Rate limit
Also called: you are doing that too much, you're doing that too much, reddit posting limit, reddit comment cooldown, API rate limit
Definition
A Reddit rate limit caps how often an account can post or comment in a community. New and low-karma accounts hit it first and see "You're doing that too much," with a wait time. Separately, Reddit's Data API limits apps to 100 requests a minute.
"Rate limit" means two different things on Reddit. For people, it is the cooldown that stops you posting or commenting too often. For developers, it is the cap on how many Reddit API requests an app can make. Most searches are about the first.
The posting rate limit
Reddit's help center explains the "You're doing that too much" message plainly: to prevent spammers, Reddit limits how often users can post and comment in a community. It names two groups who hit it:
- Users who are brand new to Reddit and do not have much karma yet.
- Users who are brand new to a community that is "especially sensitive to spammers."
So the limit is per community and tied to your standing there. An account that comments freely in one subreddit can be throttled in another where it has no history.
Reddit's fix is simple: earning even a small amount of karma by commenting on other posts in that community can help you get past the filter. It also rules out a shortcut: Reddit Premium "won't affect the spam filter."
Moderators have one override. Reddit's help center says that in a public community, mods can add a trusted member who keeps "running into restrictions around how often they are posting or how new their account is" to the approved users list, which removes those restrictions.
The Data API rate limit
Apps using Reddit's Data API for free are limited to 100 queries per minute (QPM) per OAuth client ID, averaged over a time window (currently 10 minutes) so short bursts are allowed. Responses include X-Ratelimit-Used, X-Ratelimit-Remaining and X-Ratelimit-Reset headers. Traffic without OAuth or login credentials is blocked. Free access also caps chat messages at 2,000 per day per recipient and 3,000 per day in total.
Why it matters for marketers
Hitting the posting limit is a signal, not just an annoyance. It means Reddit sees your account as new or untrusted in that community. Pushing through it by waiting and posting again at the same pace does not change that.
What works:
- Comment in the community first, on threads that have nothing to do with your product.
- Space your replies out. A burst of comments in a few minutes is what the limit is built to stop.
- Build comment karma where your buyers are. Our guide on how to get karma on Reddit covers this without shortcuts.
The full breakdown of wait times and what affects them is in Reddit rate limit: why you're doing that too much.
Example
A founder with a 3-day-old account finds four good threads in one subreddit and tries to answer all of them in ten minutes. After the second reply, Reddit shows "You're doing that too much." The fix is not a second account. It is a few helpful comments in that community over the next days, then answering threads at a normal pace.
Common mistakes
- Switching to another account to keep posting. That puts both accounts at risk and can look like sockpuppet activity.
- Buying Premium to remove the limit. Reddit says it does not.
- Pasting the same answer into many threads. That is what the spam filter is looking for.
Frequently asked questions
How long does "You're doing that too much" last on Reddit?
The message shows how long to wait before you can post again. The limit eases as you earn karma in that community; Reddit says even a small amount helps.
Why does Reddit rate limit me in one subreddit but not another?
The limit is applied per community and is stricter for accounts that are new to that community or have little karma there, especially in communities that see a lot of spam.
What is Reddit's API rate limit?
For free Data API access, 100 queries per minute per OAuth client ID, averaged over a 10-minute window. Requests without OAuth are blocked.