How To Report a Subreddit: Step-by-Step Guide

This article about how to report a subreddit will teach you what to do when a Reddit community violates guidelines.

Reddit can be a powerful source of customer conversations. It can also be a problem if a Reddit account or subreddit spreads harmful or incorrect information, harasses fellow redditors or brands, or posts inappropriate content.

When a Reddit community repeatedly violates the rules, knowing how to report it is integral to protecting your online reputation.

Today, we’ll discuss when it’s appropriate to report content from a specific subreddit, how the process works and what to expect after filing your report. Plus, we’ll talk about how Reddit fits into a larger online reputation management (ORM) strategy.

NetReputation provides information and services to help you protect your digital presence on Reddit and beyond. Call us at 844-461-3632 to learn more, or fill out the contact form below for a free consultation.

9 Reasons To Report an Entire Subreddit

While Reddit encourages open discussion between users, a subreddit can cross the line by violating Reddit’s policies or the subreddit’s policies.

In addition to the rules that the subreddit establishes, there are platform-wide rules that every user must follow. These policies are enforced by Reddit admins.

It’s important to note that simply feeling like a subreddit has offensive content is not enough to report it if it doesn’t break Reddit’s policies. Not every subreddit will be a good fit for you, and there are times when you’ll find Reddit communities offensive or unrelatable.

The following situations may be solid grounds for reporting content policy violations:

Ban Evasion

The subreddit community has already been banned and reappears under a new name.

Discrimination or Hate Speech

The subreddit promotes homophobia, racism, sexism or other types of hate speech. Rule 1 of the content policy says, “Communities and users that incite violence or that promote hate based on identity or vulnerability will be banned.”

Doxxing or Sharing Personal Information

Members of the subreddit post identifying or private information of others, such as addresses, emails, employee details or phone numbers. According to rule 3 of Reddit’s policies, “Instigating harassment, for example by revealing someone’s personal or confidential information, is not allowed.”

Encouraging Illegal Activity or Violence

The community encourages or promotes illegal acts, intimidation, self-harm or threats.

Fraudulent Practices, Scams or Spam

The subreddit exists to scam users, sell counterfeit goods or spread misleading content. Rule 2 of the content policy says not to “spam or engage in disruptive behaviors (including content manipulation).”

Impersonation or Misinformation

The community coordinates smear campaigns, pretends to represent your company or spreads knowingly false claims. While you don’t have to use your real name on Reddit, rule 5 states not to “intentionally mislead others or impersonate an individual or entity in a deceptive manner.”

Graphic or NSFW Content

The subreddit community shares content that’s not allowed and violates community standards, or it posts explicit content without the proper tags. Additionally, Reddit bans any inappropriate content that involves a minor.

Rule Neglect by Mods

The subreddit moderators allow or participate in content that violates Reddit rules.

Targeted Abuse or Harassment

The subreddit encourages users to attack, bully, harass or stalk a business or individual. Rule 1 of Reddit’s content policy says, “Everyone has a right to use Reddit free of harassment, bullying, and threats of violence.”

It’s possible to take control of your online reputation, whether you’re working on your personal reputation or your professional digital presence. Call us at 844-461-3632 for more information.

Step-by-Step Guide To Report a Subreddit

According to Reddit’s help page about reporting a subreddit community, your best option is to report specific posts that showcase the content policy violations. By reporting the content, which includes information about the subreddit and the user, all of that information will be under review by Reddit administrators.

Reporting a Subreddit on Reddit.com

If you’ll be reporting the subreddit content on the website, follow these directions.

1. Go to the post.

First, find a post in the subreddit that’s in violation of Reddit’s policies or the subreddit’s rules.

2. Open the reporting tool.

Once you find the post you want to report, click the Three-Dots menu icon on the top right of the post. Then, click the Report button.

3. Select the rule that the post breaks.

Choose the reason that most closely matches why you’re reporting the content. If you’re unsure of exactly which rule the post is breaking, there are links at the bottom of the pop-up box to review Reddit rules and the subreddit’s rules. Also, once you select a reason, a description will show up at the bottom of the box before you proceed to the next step. When you’re done, click the Next button.

4. Provide additional details.

On the next page of the pop-up box, you’ll be asked to provide more information related to the reason you selected in the last step. Click the best option and then click the Submit button when you’re done.

Reporting a Subreddit on the Reddit App

If you’ll be reporting the subreddit content using the mobile app, follow these directions.

1. Go to the post in the Reddit app.

Find a post in the subreddit that violates Reddit rules or the community rules.

2. Open the reporting tool.

Click the Three-Dots menu icon on the top right of the post, then click the Report button on the menu that pops up.

3. Select the rule that the post violates.

Select the best reason for reporting the content. If you need to review Reddit or subreddit rules, there are links at the bottom of the page. Also, when you make your selection, a description of the rule violation will show up at the bottom. When you’re ready, click the Next button.

4. Provide additional information.

You’ll be asked to provide additional information related to the reason for reporting the content. Choose the best option, then click Submit when you’re done.

