Approved user
Also called: approved submitter, approved contributor, whitelisted user
Definition
An approved user is an account a subreddit's moderators have added to an approved list. It grants access to private and restricted communities and, in public ones, exempts the user from filters such as Crowd Control, the reputation filter and posting-frequency limits.
Being an approved user is the closest thing Reddit has to a subreddit's trusted list. Some Reddit documentation calls it "approved submitter," and AutoModerator checks it with the is_contributor field.
How it works
Moderators add approved users from Mods & Members in their mod tools by typing a username. What it does depends on the community type:
- [Private subreddits](/glossary/private-subreddit/): only approved users can see and take part.
- [Restricted subreddits](/glossary/restricted-subreddit/): anyone can view, but only approved users (and mods) can post.
- Public subreddits: Reddit says mods can still approve a trusted member who keeps hitting limits on how often they post or how new their account is. Approval removes those restrictions.
Approved status also exempts the account from several filters, according to Reddit's help pages:
- Crowd Control: approved users are not affected.
- The reputation filter: approved users are not caught.
- The ban evasion filter: adding someone as an approved user stops future flags. (So does approving three of their flagged items.)
- The Poster Eligibility Guide is not shown to approved submitters, and approved status is not displayed to other users.
Why it matters for marketers
Approved status is earned, not requested cold. Mods give it to people who have been useful in their community and keep tripping a filter by accident: an expert with a new account, a regular who posts often in a fast thread.
For a founder or marketer, that means it is a by-product of real participation. If you are a long-time helpful member of a niche community and your new account keeps getting filtered, a short modmail explaining who you are can be reasonable. Asking for approval so you can post promotions is not, and mods can remove approval as easily as they grant it.
Example
A data engineer who answers questions in a database subreddit creates a new account for work. Crowd Control collapses their comments as a new account. They message the mods, link their old account's history in that community, and a mod adds the new account as an approved user. Their answers show normally from then on.
Frequently asked questions
What does approved user mean on Reddit?
It means a subreddit's moderators have added your account to their approved list. You can access the community if it is private or restricted, and you bypass certain filters in public communities.
How do I become an approved user on a subreddit?
Moderators add approved users themselves. In practice that happens after you have participated helpfully; for private or restricted communities, some publish a way to request access.