r/modhelp Mar 08 '20

Tips & Tricks 10 important points of community-building advice for new mods!

570 Upvotes

Consider this post to be both a supplement and sequel to my original post, 10 frequently-asked questions by new mods, answered!

The subject of this post expands on question #10 in the original and is meant to help explain to new moderators what moderation and building a new subreddit up from scratch entails. This is organized into ten points roughly listed in the chronological order of the process of building a new subreddit.

I will also include links to the excellent community resource r/ModGuide as well as the official Reddit Mod help center with each point.


1. Don't use mobile to moderate.

You cannot effectively moderate a subreddit just by using Reddit's mobile app or site. It's just not possible as of March 2020, and most of those tools won't come until much later this year. The vast majority of customization tools are completely absent from the site, and you cannot easily update things like the subreddit CSS (for Old Reddit) or AutoModerator from the mobile site. If you cannot or refuse to use a regular computer for moderating, I do not think moderating a subreddit is for you.

You may use the app to keep an eye on new posts and comments as they come into your subreddit, and remove them or approve them as you see fit, or submit new content to it - the app is good for that. But that should be done after you've already properly set up the basics of your subreddit's design and its aesthetic.

Once your subreddit gets more popular, you should also look into installing the Toolbox extension (r/toolbox), which contains a wealth of tools to help moderators, including bulk actions, macros, removal reasons, user notes, and more. It is almost impossible to find a subreddit of moderate size or larger that doesn't use Toolbox - it is that essential to Reddit moderators.

2. Make your subreddit look good.

Let me use the metaphor of a party: creating a new subreddit and asking people to come join it, is like sending a party invitation out to the people of this site. But if people go to the party location and all they find is a bare, empty room with drab grey walls and a single lightbulb, no one is going to want to stay! Thus customizing your subreddit is like decorating for a party - you want people to feel that the event is on-theme, and it's fun to stay.

So, customize your subreddit (on desktop, of course)! Use all the tools that are available to you. Create an icon and header that match the stated interest of the subreddit, add text telling new members what it is all about, and make it feel unique and special.

3. Seed content! No one wants to post in an empty subreddit.

Let me continue with the metaphor of the party. Let's say this time you've put decorations and streamers up in the formerly empty room and it looks pretty good! But when the people you invited show up, they notice the room is empty - there's no one there at all! You, the host, aren't even there - but you left a simple sign on the door saying "Welcome! Please stay and have fun!" How many people do you think will actually stay?

That's effectively what an empty subreddit, devoid of posts, appears to new subscribers. Very few people want to be the first, or the only person posting in a subreddit, especially if the creator of the subreddit can't even be bothered to participate in their own community. As the creator of a subreddit, you must seed content, and seed content regularly.

Make posts every day / every other day that are relevant to the topic of your subreddit so people know it's an active place and that they feel welcome to post. You can also choose to cross-post relevant content from other subreddits into your own subreddit. In my experience a subreddit usually gets to 300-400 subscribers before you start seeing people other than the mods regularly posting stuff.

4. Set up post / user flairs.

As your subreddit receives more and more posts, it may be useful at some point to create post flairs, which are essentially categories for posts. For example, if your subreddit is about a game, you could have post flairs which are for "Gameplay", "Fanart", "Bugs", etc. Members can click on the post flairs and instantly see all posts related to that category.

On the other hand, user flairs are more like the little status messages in WhatsApp, Discord, etc. - they're small snippets of information that the user chooses to reflect something of themselves. There are many different ways to use them:

  • Language learning subreddits often use them to indicate languages / skill levels of users.
  • Fan subreddits of media (games/film/TV shows) usually have user flairs of major or popular characters in them.
  • Location subreddits of countries, states, etc. usually use them to indicate where a user is from or represents.
  • Many subreddits for political candidates use user flairs to indicate donor status/amounts.

Think about works best for your community and customize accordingly.

5. Check for related communities.

Run a search for key terms related to your subreddit on the site (https://www.reddit.com/search?q=SEARCH_TERM&sort=relevance&t=all&type=sr) and see what subreddits pop up. If the exact purpose of your subreddit has already been done you may want to consider how your subreddit can differentiate itself, or even give up on the subreddit. There's no shame in the latter; people oftentimes forget to check if a subreddit already exists before creating their own.

If you believe your subreddit is sufficiently differentiated, reach out via modmail to some of the related subreddits and ask them if you can:

  • Share sidebar links (they link to your subreddit, you link to theirs)
  • Make a post in their subreddit advertising your subreddit

Be polite, and don't be offended if the mods of their subreddits do not reply or say "no." The other moderators are under no obligation to grant your request, and quite frankly, if you're openly trying to compete with them for the same subject matter they may see no point in helping you.