Repeat These Steps To Report Additional Content From the Subreddit

Since you want to show that an entire subreddit is in violation of Reddit rules or community standards, continue submitting reports for multiple posts.

What Happens After You Report a Subreddit?

According to Reddit’s content policy page, there are a number of enforcement steps that Reddit admins may take:

• Asking the Reddit account user to stop the behavior
• Temporarily or permanently suspending accounts
• Removing privileges from or restricting accounts or subreddits
• Removing the content
• Banning the subreddit

Reddit administrators will take the course of action they feel is best based on your report and what they discover when looking into it. More serious cases tend to be handled first and face severe outcomes, while lesser complaints may be dealt with later on and result in softer penalties.

Note that you won’t necessarily be notified of the outcome of Reddit’s review. You’ll want to check Reddit to see if the subreddit has been removed or penalized.

Limits of Reddit’s Reporting System

While reporting Reddit content may be useful, there are times when admins won’t take action. Reports are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and the purpose of the process is to address actual policy violations. Criticism or negativity that doesn’t break the rules won’t be taken down simply because it harms your reputation or offends you.

Let’s go over the specific content types that are not grounds for removal:

Behavior of Moderators

Not all Reddit moderators are created equal, and some may be biased, do their job poorly or set up unfair rules for the subreddit. However, unless moderators are violating site-wide policies, they won’t be penalized.

Content That Hurts Your Personal or Business Reputation

Posts that are negative but that are not abusive or false (or anything else that breaks the Reddit content policy) won’t be removed. Honest criticism, even if it’s particularly harsh, is allowed to remain on the platform.

Disagreements and Unpopular Opinions

The purpose of Reddit is to facilitate open discussion. When that happens, there are bound to be disagreements between users and unpopular opinions shared with the masses. You can’t have content removed on the basis that you dislike the viewpoint it expresses.

Truthful Information

Real customer experiences, public business information and factual news coverage won’t be removed unless they violate part of the content policy.

At NetReputation, we work with individuals and businesses to help them build and take control of their online reputation. Give us a call at 844-461-3632 to learn more.

6 Steps To Take After You Report Content

If subreddit content is harming your online reputation, reporting the offending posts is only the first step. While you wait for Reddit to go over the reports — and prepare for the outcome that the content and community may remain active — there are several steps you can take to get control of the narrative.

Document Everything

Save screenshots and URLs of the posts and user profiles. If the content escalates or spreads and you have to take more drastic action, you’ll need proof.

Monitor Related Discussions

In addition to continually monitoring the subreddit you’ve reported, also watch for related conversations in similar subreddits and even on other platforms outside of Reddit.

Address Customer Concerns

Whether or not it’s accurate, customers will likely be affected by what others say on Reddit about your brand. Acknowledge their concerns and respond publicly on various channels, including Reddit, your website, social media and email. Don’t hide from the problem — being transparent helps repair trust that’s been broken by harmful Reddit content.

Resist the Urge To Engage With Hostile Users

As tempting as it may be to become part of the fight, don’t engage with the Redditors who are violating the content policy. Commenting in problematic communities can escalate the problem and draw even more attention to it.

Improve Your Search Results

To dilute the negative chatter that’s happening on Reddit, publish fresh, positive content, such as blog posts, social media posts and press releases. This will serve to reinforce public trust while pushing down the negative information.

Consider Hiring Professional Help

Whether or not a post, Reddit account or subreddit is removed, your online reputation may be damaged because of the situation. Outside help from ORM professionals can include monitoring services, suppression strategies and long-term reputation management and protection.

Schedule a free consultation with a reputation management expert.

3 Ways To Proactively Monitor Reddit

Reddit is a highly active, fast-moving platform. What’s said about your brand can pop up and circulate before you’re ever made aware of it. That’s why proactive monitoring is so important — it allows you to catch problems early and respond as needed. Here’s what to do:

Set Up Keyword Alerts

There are free and paid tools that you can use that will “listen” to search results and alert you when your personal or brand name appears online. You can also set up these listening tools to scan for brand keywords, competitor keywords, names of executives at your company and more.

These tools won’t necessarily catch every Reddit mention the moment it appears online, but they are definitely useful for surfacing popular threads and other online mentions beyond Reddit.

Use Reddit’s Search Tool

Make a point to regularly search for Reddit using its native search tool. To see the most recent discussions surrounding your name or brand, sort by newest. You may be able to stop negative or disturbing content from gaining traction.

Monitor Competitor and Industry Subreddits

Conversations that may affect your brand could be happening in multiple communities. It’s important to monitor any and all subreddits that could now or in the future include mentions of your brand.

Wrapping Up

Reddit is an excellent business tool for learning more about your customers and competitors. However, when a subreddit crosses the line into spreading harassment or misinformation, it breaks the rules of the platform and damages your reputation at the same time. In these cases, reporting is a must-follow step to protect your brand.

Monitoring Reddit and strategically engaging with your audience while proactively reporting policy violations helps you stay in control of the conversation. Reddit management is just one part of a broader online reputation strategy, though. Get started today with a free consultation with one of our ORM experts.

Call us at 844-461-3632 or fill out the contact form below.