How to Appeal a Reddit Ban (Sitewide, Subreddit, Shadowban)

TL;DR: First work out who banned you. A sitewide ban comes from Reddit's admins and is appealed through the link in your inbox notice or at reddit.com/appeals, within six months. A subreddit ban comes from that community's moderators and is appealed by replying to their ban message, which lands in their mod mail.

A Reddit ban appeal goes to whoever issued the ban. If Reddit itself banned your account, you'll see a banner across the site and app plus an inbox notice with the reason and, for temporary bans, the length; you appeal through that notice or the Reddit appeals form, and you have six months to do it (Reddit Help). If one subreddit banned you, the admins can't lift it: reply to the moderators' ban message and make a short, specific case. If your posts simply vanish with no notice, you may be shadowbanned or flagged for spam, which also goes through reddit.com/appeals. Never make a second account to get around any of these, because that is ban evasion and can turn a one-community ban into a sitewide one.

Which kind of Reddit ban do you have?

You tell the ban type apart by where the notice came from and what you can still do. Four situations look similar from the inside:

1Got an inbox ban notice?

2From Reddit or from one subreddit's mods?

3Reddit: appeal via notice or `reddit.com/appeals`

4Mods: reply to the ban message in mod mail

No notice and posts invisible logged out? Check for a shadowban first.

Reddit's own wording on the difference: a community ban stops you from participating in that single community, while a Reddit ban stops you from participating anywhere (Reddit Help). If you're unsure whether you're shadowbanned, run your username through our shadowban checker before you file anything; our Reddit shadowban guide covers the signs in more detail.

What you need before you start

• Access to the banned account in a web browser. Reddit's spam-flag instructions say to log in to the affected account in a browser before opening the appeals page (Reddit Help).
• The ban notice itself. It names the rule, the action and (for temporary bans) the length. Screenshot it.
• Links to the content that triggered it, if the notice includes them.
• The date. Sitewide appeals are accepted within six months of the notice (Reddit Help).
• Ten minutes of cool-down. Appeals written angry read angry.

How to appeal a sitewide Reddit suspension

A sitewide suspension is appealed to Reddit's admins, never to moderators. Steps:

1. Read the inbox notice. Open your Reddit inbox and find the ban message. Note the exact rule cited and whether the ban is temporary (with an end date) or permanent.
2. Open the appeal from the notice. Follow the instructions in the notice. If you can't find the link, go to https://www.reddit.com/appeals`` while logged in to the banned account in a browser.
3. Pick the matching reason. For spam, inauthentic activity or ban evasion bans, the same form also handles "my account was wrongly linked to other accounts" (Reddit Help).
4. Write the explanation. Say why you think the ban was a mistake, which is exactly what Reddit asks for. Use the template below.
5. Submit once. Reddit says it may limit how many times a decision can be appealed and may stop processing appeals from people who file unfounded ones repeatedly (Reddit Help). One clear appeal beats five rushed ones.
6. Wait without working around it. Don't open a new account to keep posting while you wait.

If the ban is temporary and short, consider whether an appeal is worth it at all. A temporary ban leaves your profile unchanged and other users can't tell you were banned; a permanent one puts a notice on your profile and can remove you as a moderator of communities you run (Reddit Help).

How to appeal a subreddit ban

A subreddit ban is appealed to that community's moderators, and only they can lift it. Reddit's help center says to contact the mods through mod mail (Reddit Help).

1. Find the ban message. Mods send it as a chat or inbox message when they ban you.
2. Read the subreddit's rules. Open the sidebar or the rules page and find the rule the ban names. Our subreddit rules explainer covers where rules live.
3. Reply to the ban message. Your reply goes into the community's mod mail, into a folder Reddit calls Ban Appeals (Reddit Mod Help). Replying keeps the ban context attached, which saves the mods from digging.
4. Keep it short and specific. Name the post, the rule, what you'll do differently. See the template below.
5. Send one message and wait. Mods can mute you from mod mail for 3 days, 7 days or 28 days, or permanently, and a mute applies only to that community (Reddit Help). Repeated follow-ups are the fastest way to get muted.
6. Don't message individual mods. Mod mail goes to the whole team; direct messages to one moderator tend to be read as pressure.

While banned from a subreddit you can still read it and remain a member; you just can't post or comment there (Reddit Help).

1Mods ban you, send message

2You reply to that message

3Lands in mod mail Ban Appeals

4Mod team decides

Only that subreddit's mods can lift a subreddit ban.

How to appeal a Reddit shadowban or spam flag

A shadowban (Reddit calls it being flagged for spam or inauthentic activity) is appealed through the same reddit.com/appeals form. Reddit's instructions: log in to the affected account in a browser, open the appeals page, and fill out the form saying you believe the account was flagged in error (Reddit Help).

Note that a subreddit's AutoModerator "shadow ban" (a rule that silently removes one user's posts in one community) is not a Reddit shadowban. Reddit says it does not count AutoModerator shadow bans as community bans (Reddit Help). That one is a mod decision, so ask the mods. Our guides on why a Reddit comment was removed and AutoModerator explain how to tell.

What should a Reddit ban appeal say?

A good appeal is short, names the specific content, and shows you read the rule. Admins and mods both read many appeals, so make the decision easy.

