Mod queue
Also called: modqueue, moderation queue, needs review queue
Definition
The mod queue is the list of posts and comments in a subreddit waiting for a moderator's decision: user reports plus content filtered by AutoModerator or safety filters. Filtered items stay hidden from the community until a mod approves them.
The mod queue is where a moderator's workday starts. Reddit's help center calls the main view Needs Review, and describes it as the central list of everything in a community that needs a moderator's review.
How it works
The moderation queue has several tabs:
- Needs Review: user reports plus filtered posts and comments. This is what most mods mean by "the mod queue."
- Reported: items users have flagged.
- Removed: removed content, including what Reddit's spam filter caught.
- Edited: content changed after posting.
- Unmoderated: submissions no mod has acted on yet.
Content gets into Needs Review in a few ways. Users report it. AutoModerator rules with the filter action send it there. Safety settings such as crowd control, the reputation filter and the ban evasion filter can hold items for review.
For each item a mod can:
- Approve: makes it visible again if it was filtered or caught as spam, and clears reports.
- Remove: takes it off the community listing and OP's profile. Others who follow a direct link see "[Removed by moderator]". Mods can attach a removal reason, which notifies the user.
- Spam: removes it and marks it as spam. Reddit says the spam filter "will take notice of this and slowly try to learn from spammed items."
Mods can also lock, flair, pin, and use "Ignore reports and Approve" so a repeatedly reported item stops returning.
Why it matters for marketers
If your comment was filtered rather than removed, it is sitting in a queue that a human may or may not reach. Big subreddits get thousands of items. A filtered comment on a fast thread may be approved hours later, after the conversation has moved on, or never.
Two things follow:
- Timing matters less than eligibility. A great reply from an account that keeps getting filtered is worth less than an average reply that posts live. Build real history before relying on a community.
- "Spam" clicks teach the filter. If mods mark your posts as spam rather than just removing them, the filter learns from it, and Reddit says spam reports from mods help improve its behind-the-scenes detection. Those are signals you do not want attached to your account.
Example
A new user comments in a subreddit that has crowd control set to "High." Their comment is held in the mod queue with a "Crowd Control" label. A mod approves it two hours later. It now appears in the thread, but the OP already picked a tool.
Common mistakes
- Posting the same comment again because the first one "didn't show up." Both copies end up in the queue, and the duplicate looks like spam.
- Messaging mods to "please approve my post" within minutes. Wait a reasonable time, then ask once via modmail.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my post is in the mod queue?
Reddit does not notify you. Open the thread in a logged-out browser window. If your post or comment is missing there but visible to you while logged in, it was removed or filtered.
What is the difference between filtered and removed?
Filtered content is removed but kept in the mod queue so a moderator can approve it. Removed content has been actioned and will not appear unless a mod later reverses it.