Reddit communities can range from some of the most widely read forums on the internet to small, tight-knit communities dedicated to seriously specific niches. Some of the greatest content on Reddit can be found in less popular communities and discovering a new subreddit can often feel like stumbling across a hidden gold mine.
Though it’s tempting to dig right in and spend all your time on the front page, strategizing how you sink your time into reading through a new subreddit can help you uncover the best of what it has to offer. Here are some tips on how to explore the best a subreddit has to offer.
1. Sort by Top Posts of All Time
To get acquainted with a subreddit you haven’t had the chance to explore, the very first thing you should do is immediately go digging for the best content ever posted there—you can do this with a clever sorting trick.
While Reddit auto-sorts by Hot, showing you recent and currently rising posts, you also have the option of sorting by Top, which arranges posts by upvote total. Selecting Top will then give you the option to select a timeframe, ranging from Now and Today to All Time.
Selecting Top and sorting by All Time will then give you the top upvoted posts ever in that subreddit. Take some time to browse the first few pages to see the best historic posts, which should set the tone for what exactly that community is trying to achieve.
Starting with all time, and then gradually reducing the timeframe to recent months before eventually browsing the hot posts on the date of your visit will allow you to get a real sense of what makes that subreddit special, how it has changed over time, and the general energy of the community.
2. Read the Comments
Often, the absolute best content can be found in the comments. Between updates from the original poster, insightful commentary, supplemental information, and sometimes validating critique, the community is truly found within the comments.
Sorting the comments can also be revealing. On posts that are a bit divisive, you can sort comments by Controversial to get a wide range of commentary. On reaction threads to live events, sort by New and refresh every so often for an almost live-chat experience.
Reading through the top historic posts combined with really digging into the comments on both older and newer posts will really give you a sense of community culture, revealing in-jokes, specific Reddit terminology and jargon, prolific and popular users, and context for community reactions to certain topics and events.
3. Check Bookmarked and Pinned Posts
Many subreddits will have a pinned post at the top of the front page, usually with a title imploring you to click or read it before posting or commenting. This is for a good reason—these posts often contain some simple rules or guidelines for posting. On some subreddits, the rules are clearly outlined in the sidebar. In either case, it’s a very good idea to read through before commenting or posting.
While you may already know basic reddiquette rules, or that the subreddit rules are likely to ask you to be kind and respectful, there may also be some less common rules about asking specific questions already answered in the wiki or FAQ. You may also find rules asking you not to discuss certain topics that are likely to cause heated discussion or division.
On some subreddits, important announcements and repeated regular discussion posts will be pinned for easy access. Subreddits with ongoing “megathreads” or large, long-running threads dedicated to a single topic, will likely remain pinned to the top indefinitely.
Subreddits dedicated to a TV show or podcast may have a new discussion thread posted for each new episode pinned to the top for visibility until the release of the next installment.
These threads, in addition to significantly cutting down on duplicate posts, are often the best place to hop straight into discussions and see what others have to say. Community megathreads can provide a lot of context for other discussions in the subreddit, so they're often a great place to start reading.
4. Check the Wiki or FAQ
Some subreddits, specifically if they are heavy in terminology, will include a link to a wiki or FAQ section at the top of the page. These pages will almost provide some valuable tools, context, or information alongside any answers to any immediate questions you might have.
Taking a quick glance at these pages as a new user can help significantly cut down on repeat posts with the same questions, clear up subreddit clutter, and build a better reading experience for you and everyone else.
In addition to more subreddit information, the wiki and FAQ can be great resources for links to related subreddits. In some cases, wikis can contain entire curated lists of further reading material or content related to the subreddit topic. You can easily stumble on a new subreddit as a complete novice and leave with everything you need to become a subject-matter expert.
5. Get a Sense of the Community
One of Reddit’s major strengths as a social media platform is the Karma system, in which users gain social credibility through content contribution and community involvement. Taking note of high karma users and seeing what kind of contributions they make to a community can serve as a helpful guide when navigating a new space.
While Reddit often faces some scrutiny for toxic environments and rampant misuse of the downvote button, the tone of discussion can vary widely between subreddits. A community with active moderation and a focused topic can be a warm and friendly place to share content and discuss your interests with like-minded people. Take care to get a sense of the tone of discussion before jumping into the comments.
Create the Reddit You Want to See
In conclusion, by taking a slower approach you can develop a real understanding of a community before flooding it with content or comments. After all, a subreddit grows into the best version of itself through high effort and carefully considered content sharing. You can have an important role in creating the type of community you want to see.