For a sitewide ban (to admins):

My account u/yourname was banned on <date> for <rule from the notice>.
I believe this was a mistake because <one or two concrete reasons>,
for example: the comment at <link> quoted the abuse in order to report it,
or: I run one account and was not using others.
I've read the Reddit Rules and I'm asking you to review the decision.

For a subreddit ban (to mods):

Hi mods, I was banned for <rule> after my post <link>.
I've reread the rules and I see why it broke rule <N>.
I won't post <the thing> again. If you're open to it, I'd like
to be unbanned, or to know if a shorter ban is possible.

What helps:

• Specifics: dates, links, the rule number.
• Accountability when you did break the rule. Mods unban people who show they understand the rule far more often than people who argue it.
• Facts when it was a mistake: "the account was compromised, I reset the password on <date>", "that link was to my own docs and the post was a question".

What sinks it:

• Insults, threats, or "this sub is a joke".
• Arguing the rule is unfair. Moderators are free to run their communities as they choose within Reddit's rules (Reddit Help).
• Long essays. Three to five sentences.
• Mentioning another account you used to post while banned.

How long do Reddit ban appeals take?

Reddit does not publish an appeal response time. Its enforcement page says appeals are processed "in a timely, non-discriminatory, diligent, and non-arbitrary manner" and that Reddit reverses a decision when the initial assessment was wrong (Reddit Help). For subreddit bans there is no timeline at all: moderators are volunteers and some never answer.

Practical guidance:

• Temporary sitewide ban: the ban often ends before a reply. That's fine; the appeal still matters if the decision was wrong.
• Permanent sitewide ban: wait, and don't resubmit the same appeal. Reddit may limit repeat appeals on one decision.
• Subreddit ban: if nobody answers, don't escalate with repeated messages.

How long does a Reddit ban last?

A Reddit ban lasts as long as the notice says. Both admins and moderators issue temporary bans (with a set length) and permanent ones. When moderators ban, they choose the duration as part of the ban (Reddit Mod Help); when Reddit bans, the inbox notice states the length for temporary bans (Reddit Help). A permanent ban has no end date; only a successful appeal lifts it.

What are your options if the appeal fails?

When an appeal is denied, the honest options are limited, and none involve a new account.

• Subreddit ban: Reddit's own advice is that there may be a similar community you can join instead (Reddit Help). Find related communities with our subreddit finder and read their rules first.
• Mods breaking Reddit's rules: if a moderator is harassing you or otherwise violating the Reddit Rules or the Moderator Code of Conduct, report the specific content through Reddit's report flow. Disagreeing with a ban is not a Code of Conduct violation.
• Temporary sitewide ban: wait it out, then follow the rules closely; repeat violations tend to bring longer actions.
• Permanent sitewide ban: the decision stands. Reddit may limit further appeals on it.

Appeal, then wait

Step	Result
Subreddit ban	One community
Appeal denied	Join a similar sub
Account	Still active elsewhere

vs

Alt account

Step	Result
Subreddit ban	One community
Post from alt	Ban evasion
Account	Sitewide ban risk

Reddit says ban evasion could result in a sitewide suspension.

Why you should never use an alt account

Ban evasion means using another Reddit account to keep participating in a community you were banned from, and Reddit says it could result in a sitewide suspension (Reddit Help). Reddit uses automated detection, in-house language models and human review to catch rule violations (Reddit Help). See our ban evasion entry.

Common ban messages and what they mean

• "You've been banned from participating in r/...": a subreddit ban. Reply to it to appeal.
• A banner saying your account is suspended: a sitewide ban. Check the inbox notice for the rule and length, then appeal through it.
• "You've been muted from r/...": a mod mail mute (3 days, 7 days, 28 days or permanent). Wait it out; you can't appeal through mod mail until it ends.
• A red security warning at login asking you to reset your password: a security lock. Reddit says resetting your password unlocks it (Reddit Help).

Once you're back, our guide to commenting on Reddit without getting banned covers the habits that keep it that way.

Frequently asked questions

Can you appeal a permanent Reddit ban?

Yes. A permanent sitewide ban can be appealed through the inbox notice or reddit.com/appeals within six months of the notice. Reddit reverses decisions it finds were wrong, but it may limit repeat appeals on the same decision.

Where do I submit a Reddit appeal?

Sitewide bans, suspensions and spam flags go to reddit.com/appeals (or the link in your ban notice), from a browser logged in to the banned account. Subreddit bans go to that subreddit's moderators by replying to their ban message.

Can Reddit admins lift a subreddit ban?

No. Subreddit bans are moderator decisions. Admins only step in when a moderator breaks the Reddit Rules or the Moderator Code of Conduct, not because you disagree with a ban.

How do I appeal a Reddit ban from a deleted account?

You can't in practice. Reddit says a deleted account can't be reactivated and its username becomes unusable, and its appeal instructions require logging in to the affected account (Reddit Help). Don't delete an account you want to appeal for.

Is it okay to make a new account after a subreddit ban?

Not to post in the community that banned you. That is ban evasion, and Reddit says it can lead to a sitewide suspension. Posting elsewhere from your existing account is fine.

What should I write in a Reddit ban appeal?

Three to five sentences: the date, the content and rule involved, why it was a mistake or what you'll do differently, and a polite request to review. No insults, no essays, no mention of other accounts.