Reddit is one of the most popular websites on the internet, and you can find communities built around pretty much anything there. But if you're not familiar with it, Reddit can seem like a confusing mess of jargon, symbols, inside jokes, and all sorts of weird content.
We're here to help you make sense of it. Let's take a look at what Reddit is, how it works, and how you can start using Reddit today.
What Is Reddit?
At its core, Reddit is a social sharing website. It's built around users submitting links, pictures, and text, which everyone can then vote on. The best content rises to the top, while downvoted content becomes less visible.
How Reddit Works
Reddit is a huge site, but it's divided into thousands of smaller communities called subreddits. A subreddit is simply a board devoted to a specific topic. Each one starts with reddit.com/r/, such as reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch. In most cases, subreddits have their own look, rules, and expectations.
When you visit Reddit's homepage (while not signed in), you'll see a feed of trending posts from various subreddits ("subs"). You can click on a post's title to open it and read the comments, see the full-sized image, or visit the link.
Next to every Reddit post (and comments on posts), you'll see a number that represents its score, along with an up arrow and a down arrow. These allow you to upvote or downvote content. However, these are not "agree" and "disagree" buttons.
Upvoting (in theory) means that you think more people should see a post or that a comment contributes to the conversation. Downvoting means that you don't think the post is worthwhile for others to see, or that a comment is off-topic.
This simple system (along with a few behind-the-scenes algorithms) decides what becomes popular on Reddit. If a post receives enough points on its own subreddit, it might make it to the front page of Reddit for everyone to see.
When your posts and comments get upvoted, you earn karma. This is a numerical score that appears on your profile page. While this supposedly gives an idea of how much someone has contributed to Reddit, it's really just a meaningless value. We've looked more closely at what Reddit Karma is and how to earn it.
How to Use Reddit
Even if you're not interested in posting, you can still enjoy a lot of what Reddit has to offer. We recommend creating an account so you can subscribe to subreddits you're interested in, vote, and build a feed of content you enjoy.
You can use Reddit via its official site and mobile app, but there are many alternative Reddit apps and websites that offer a better experience.
Signing Up and Adding Subreddits
Click the Sign Up button at the top-right of Reddit to start. You'll need to enter your email, create a username and password, and then you'll be all set.
Once you're logged in, the main page of Reddit will switch from popular posts to your own Home page. This shows popular content from all the subreddits you've subscribed to.
You can find new subreddits through the front page, but Reddit also has a handy search function at the top of the page where you can find new content. Enter something you're interested in, and Reddit will show both posts and subreddits that match it.
For example, when you enter bluegrass, you'll see a few subreddits followed by related posts. You can use the tabs at the top of the search page to get more specific about what you're looking for. Have a look at a subreddit to see if you like it, then click the Subscribe button on the right side to add it to your list.
Creating a Post on Reddit
You can click inside the Create Post bar at the top of Reddit, or click the Plus button on the top toolbar, to submit content anytime. If you click this when you're viewing a subreddit, you can submit to that page without having to select it from a list.
On the submission page, you can choose whether to submit a text post, image/video, or link. No matter what kind of post you pick, you'll need to submit a descriptive title with it. Some subreddits only allow you to submit certain kinds of content, so keep that in mind. It's best to read the rules of a community before submitting anything to it.
Below this, you'll see a few tags you can add to your post:
- OC: Stands for Original Content, which indicates that what you're posting is your own work.
- Spoiler: This signifies that your post contains content that could ruin a surprise if someone isn't caught up on the topic. Will blur the preview image on the post, if there is one.
- NSFW: The Not Safe for Work tag marks explicit content. This will blur your Reddit post, so people using the site in public places don't accidentally show embarrassing imagery.
- Flair: Certain subreddits allow you to tag your post with little snippets of text to provide more info. For example, on /r/TechSupport, you can use flair like Mac or Networking to categorize your question and make it easier to filter searches.
Once you've submitted your post, it should go live on the subreddit after some time. Different subreddits have various rules for posting; for example, they might not allow brand-new accounts to submit content. Your post also might not appear right away because it requires review by a moderator.
In most cases, you'll receive a message if there was a problem with your post. Confusingly, Reddit offers two forms of messages: chat and private messages (PMS). Reddit chat is more informal and akin to other instant messengers. Click the chat bubble icon at the top of Reddit to access your chat. To see your PMs, which are an older-school messaging system, click the bell icon followed by Messages.
