How To Report a Subreddit on Reddit

Evan Gower June 4, 2019

Reddit calls itself “The front page of the internet” and lives up to the slogan. If something isn’t on Reddit and nobody there knows anything about it, chances are that what you’re looking for doesn’t exist on the web at all.

Reddit’s content is provided by its users and moderated by the site’s staff. With millions of users and posts every day, a certain dose of inappropriate content is bound to find its way to the site’s pages.

If you’ve chanced upon a Subreddit that violates the site’s rules, you should report it. Keep reading to find out how to alert the moderators about fishy activities and unacceptable Subreddits.

House Rules

Though not as stringent as the policies on some other sites, Reddit’s content policy is firmly implemented. However, it is impossible for the mods to spot and remove all inappropriate Subreddits, so the platform partially relies on conscientious members to report foul play.

In terms of content, here’s a list of what is prohibited:

Involuntary pornography
Threats, bullying, harassment
Encouraging others to bully and harass people
Suggestive and explicit content involving persons under the age of 18
Inciting and encouraging violence
Revealing someone’s confidential and personal information
Impersonating others in a deceptive or misleading manner
Using Reddit for monetary transactions and obtaining gifts and services
Spamming

Pornography, nudity, and profanity are allowed on Reddit. However, they need to be marked as NSFW. If they’re not properly tagged, the user who posted such content might get punished.

Reddit’s methods of enforcing the rules range from asking the user to remove the problematic content to invoking the dreaded ban hammer. Problematic content might get deleted, while the offender might get stripped of their privileges, temporarily suspended, quarantined, or completely expelled.

Reporting on a Computer

If you find yourself on a Subreddit that’s breaking the rules, here’s how to report it via computer. This method works on all major platforms.

Launch the browser, go to https://www.reddit.com, and sign in.
Browse for the Subreddit you want to report.
When you find it in the list, click the “Report” button beneath it.
You will see the “We’re sorry something’s wrong. How can we help” screen. Pick the reason why you’re reporting that particular Subreddit.
Reddit will ask you to provide more details. You may have to type your explanation, depending on the reason you have chosen.
Finally, click the “Submit” button to send the report to Reddit’s staff.

There’s another way to report a problematic Subreddit if you’re on a computer.

Launch the browser on your computer and go to Reddit.
Locate the Content Policy page. It is a good idea to read the guidelines once more to make sure your report is well-grounded.
Go to https://www.reddit.com/contact.
Select the “message the admins” option from the list.
Pick the “something else” option.
Select the “content breaks Reddit’s rules” option.
Choose from the list of reasons.
You will see a list of actions you can take. Click on the “please send us a message” link in the first action. If you’re not a registered user, click the contact@reddit.com link.
Compose and send the email to report a Subreddit that’s breaking the rules. Include all relevant info and links.

Reporting on an Android Device

If you’re using an Android device, follow these steps to report the Subreddit through the device’s web browser.

Launch your internet browser and go to Reddit’s site.
Locate the Contact page or tap this link: https://reddit.com/contact.
Tap the “message the admins” option.
Select the “something else” option.
Pick the “content breaks Reddit’s rules” option.
You will see the list of violations. Choose the appropriate one.
You will then see the list of actions you can take. Tap the “please send us a message” if you’re a registered user. If not, tap the contact@reddit.com link.
Select the subject of your message.
Type your report in the “Message” field below. Provide the offending Subreddit’s name and a link to it.
Tap “Send”.

You can also report Subreddits via the Reddit app.

Reporting on an iOS Device

Here’s how to report a problematic Subreddit on an iOS device via Reddit’s official iOS app. You can also do this via a browser.

Launch the Reddit app from the Home screen.
Go to the Subreddit you’d like to report.
Tap the three horizontal dots right of the Subreddit’s name.
When the menu opens, select the “Report” option.
Pick the reason why you want to file a report.
Tap the “Report to moderators” button.

Play by the Rules

Reddit, as one of the biggest sites on the web, has millions of active daily users. Not all users like or want to play by the rules. The mods can’t be aware of every inappropriate Subreddit without help, you should give them a heads up when you see something that needs intervention.