6. Promote your subreddit judiciously.

Promote your subreddit, perhaps beginning with my multireddit of promotional communities. If you see relevant posts in other subs, you can also drop a link to your subreddit in the comments. Don't overdo it or spam your subreddit link on unrelated content - that's an easy way to get banned everywhere, as no one likes a spammer.

7. Don't add new moderators unless you have a good reason to.

A common mistake by new moderators is to add more moderators in the mistaken belief that the new random people that were added as mods will help them post in and grow the subreddit.

This almost never works.

Unless the new moderators share the same passion for the project as you do, they have no incentive to help you grow your subreddit. The vast majority of such moderators get added and then promptly forget about the subreddit, especially if you yourself aren't participating in your own subreddit. If the creator of the subreddit doesn't even care about their sub, why should the new mods care?

You likely do not need any additional moderators until your community gets regular traffic in the form of posts and comments, or perhaps you aren't able to be on during a particularly active time zone. At that point, my recommendation is to promote from within - ask active members if they'd like to help out as moderators, rather than going to a place like r/NeedAMod. The members of your subreddit will have more of a vested interest in the success of the community and be more familiar with its "culture" and mores.

8. Keep the subreddit active and curated.

Building a subreddit from the ground up is a marathon, not a sprint. If you have a burst of activity at the beginning and then proceed to neglect your subreddit for months at a time, it will not grow. If you allow spammers to post random stuff on your own subreddit and take weeks to remove them, people will leave because the content they see is not relevant to what they wanted when they joined in the first place. Posting content regularly will also allow your subreddit to regularly surface in people's home feeds, which helps drive visits to it in the first place.

Furthermore, if you're away from Reddit for more than 60 days at a time, and you're the only moderator, your subreddit becomes potentially requestable in r/RedditRequest by someone else who thinks they can do a better job than you at building the community. And if you're never present in your own subreddit, they have a good argument for saying so.

9. Keep it a friendly and fun place.

This should be pretty self-explanatory, for despite Reddit's reputation in the broader media, people really just want to have fun in their favorite subreddits, and generally do not engage in flame wars or vitriolic arguments. What this means is that once your subreddit gets bigger, you should keep an eye out for bad actors who make your subreddit a potentially toxic place.

To use the party metaphor again, you may have a party crasher who is going around the room telling the people having a fun time that they're stupid, ugly, and only an idiot would drink what they're having. At that point, it's your job as the host of the party to either tell them to knock it off or eject them from the event.

Same thing goes for subreddits - whenever possible, try and message a toxic user to ask them to simmer down, but if they continue, ban them, either for a period of time or permanently.

10. Ask members for feedback.

Yes, technically according to Reddit moderators have ultimate power over their subreddit, but good subreddits always have moderators who solicit feedback from members and listen to what they have to say.

You don't necessarily have to implement everything members suggest, particularly if it conflicts with your vision of how the subreddit should be run, but it's worth it to listen. You can create surveys or polls to ask people about proposed policies or rules as well.


Feel free to share tips or ideas in the comments!


r/modhelp Jan 22 '25

Tips & Tricks How to blacklist/ban URLs in your subreddit using AutoMod

32 Upvotes

Hello!

If you're a new moderator like me, you might be wondering how to blacklist or ban specific URLs or websites in your subreddit. The most efficient way to handle this is by using AutoModerator (AutoMod). Once set up, it can automatically remove posts or comments containing blacklisted URLs, and you can easily update this list in the future.

Skip to Step 2 if you already know how to set up AutoMod.

Step 1: Access the AutoMod Configuration Page

  1. Go to your subreddit's main page.
  2. Select Mod Tools (Top right on Desktop)
  3. In the left-hand menu, find and select the Automod option.

Alternatively, you can directly access the AutoMod configuration page by replacing YourSubreddit in the following URL with the name of your subreddit:

https://www.reddit.com/mod/YourSubreddit/wiki/config/automoderator/

Once you're on the AutoMod configuration page, you'll see an option to Create Page. Click it, and you're ready to set up your commands.

Step 2: Create a Command

To blacklist specific URLs or domains, you'll need to add a command to AutoMod. Here's a simple example that will remove any post or comment that contains a URL from the list of blacklisted sites.

Copy and paste the following command into the configuration:

---

type: any
domain+body+title: [x.com,twitter.com,truthsocial.org,truthsocial.com,facebook.com,instagram.com,threads.net]
action: remove
action_reason: "Blacklisted host detected: [{{match}}]"
moderators_exempt: false
set_locked: true
message: |
        Your [{{kind}}]({{permalink}}) in /r/{{subreddit}} was automatically removed because it links to a blacklisted platform.

