Reputation
Karma is a rough score of the upvotes and downvotes your Reddit posts and comments received, shown on your profile.
Updated October 26, 2026
That score is roughly upvotes minus downvotes, and it flows into the author's comment karma. One useful answer in the right room can outweigh weeks of one-liners.
| Comes from | Who can see it | What checks it | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post karma | Votes on your posts | Anyone, on your profile | Some subreddit minimums |
| Comment karma | Votes on your comments | Anyone, on your profile | Some subreddit minimums |
| Community karma | Votes inside one subreddit | Not shown publicly | That subreddit's AutoModerator, if the mods set it up |
| Total karma | Roughly the sum of the above | Anyone | Reddit's limits on new accounts |
Reddit says karma is an approximate reflection of your votes, so one upvote is not always one point. And it tells you not to chase it: its help page asks you to be a good contributor and let karma follow.
Karma is a gate, not a goal. Many rooms won't show your posts until the account has some, and they look at account age too, so a brand new account with a great launch post often goes nowhere. Earn comment karma first, in small rooms about things you know. A few upvoted answers in your own field do more for a marketing account than a big total from memes, because mods read the history as well as the number.
I wrote the slow, safe version step by step in how to get karma on Reddit, and the difference between that and farming in karma farming vs warming up.
Post karma is the part of your Reddit karma from votes on the posts you submit, shown apart from comment karma on your profile.
Comment karma is the part of your Reddit karma that comes from votes on your comments, shown apart from post karma on your profile.
Account age is how long a Reddit account has existed. Many subreddits won't let accounts younger than a minimum post, and Reddit hides the number.
There is no sitewide number. Each subreddit sets its own minimum, and most don't publish it. When Reddit holds a post back, the Create a post screen tells you which check you failed, karma, account age or a verified email, without the number.
On reddit.com, click your avatar, then View Profile, and hover over the total in the profile card to see post and comment karma apart. In the app, open your profile and tap About.
Yes. Downvotes count against it, so a comment a room dislikes can take points away.
No. Buying, trading or using other accounts to vote is vote manipulation, which Reddit's rules ban, and it can get every account involved banned.
Checked against Reddit's Help Center on October 26, 2026.