Controversial sort
Also called: controversial, sort by controversial, controversial comments
Definition
Controversial is a Reddit sort that surfaces posts or comments with many votes split closely between upvotes and downvotes. It shows what a community disagrees about, not what it likes.
Controversial ranks content by disagreement. A comment with 300 upvotes and 280 downvotes scores high; one with 300 upvotes and 5 downvotes barely registers.
How it works
Reddit's archived open-source code includes the original controversy formula:
- If a post or comment has no upvotes or no downvotes, its controversy score is zero.
- Otherwise it takes the total number of votes (the magnitude) and raises it to the power of the balance between upvotes and downvotes (the smaller count divided by the larger).
- A perfect 50/50 split keeps the full magnitude; a lopsided split shrinks it fast.
So the top of Controversial is content that drew a lot of votes and split the room. Reddit's live code may differ from the version archived in 2017, but the behavior users see matches this idea. In comment sections, Controversial is usually one of the sort options in the sort menu (desktop and app), next to Best, Top, New and Q&A. Subreddit post listings also offer it, often with a time filter.
Why it matters for marketers
Controversial is a free research tool.
- Find the real objections. Sort a thread about your category by Controversial and you see the opinions people fight over: pricing models, a competitor's reliability, whether a tool is overkill for small teams. Those are the objections your answers and landing pages need to handle.
- Spot polarizing claims before you make them. If "X is better than Y" comments in your niche always land in Controversial, a comment making that claim about your product will too.
- Read sentiment honestly. Top comments show consensus. Controversial shows the minority view that might be your next segment. It is a rough, manual form of sentiment analysis.
Example
A project management startup opens a 600-comment thread titled "Is [big competitor] worth it for small teams?" Under Top, people praise the competitor. Under Controversial, the most-debated comments are about per-seat pricing jumps at 10 users. The startup's next replies in similar threads lead with how its pricing works at 10 to 20 seats.
Common mistakes
- Thinking controversial means bad. It means divided. Some of the most useful comments in a thread sit here.
- Writing to land in Controversial on purpose. Hot takes from a brand account attract downvotes and screenshots more often than customers.
- Treating one thread as the market. Check several threads before concluding an opinion is common.
Frequently asked questions
What does "controversial" mean on Reddit?
Content that received many votes, split closely between upvotes and downvotes. The more votes and the closer to 50/50, the more controversial.
Does a controversial comment hurt karma?
Net score is what counts toward karma, so a comment at 300 up and 280 down nets little, even though many people voted on it.
Can I sort Reddit search results by Controversial?
No. Reddit Help lists the search sorts as Relevance, Hot, Top, New and Comment Count. Open a subreddit or a thread to use Controversial.