can karma go negative?
Yes. If you have more downvoted content than upvoted content, your total can drop below zero.
5. Can moderators see your karma?
Yes, mods see your karma score. They also see your community-specific karma and your recent activities within the community. This helps prevent spam and scams. It also helps you build credibility within the communities where you’re most active.
If you understand the culture of Reddit and contribute meaningfully, karma will grow naturally, and your reputation in the community will grow with it.
