Hot sort
Also called: hot, sort by hot, hot ranking, hot algorithm
Definition
Hot is a Reddit sort that ranks posts by a mix of votes and recency, so posts gaining upvotes now rise above older posts with more total votes. It is the default view of most subreddit front pages.
Hot is the sort that decides what sits at the top of a subreddit right now. Reddit's help center describes it as prioritizing "posts that have recently been getting upvotes, comments, etc." Other sorts include New, Top (with a time filter), Rising, Best and Controversial.
How Hot works
Reddit open-sourced its code until 2017, and the archived repository includes the original hot formula. In plain terms:
- Votes count on a log scale. The formula takes the base-10 logarithm of a post's net score. Going from 10 to 100 net upvotes adds as much as going from 100 to 1,000.
- Time is a steady boost for newer posts. Each post gets credit for when it was submitted. In that code, 12.5 hours of recency is worth the same as a tenfold increase in score.
- The result: a new post with a modest number of fast upvotes can outrank yesterday's post with many more. Old posts drop off steadily no matter how popular they were.
Reddit's live ranking has surely changed since 2017; the help center now mentions comments as well as votes. Treat the archived code as the shape of the idea, not the exact current math.
Pinned posts are an exception: on old Reddit, a stickied post stays at the top of the community when sorted by Hot until a moderator removes it.
Why it matters for marketers
Hot rewards early momentum. Most of a post's chance to be seen happens in its first hours, which is why timing matters (see the best time to post on Reddit, or check a specific subreddit with our best time to post tool). A post submitted when the community's readers are asleep collects fewer early votes and sinks before they wake up.
It also means a post is not a lasting asset by itself in its subreddit's feed. Comments in threads that rank on Google behave differently: Hot stops mattering, and the thread keeps getting search traffic for years.
Example
A founder posts a write-up on Tuesday at 3 a.m. in their audience's time zone. It gets 6 upvotes by morning and is already on page two under Hot. The next week they post a similar write-up at 9 a.m. local time; 30 early upvotes keep it near the top all day, and the comments section fills up.
Common mistakes
- Asking friends for early upvotes to game Hot. That is vote manipulation.
- Deleting and reposting a post that did not take off. Many communities treat that as spam, and reposting the same content is named in Reddit's spam policy.
- Confusing Hot with Top. Top ranks by votes over a chosen time window; Hot weighs recency.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Hot and Top on Reddit?
Hot balances votes with how recent a post is. Top ranks purely by votes within a time range you pick (past hour, day, week, month, year or all time).
What is the difference between Hot and Best?
In a comment section, Best ranks comments by the share of upvotes relative to how many votes they have. On the home feed, Best is Reddit's personalized ranking. Hot is the trending sort for posts.
How long does a post stay in Hot?
There is no fixed time. Because recency keeps adding up for newer posts, most posts in active subreddits fall out of the top within a day.