Reddit Guidelines: All 8 Sitewide Rules in One Table
TL;DR: Reddit's guidelines come in two layers. The 8 sitewide Reddit Rules apply everywhere and are enforced by Reddit's admins; each subreddit then adds its own rules, enforced by its moderators. Break a subreddit rule and you usually lose a post or get banned from that community; break a sitewide rule and your whole account can be suspended.
Reddit guidelines, officially called the Reddit Rules (the page used to be named the Content Policy), are eight platform-wide rules: remember the human, abide by community rules, respect privacy, protect minors, be authentic, label content, keep it legal, and don't break the site. Every subreddit sets its own rules on top, and the Moderator Code of Conduct requires those community rules to stay inside the sitewide ones. So the practical answer to "what are the Reddit rules" is: these eight, plus whatever is listed in the sidebar of the subreddit you are posting in.
What are Reddit's sitewide rules?
Reddit's sitewide rules are the eight Reddit Rules that apply to every user and every community. Here they are with what each bans and the penalty that typically follows. The rule wording is Reddit's; the "typical penalty" column comes from the enforcement list on the same page, matched to severity.
| Rule | Short name | What it bans | Typical penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Remember the human | Harassment, bullying, threats of violence, promoting hate based on identity or vulnerability | Content removal, account suspension; communities that incite violence are banned |
| 2 | Abide by community rules | Spam, disruptive behavior, content manipulation, posting where you have no personal interest | Removal, subreddit ban, account restrictions or suspension for repeat spam |
| 3 | Respect the privacy of others | Posting personal or confidential info, intimate media without consent | Removal and suspension, often permanent |
| 4 | Protect minors | Sexual, abusive or suggestive content involving minors, predatory behavior | Permanent suspension |
| 5 | Be authentic | Misleading others on purpose, impersonating a person or entity | Removal, suspension of impersonating accounts |
| 6 | Label content | Unlabeled graphic, sexually explicit or offensive content and communities | Forced NSFW tags, quarantine, removal |
| 7 | Keep it legal | Illegal content, soliciting or facilitating illegal or prohibited transactions | Removal and suspension |
| 8 | Don't break the site | Anything that interferes with normal use of Reddit (bots that flood, exploits) | Suspension, privileges removed |
| layer | applies to |
|---|---|
| 8 Reddit Rules | every subreddit |
| User Agreement | every account |
| layer | applies to |
|---|---|
| Subreddit rules | one subreddit |
| AutoModerator config | one subreddit |
A subreddit can add rules but cannot allow what the sitewide rules ban.
Reddit's exact wording matters when a mod or admin quotes a rule number at you. The short versions:
Rule 1 Remember the human.
Rule 2 Abide by community rules. Participate authentically in communities
where you have a personal interest, and do not spam.
Rule 3 Respect the privacy of others.
Rule 4 Do not share or encourage the sharing of sexual, abusive, or
suggestive content involving minors.
Rule 5 Be authentic. You don't have to use your real name, but do not
intentionally mislead others or impersonate an individual or entity.
Rule 6 Ensure people have predictable experiences on Reddit by properly
labeling content and communities.
Rule 7 Keep it legal.
Rule 8 Don't break the site or do anything that interferes with normal use of Reddit.Rule 1: remember the human
Rule 1 is the anti-harassment rule. It covers bullying, threats of violence and hate aimed at people based on identity or vulnerability. It is also the rule behind most "rule 1" mentions you see in threads, which is why people keep asking what "rule 1, 2, 3, 7" mean: users are citing these numbers.
Rule 2: abide by community rules
Rule 2 is the one marketers break. It makes every subreddit's own rules part of the sitewide rules, and it bans spam and content manipulation. "Participate authentically in communities where you have a personal interest" is the line that catches accounts that only show up to drop links. Vote manipulation, buying upvotes and sockpuppet voting all fall here. If you promote anything on Reddit, read our guide to Reddit self-promotion rules next.
Rules 3 and 4: privacy and minors
Rule 3 bans doxxing and posting intimate media of someone without consent. Rule 4 bans any sexual, abusive or suggestive content involving minors. These are the zero-tolerance rules; expect permanent suspension.
Rule 5: be authentic
Rule 5 lets you stay anonymous but not deceptive. You don't need your real name. You can't pretend to be another person or a company, and you can't intentionally mislead people, which includes posing as an unaffiliated customer while recommending your own product in a subreddit that asks for disclosure.
Rules 6, 7 and 8: labels, legality and the site itself
Rule 6 is about labeling: the NSFW tag for sexually explicit or graphic content and the Spoiler tag so people know what they are opening. Rule 7 bans illegal content and prohibited transactions. Rule 8 covers anything that breaks Reddit: scripts that flood posts, exploiting bugs, or tooling that interferes with normal use.
What happens if you break a Reddit rule?
Breaking a Reddit rule triggers one of the enforcement actions Reddit lists on the rules page, roughly from mildest to harshest:
- Asking you nicely to knock it off
- Asking you less nicely
- Removal of content
- Removal of privileges from, or adding restrictions to, accounts
- Temporary or permanent suspension of accounts
- Community-level actions: NSFW tags, quarantine, or banning the subreddit
Mods act inside one subreddit; only admins suspend accounts.