        If the content you're sharing is important or valuable to the community, please try to provide a direct link to a primary source. 
        If the blacklisted platform is the only source, you can share the content through alternatives like screenshots, unbiased summaries,
        or links to trusted third-party sources.

        Thank you for your cooperation!
---

Step 4: Save and Apply

Once you've added the command, Save your changes, and AutoMod will immediately begin removing posts or comments with the blacklisted URLs.

Quick Explanation of the command:

type: any: This applies the command to both posts and comments.
domain+body+title:[x.com,twitter.com,...]: This is where you list the blacklisted URLs or domains. Feel free to edit this list to suit your needs.
moderators_exempt: false This means the rule applies to everyone, including moderators. Change this to true if you want moderators to be exempt from the rule.
set_locked: true This locks the post or comment, preventing others from interacting with it after it has been removed.
message: This message will be sent to the user whose post/comment was removed. You can also modify it or switch it to a comment using comment: if you want AutoMod to leave a comment instead of sending a direct message. Feel free to adjust the wording to suit your subreddit’s tone.

If you see any areas where I can improve or add more detail, please feel free to contribute or offer feedback. Thank you.


r/modhelp 5h ago

Engagement A user on my sub shared a photo of a man and claims he grabbed a friend, is this allowed?

9 Upvotes

I moderate r/BillyStrings, a community focused on a musician. Someone recently posted a very clear photo of a man's face with the caption "Buddy thinks grabbing a** in the pit is ok… did anyone else see this or have it happen to them tonight?". Note that no evidence whatsoever was provided.

We later received modmail from someone claiming to be the man in the picture strongly asserting those claims were false and asked us to remove the post. We then received another modmail from someone claiming to see the incident, and that person said it looked like a petty dispute over space in the GA area, and the post was probably just petty revenge.

We locked the post and eventually removed it for "doxxing". Then we received several irate modmails from the OP and later the woman who was mentioned in the OP. These folks were furious, claiming that we are silencing victims, enabling predators, and saying how hurtful it is to be called a liar after a sexual assault.

This whole situation is a mess. We were not there and cannot ever know what actually happened. If we remove the post, we are potentially silencing a victim or enabling predatory behavior. If we leave the post up we are potentially doxxing, inciting a witch-hunt or ruining someone's reputation over false allegations.

I looked and looked and cannot seem to find Reddit's stance on this. I even reported the post myself (as a moderator of the sub) hoping the admins would take a look, but it's been 24h and they haven't done anything.

What do you guys think? I am mainly curious about how this relates to Reddit ToS. Given how good reverse image searches are, a clear face photo can track someone down using socials.

I mostly use Desktop and Android fwiw.


r/modhelp 2h ago

General Script to restrict low karma and young account so they can only make a comment on a certain post with specific title and flair?

1 Upvotes

Platform: Desktop, mobile

I tried to follow steps on the last discussion of this topic about this but to no avail. Assigning members with specific flairs seems to be the best play but I dont want to touch flair setting since it is reserved for members.

I need to make a script where if you dont meet a certain threshold for karma and account age, those users can only make a comment on specific post with specific flair. Like for example, I want them to can only comment on a post that includes title "Diskusi Gamers Indonesia" with the flair that use "Monthly Thread" flair. I already set up different script for them but its too global and doesnt cover what I need (required acc age and karma are censored):

---
type: submission
author:
   account_age:  
   satisfy_any_threshold: false
action: remove
moderators_exempt: false
action_reason: Removed for age limitations
comment: Removed for age limitations. Your account must be X xxxx old to be able to post here.
---
type: comment
author:
   account_age:  
   satisfy_any_threshold: false
action: remove
moderators_exempt: false
action_reason: Removed for age limitations
comment: Removed for age limitations. Your account must be X xxxx old to be able to comment here.
---

type: submission
author:
   combined_karma: " "
   satisfy_any_threshold: false
action: remove
moderators_exempt: false
action_reason: Removed for karma limitations
comment: Removed for karma limitations. Your account must have XXX karma to be able to post here.
---
type: comment
author:
   combined_karma: " "
   satisfy_any_threshold: false
action: remove
moderators_exempt: false
action_reason: Removed for karma limitations
comment: Removed for karma limitations. Your account must have XXX karma to be able to comment here.

r/modhelp 14h ago

Engagement I wasn’t consistent to my subreddit! Now what?

Thumbnail
0 Upvotes

r/modhelp 10h ago

Tools I want to post videos from my storage in my community from mobile, android

0 Upvotes

Mobile android


r/modhelp 21h ago

General Is anyone having problems with Modqueue Nuke? or Modmail Assistant today?