Understanding Reddit Jargon
Reddit newcomers will encounter lots of Reddit slang, acronyms, and terminology that are confusing at first. Below are some of the most common to help you on your way:
- AMA: Ask Me Anything. You'll often see this on the /r/IAmA subreddit, which hosts question-and-answer sessions with notable people.
- Cakeday: The day you joined Reddit, or your "Reddit birthday." You'll see a little cake icon next to your username on your cakeday.
- Crosspost (or x-post): Used to indicate that you posted this content on another relevant subreddit as well as the current one.
- DAE: Stands for does anyone else? Used when you're seeing if other people do something similar to you.
- Edit: Used when someone changed their comment after initially posting it. This lets you respond to new comments, explain why you edited the post, or similar.
- ELI5: Explain Like I'm Five. This is a request for someone to explain something simply. It's also a popular subreddit, /r/explainlikeimfive.
- FTFY: Fixed that for you. Used when correcting a prior comment; often humorously.
- IMO: In my opinion.
- ITT: In this thread. Usually used when someone is summarizing the general theme of discussion on a post.
- Mod: A subreddit's moderator. They keep the subreddit under control by enforcing the rules.
- Neckbeard: A derogatory term used to describe the stereotypical Reddit user: a socially awkward man who is also pretentious.
- OP: Original poster. Used when a comment is addressing the person who submitted the content.
- Repost: Posting the same content multiple times in an effort to gain more karma.
- TIL: Stands for today I learned.
- TL;DR: Too long; didn't read. Used to offer a short summary of a long post in case people don't want to read the full content.
Some Subreddits to Check Out
Reddit isn't much fun without some great subreddits to enjoy. The best way to build up a collection is by searching Reddit for topics you're interested in. Here are a few popular and interesting subs to get you started:
- /r/all: Reddit's all page is a collection of the most active posts from around the site.
- /r/news: For more serious content, check out this sub for the latest news on Reddit. It's primarily about the U.S. but covers other stories too.
- /r/CrappyDesign: Laugh at the worst design decisions you'll ever see.
- /r/DeepIntoYouTube: A collection of "forgotten" YouTube videos that are old and have very few views.
- /r/NoStupidQuestions: Ever had a question you think is dumb but still want to ask? This is the place.
- /r/personalfinance: A great resource for getting help with money-related topics.
- /r/shitpost: Come here to laugh at some of the low-quality garbage that gets upvoted on Reddit.
- /r/techsupport: Have a computer problem and can't find a fix anywhere else? Try posting here.
- /r/TheoryofReddit: Get meta on this sub dedicated to topics about Reddit itself.
- /r/wallpaper: Come find a cool new desktop wallpaper here.
This is just a small sample of what's available; which communities you should join depends on your interests. Check out the /r/FindAReddit directory for a wide sampling, or browse our favorite hilariously specific subreddits.
Tips for Using Reddit
We'll leave you with a few miscellaneous tips for making the most of Reddit.
On every subreddit and post, you can sort by several criteria. Hot is the default and shows posts/comments with a lot of recent activity. New, Top, and Rising are all self-explanatory. For comments, Controversial shows those that have a roughly equal amount of upvotes and downvotes. With some options, like Top, you can filter by the past day, week, year, or all time.
Use the View options to change how posts appear. The default wastes a lot of space, so we recommend changing it to the Classic layout (in the middle). This lets you see more posts at once without getting too cramped.
Some subreddits have wikis or FAQs that can help you get acquainted with the basics. Check the right sidebar or above the view options for these before you start posting. You'll also find the subreddit rules in the sidebar.
You might see various icons that appear next to posts or comments. This is related to the paid Reddit Premium service, where you can purchase coins and use them to give awards to posts. It's not necessary by any means, but when you see that, you'll know someone paid money to award them. For more, check out our guide on what Reddit Premium is and how it works.
Click the Save button on any post or comment to keep it for later. Click Profile under your username at the top-right to get access to all your interaction history, including saved content.
Install the Reddit Enhancement Suite browser extension to add lots of handy features. And don't forget to review our guide to Rediquitte for some major no-nos.
Welcome to Reddit!
Now you have an idea of what Reddit is and how it works. There's a lot more to using Reddit, but you'll learn it in time. For now, focus on subscribing to cool subreddits, interacting with shared content, and learning the basics. Reddit has a lot to offer, so enjoy it.
