AutoModerator

AutoModerator (or AutoMod) is a Reddit-hosted bot that lets subreddit moderators apply automated rules to incoming posts and comments. Mods write configuration in YAML to filter, remove, report, or flair content based on patterns: keyword matches, link domains, account age, karma thresholds, post title regex, and dozens of other signals.

AutoMod is the reason your post sometimes disappears the moment you submit it. A common rule looks like: if the account is under 30 days old AND the post contains a link, send the post to the mod queue and reply with a templated message. Other rules auto-remove posts that contain banned competitor names, that link to certain domains, or that match self-promotion patterns (e.g. "check out my new tool").

For anyone marketing on Reddit, AutoMod is the most underestimated obstacle. You can write a thoughtful, helpful reply and never see it appear because AutoMod silently routed it to the mod queue. Reddit doesn't notify you that this happened unless you check the post while logged out. The mitigations are practical: build account age and karma before posting in moderated subs, avoid known trigger phrases ("DM me," "check my profile," raw shortener links), and read pinned mod posts that often spell out what AutoMod is filtering.

For monitoring, AutoMod can also produce false-negative effects. A relevant comment thread might get pruned by AutoMod within minutes of being posted, meaning a tool polling Reddit's public listings every few minutes may miss it entirely. RedNudge and similar tools surface what's currently visible; comments removed by AutoMod after the fact are usually shown with their existing snapshot.

The full AutoMod configuration for any subreddit is technically private to mods, but the effects are observable: if your perfectly normal reply vanishes, AutoMod is the most likely culprit.