How do I join a private subreddit?
If the room has a request to join button, use it. It sends the mods a mod mail. If there is no button, read the description, which some private rooms use to say how to ask, and otherwise wait for an invite.
Reddit glossary
Moderation and safety
Private subreddit: what it is and how to get access
A private subreddit is a community whose posts only people the moderators let in can see. Everyone else sees its name and description.
Updated October 27, 2026
A real example
Reddit Help: Community settings, the Community Type section
A private room can turn on a request to join button, which sends a mod mail asking the mods to let you in. Without that button, an invite is the only way.
Private vs restricted vs public
| Who can read posts | Who can post | How you get in | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public | Anyone | Anyone, within the room's rules | Just join |
| Restricted | Anyone | Approved users | A request to post, if the room offers one |
| Private | Only people the mods let in | People the mods let in | A request to join, or an invite |
A private room's name and description can still show up in search, so people can find it and ask. Its posts can't.
What it means for a marketer
Private rooms are often where a niche's most useful talk happens, which is exactly why they went private. Treat access as something you earn, not a channel you open. Ask with a short note on who you are and why you want in, and never ask so you can promote. If a public room covers the same topic, start there: everything you post in a private room stays inside it, and none of it helps you show up in search.
Related Reddit glossary terms
Restricted subreddit
A restricted subreddit is a community anyone can read, where only users the moderators approved can post, and sometimes comment.
Approved user
An approved user is a redditor a subreddit's moderators added to a list that lets them post where others can't, or skip some limits.
Quarantined subreddit
A quarantined subreddit is a community Reddit hides behind a warning you must opt in to, and keeps out of search, Popular and recommendations.
Common questions about Private subreddit
Can moderators see who is in their private subreddit?
Not as a member list. Reddit's help page says mods of a private room still can't see who joined, but they can see the people they approved in their approved users list.
Can a private subreddit become public again?
Yes, but changing the type after a community is created goes through a request to Reddit, not a single switch.
Sources
Checked against Reddit's Help Center on October 27, 2026.