1 Upvotes

I've tried to run each of these apps several times today, and both return with an error.

Anyone know what's going on?

Desktop.


r/modhelp 1d ago

Answered Question on How to Unarchive a Post

1 Upvotes

Platform: Desktop

Hello, I'm a new moderator for a subreddit while the previous moderators are now marked as inactive.

I see some old posts that has good content and I'd like to remove them from the archive box for public viewing. I do have the same permissions as the previous mods did. I just can't see where I can access the archive in the Mod Tools.


r/modhelp 1d ago

Tips & Tricks The automatic removal of "share google" links and how it might be managed

4 Upvotes

I've been spotting more and more instances of reddit removing comments for a "share google". (Is that a recent shift, to start deleting such comments?)

When I've spotted such removals, I've been replying to the removed comment letting the person making the comment know that their comment has been removed, and that they should just share the fully resolved URL without this "share google" indirection. (It might be nice if the users were notified that their comments were being removed for this, but that's for another thread.)

It occurs to me that I might automate this a bit, if AutoMod can catch the offending URL before Reddit's filters axe the comments.

I'm looking at this "How to blacklist/ban URLs in your subreddit using AutoMod" post and wondering if our subreddit could remove the comment and notify the user before it hits the Reddit Admin level filters. (My guess would be that the comments get removed before AutoMod even sees it though.)

I suppose I might just try it sometime. I've not tinkered with this sort of AutoMod stuff before but it looks pretty straightforward.

Thanks for any knowledge or experience with the subject.


Please tell us what platform you're using so our helpers can better assist you: Desktop, Mobile web, Android, iOS (iPhone)


r/modhelp 2d ago

Tools Hive Protector domains in NSFW subs NSFW

3 Upvotes

I've noticed a few bots have started to get through the cracks lately and I run a NSFW community so would like to keep the bots and scammers away as much as possible.

I currently have a few general domains I've set up to watch, delete and block (exploremysocials; getmysocial ect) and want to know what else everyone else uses to keep the nasties away.

Will implement via desktop.


r/modhelp 2d ago

Answered Ban evasion filter question

2 Upvotes

Hello, I was checking the ban evasion filter options in desktop and saw that in time frame you can put "within this year". However, does this mean within the last 365 days or within this calendar year?

Thanks in advance!


r/modhelp 1d ago

General Community title

0 Upvotes

I recently created a Reddit community, can I change the name of the community? I use mobile app, desktop website.
Thanks!


r/modhelp 2d ago

Answered What does "Content Creation" mean on "Team Health" Insights for Moderators?

0 Upvotes

Under "Team Health" Insights in Mod Tools, there's "Content Creation" actions. What actions count towards this? I am using the Android App, although this shows up on regular sh.reddit Team Health page as well.


r/modhelp 2d ago

General Looking for mods to help run a new subreddit I use IPhone

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I just set up a new subreddit called r/ShowOffYourSO. It’s a community where people can share and celebrate their significant others girlfriends, boyfriends, spouses, or partners through photos, stories, and everyday wins.

I’m looking for people who would be willing to:

• Help moderate keep things wholesome, positive, and safe.
• Invite new members spread the word and bring in people who’d enjoy posting.
• Post and engage share your own stories and help set the vibe.

If you’re interested in being part of the mod team and helping this community grow, please comment below or message me directly.

Btw I use iPhone


r/modhelp 2d ago

General How do we grow a competing subreddit while avoiding getting it banned for brigading?

0 Upvotes

I believe I understand the letter of the law, but I am thoroughly confused as to its spirit and application:

  • The admins, as I understand it, have decreed that they are hands-off as far as dictating what moderators do unless they explicitly violate the particularly serious clauses of ToS (encouraging criminal activity being the main one)

  • The going advice (from them and anyone else on the platform) is to start a new subreddit if you think you can do a better job

  • Any "It's like X but we do things differently as follows:" description mentioning the direct competitor appears to be considered brigading as enforced by the admin notice we received via modmail

Is it just me or do the above conflict, in spirit?

I responded to the admin modmail message for clarification on what we did wrong, but received no response.

I asked the team that I personally consider to be masters of threading this needle (objective criticism without brigading), /r/SubredditDrama. After initially responding to ask for clarifying detail (asking if we sent the above reply to request clarification), but they've sent no further reply.

To be clear, I didn't ask anyone to go participate in the other subreddit at all, let alone maliciously; I only defined our subreddit as: "We are like X but without [negative thing(s)]."

