Quarantined subreddit
Also called: quarantine, quarantined community, reddit quarantine
Definition
A quarantined subreddit is a community Reddit's admins have restricted because its content may be highly offensive or promotes hoaxes. Users must opt in to view it, and it is excluded from search, recommendations, Popular, awards and revenue.
A quarantine is a restriction Reddit's admins place on a whole community. It is not a ban: the community still exists. It is walled off so people do not stumble into it.
Why Reddit quarantines communities
Reddit Help gives two reasons. Some communities, "while not prohibited, average users may nevertheless find highly offensive or upsetting." Others are "dedicated to promoting hoaxes" on things that are "either verifiable or falsifiable and not seriously up for debate." The goal is to stop the content being "accidentally viewed by those who do not knowingly wish to do so, or viewed without appropriate context."
Quarantine is one of the enforcement options listed in the Reddit Rules, alongside adding NSFW tags to communities.
What quarantine does
According to Reddit Help, quarantined communities:
- Show a warning that users must explicitly accept before viewing content.
- Generate no revenue.
- Do not appear in non-subscription feeds such as r/popular.
- Are excluded from search and recommendations.
- May face further product restrictions, such as removal of custom styling.
Other Reddit features also exclude them: content in quarantined communities cannot receive awards, and Reddit's AI search excludes it. Members and moderators must still follow the Reddit Rules.
Getting out of quarantine
Moderators are notified by modmail. To appeal, they must present a detailed account of changes to moderation (more moderators, new rules, stronger AutoModerator use and so on) and evidence of consistent enforcement "over a period of at least one month."
Why it matters for marketers
For brands, a quarantined community is simply a place not to be:
- No discovery value. It does not show up in search, recommendations or Popular, so content there reaches only people who sought it out.
- Brand safety. Being associated with communities Reddit judged offensive or hoax-promoting is a reputational risk.
- Monitoring caveat. Mentions of your brand in quarantined communities can still matter (misinformation about your product, for example), but replying there rarely helps. Note them and focus on where accurate information can be seen.
Example
A supplement brand finds its product being discussed in a quarantined community promoting a health hoax. It does not reply there. Instead, it makes sure its answers in mainstream health and fitness subreddits clearly state what the product does and does not do, since those threads are the ones people find through search.
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean when a subreddit is quarantined?
Reddit's admins have restricted it because its content may be highly offensive or hoax-promoting. Users must opt in to view it, and it is hidden from search, recommendations and Popular.
Is a quarantined subreddit banned?
No. It still exists and can be visited after accepting the warning. A ban removes a community entirely.
Can a subreddit leave quarantine?
Yes. Moderators can appeal with evidence of sustained moderation changes over at least one month.