Who acts depends on which layer you broke. Moderators can remove your post, ban you from their subreddit, or mute you in modmail. Only Reddit's admins can restrict or suspend your account sitewide. A removal without a message is often a filter, not a person; our guide on why Reddit posts get removed walks through how to tell. If your posts silently vanish everywhere, check for a shadowban.
Where do I find a subreddit's rules?
A subreddit's rules live on its community info page. On desktop they sit in the right sidebar under "Rules". On the mobile app, open the subreddit, tap the community name or "About", and scroll to the rules list. You can also go straight to the rules page by URL:
https://www.reddit.com/r/SaaS/about/rulesOld Reddit shows the same list in the sidebar and at:
https://old.reddit.com/r/SaaS/about/rulesRead the wiki too (/r/SaaS/wiki/index for r/SaaS). Many subreddits keep longer posting guides there (for example, a weekly self-promotion thread or a required flair), and AutoModerator removes posts that skip them. Our subreddit stats tool shows a community's rules alongside its size and activity, so you can check before you post.
Are subreddit rules different from Reddit's content policy?
Yes. Subreddit rules are written by that community's moderators and only apply there; Reddit's content policy (the 8 Reddit Rules) applies everywhere and is enforced by admins. The two stack:
| Sitewide Reddit Rules | Subreddit rules | |
|---|---|---|
| Written by | Reddit, Inc. | The subreddit's moderators |
| Applies to | Every community and account | One community |
| Enforced by | Admins | Moderators and AutoModerator |
| Worst penalty | Permanent account suspension | Permanent ban from that subreddit |
| Can be stricter? | Baseline | Yes, never looser |
| Where to read | redditinc.com/policies | Community sidebar, /about/rules, /wiki |
The Moderator Code of Conduct (effective June 5, 2025) is what ties them together. It has 5 rules: Rule 1 "Create, Facilitate, and Maintain a Stable Community", Rule 2 "Set Appropriate and Reasonable Expectations", Rule 3 "Respect Your Neighbors", Rule 4 "Be Active and Engaged" and Rule 5 "Moderate with Integrity". It also expects mods to uphold the User Agreement, especially Section 8. Its Rule 1 says mods must set community rules "that abide by our site policies" and never approve or encourage rule-breaking content. Its Rule 2 asks mods to create rules "that explicitly outline your expectations." So a subreddit can ban links, require 30 days of account age or a karma minimum in its AutoModerator config, or forbid any self-promotion, but it cannot permit something the sitewide rules ban.
How do these rules apply if you use Reddit for marketing?
For anyone using Reddit to find customers, Rules 2 and 5 are the ones that decide whether an account survives. In practice:
- Answer the question that was asked before you mention any product.
- Read each subreddit's rules and wiki before your first post there.
- Disclose your affiliation when a subreddit requires it.
- Link only when someone asks or the rules allow it.
- Never buy votes, accounts or comments; that is content manipulation under Rule 2.
Posting too fast also gets you throttled before any rule is involved; see Reddit rate limits.
The hard part is not the rules, it is finding the threads where a helpful answer is welcome. BoomReddit scans Reddit around the clock for posts where people ask for what you sell, ranks them by buying intent, warns you when a subreddit's mods are strict, and drafts a reply in your voice that you approve before anything posts. Try BoomReddit free, no card.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 8 Reddit rules?
The 8 Reddit Rules are: remember the human, abide by community rules, respect the privacy of others, don't share content sexualizing minors, be authentic, label content properly, keep it legal, and don't break the site. They are published at redditinc.com/policies/content-policy, which shows the same page as redditinc.com/policies/reddit-rules.
What does "rule 2" mean on Reddit?
Rule 2 usually means sitewide Rule 2: abide by community rules and don't spam or manipulate content. Inside a specific subreddit, "rule 2" can also mean that subreddit's own second rule, so check its sidebar.
Can a subreddit ban me for something that isn't against Reddit's rules?
Yes. Moderators can set stricter rules for their community, such as no links or no self-promotion, and ban you from that subreddit for breaking them. That ban does not suspend your Reddit account.
Who enforces Reddit's rules?
Admins (Reddit employees) enforce the 8 sitewide rules and can suspend accounts. Moderators (volunteers) enforce subreddit rules and can remove content or ban users from their community only.
Can I appeal a Reddit suspension?
Yes. Reddit lets suspended users appeal admin actions through its Help Center appeal form. For a subreddit ban, message that subreddit's moderators through modmail instead (reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/SaaS opens it for r/SaaS); admins don't overturn ordinary mod decisions.
Is reddiquette a rule?
No. Reddiquette is an informal etiquette list (vote on quality, search before posting, don't beg for votes). Admins don't enforce it, but some subreddits copy parts of it into their own rules, and then mods do.
Where are Reddit's rules published?
The sitewide rules are on redditinc.com under Policies, alongside the User Agreement (current version dated July 1, 2026, replacing the March 31, 2026 and June 28, 2025 versions) and the Moderator Code of Conduct.