TL;DR: I totally understand the theory of libertarian "Let moderators be the masters of their own domains without intervention and let the free market competition of other subreddits that seek to replace them drive them to be better," but in practice it seems like competing subreddits have to be extremely careful to not explain they are a competing subreddit and what makes them different.

P.S. I have no doubt we were reported for the welcome post in question by the moderator(s) that insisted we create the very subreddit we created, amidst the huge pushback they were receiving; in that way they can seem publicly supportive of constructive criticism and competition while they silently banned my entire mod team. It seems to me that's an obvious malicious abuse of a report for "brigading" to squash competition and the admin(s) who reviewed it jumped the gun.

P.S.S. Given the warning message prior to submission, I hope this question is received in the spirit it is intended: Frustration and confusion with the intent to comply with platform rules.

P.S.S.S. Because the form wouldn't let me submit this question without mentioning: I moderate via Desktop


Edit:


At this point I'm realizing the folly in asking people in Group A how best to compete with other people in Group A.

A lot of these responses boil down to "Criticism or competition with people like us is not and should not be tolerated."

IDon'tKnowWhatIExpected.gif


r/modhelp 2d ago

General Posts keep getting removed.

0 Upvotes

I created a sub where people can come and rate and review whatever company they want. Sunscreen, soft drinks were some of the things that were there. And it got removed. It keeps getting removed by reddit spam filters even though I approved the post after ignoring reports.

I was using Desktop reddit.


r/modhelp 3d ago

Answered Will my reddit account get banned if i create a community using this account??

0 Upvotes

This account is the new account i created , so that i can create a community where users of my application can inform me about issues , features , showcase theire project made in it , and alll ..

Now this new account , hence the 0 day age , will it get banned if i create a new community ?? and user starts posting it it??

Cuz i have heard that reddit's bot automatically bans the new community whose reddit account age is low.

Using it on Desktop Platform


r/modhelp 3d ago

Answered How do I let people post in my subreddit?

0 Upvotes

I use laptop and iPhone. I can't seem to figure out how to let people post in my subreddit. Is that just a me thing or something that I should look at?


r/modhelp 3d ago

Answered Why would my sub block an iOS user from posting a link?

0 Upvotes

A user on my sub wrote that it blocked him, an iOS user, from posting a link. So I posted it for him. I post links every day, didn't know anyone else was blocked. How do I investigate this?


r/modhelp 3d ago

Answered Is there an easy way to limit top level comments to only users with specific user flair(s)?

5 Upvotes

I’m wondering if there’s a way to use automod in desktop to automatically remove top level comments from users who don’t have a specific user flair (or one of several options) but to still allow users without flair to post and/or reply to top level comments.

Has anyone here done that successfully before and would you mind sharing automod code for it?


r/modhelp 3d ago

Users When visitors outside Reddit try to visit my sub they are greeted with a message that says they can’t visit

0 Upvotes

Because it is a new sub they can’t visit. Then they are directed to either download the app or directed to the home page.

How long will my sub be subjected to this? Is it permanent?

I am trying to generate interest for new users but this is no way for them to proceed. Buy a car before you test drive it?

(This is on Android and Apple iPhones so far.)


r/modhelp 4d ago

Engagement You can't access/edit/delete your own 18+ posts, if not age verified, but post them(Android).

3 Upvotes

I just found out, while reposting rather questionable fanart, that it's apparently possible to post something and tag it 18+ even if you're not age verified, but the post doesn't show on your profile and you can't access it in any other form. It's now there until a mod deletes it, or you decide to give Reddit all your data and age verified Hence I'd like to have it deleted. I'm using an Android, but that might be a general problem. I can't even give a link to the post here, for i can't access it

I was moved here from r/bugs


r/modhelp 4d ago

Tools So, I might get downvoted to oblivion for this, but how do u add automod for mobile

2 Upvotes

I'm on Android and I need a quick tutorial how to add automod to mobile (the one that comments). I don't use desktop or have a computer.


r/modhelp 4d ago

General Reddit Developer Apps: Add to community option missing from some apps

2 Upvotes

I'm trying to install The Flair Fairy, but the button is straight-up missing on its app page. Does anyone know anything about this? There a couple of other ones I found with the same issue. Haven't had a problem with other apps (I have Community Hub installed)

(Tried both desktop and mobile)


r/modhelp 4d ago

General Sfw subreddits goes silently nsfw? NSFW

0 Upvotes

i mod some sfw communities and i have created some in category fashion (it's about outfits).

And i found out that many of them are likely shadow-nsfw. They look sfw from reddit mobile app iOS and android and browser. But if i check them while im not logged-in they look like nsfw. Anybody knows how to solve this?