Short answer
First work out which restriction you have. A sitewide suspension for breaking the Reddit Rules comes with a message in your inbox explaining the violation and how to appeal — and Reddit accepts appeals within six months of that notice. A spam or inauthentic-activity flag, where your posts and profile stop showing, is appealed by logging in through a browser and filling in the form at reddit.com/appeal. A security lock is lifted by resetting your password. A subreddit ban is the moderators’ decision: contact them through modmail. Reddit’s usual ladder is a warning, a 3-day ban, a 7-day ban and then a permanent ban, but serious violations can lead straight to a permanent one. Don’t open another account to get around it — ban evasion can earn a sitewide suspension.
Which restriction do you have?
| Status | What you see | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary or permanent ban | An inbox message saying which rule was broken, what action was taken and how to appeal | Appeal using the instructions in that message, within six months |
| Spam or inauthentic-activity flag | Your posts, comments, chat messages and profile don’t show as expected | Log in on a browser, open reddit.com/appeal and submit the form |
| Locked as a security precaution | A request to reset your password | Reset the password to unlock the account |
| Disabled, can’t log in | Password resets fail | Submit an inquiry about your account status through Reddit Help |
| Banned from one subreddit | You can use Reddit, but not that community | Message the moderators through modmail |
How Reddit decides the penalty
Reddit can remove content, send a warning, ban an account temporarily or permanently, restrict the creation of new accounts, or take away privileges. The choice depends on the type and severity of the violation and on the account’s history. For many rules the ladder is a warning, then a 3-day ban, a 7-day ban and a permanent ban; some violations lead to an immediate permanent ban. Detection mixes user reports, human review and automated tools — including, for some flagged content, large language models Reddit trains itself — which is one reason mistakes happen and appeals exist. Reddit says it reverses its decision when an appeal shows the first assessment was wrong.
Writing an appeal that works
- Use the notice. Appeal through the instructions in the message Reddit sent you, and quote the rule and the content it names.
- Be specific and factual. Explain why the content doesn’t break that rule — the context, a quotation, satire, a misunderstanding — in a few calm sentences.
- Say so if you were hacked. If someone else posted the content, explain that and describe how you secured the account.
- Appeal once, well. Reddit may limit how many times a decision can be appealed and can stop processing appeals from people who repeatedly send unfounded ones.
- Mind the deadline: six months from the notice. For other platforms see appeal deadlines by platform.
Subreddit bans are a different matter
Moderators are free to run their communities as they choose, as long as they follow the Reddit Rules and the Moderator Code of Conduct. To contest a subreddit ban, write to the moderators through modmail. If a moderator breaks the Reddit Rules, report the content concerned; otherwise Reddit won’t overrule the community, and its own suggestion is to find a similar community. Above all, don’t use another account to keep posting there: that is ban evasion, which breaks the Reddit Rules and can lead to a sitewide suspension.
If your account was hacked rather than banned
- Signs Reddit lists: emails about a password or email change you didn’t make, authorised apps you don’t recognise, unusual IP history on the account activity page, or votes, posts and chats you didn’t make.
- Reset your password. If the email was changed, Reddit emails the original address with a way to change it back; enter that original email and reset.
- Still locked out? Submit a request through Reddit Help and choose “Security problems / I think my account has been hacked”, with the username.
- Afterwards: turn on two-factor authentication, remove unknown authorised apps and log out of all sessions from the account activity page. If you are in the EU, the Digital Services Act gives you extra rights over moderation decisions — see appealing under the EU DSA.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to appeal a Reddit suspension?
Six months from the notification, according to Reddit. Use the appeal instructions in the message Reddit sent you.
Can I make a new account while I’m suspended?
No. Using another account to get around a ban is ban evasion, which breaks the Reddit Rules and can lead to a sitewide suspension.
How long does a temporary Reddit ban last?
Reddit’s escalation ladder uses 3-day and 7-day bans before a permanent one; your notice says which applies to you.
My posts don’t show up. Am I shadowbanned?
Reddit calls it being flagged for spam or inauthentic activity. If you think it is a mistake, log in through a browser and submit the form at reddit.com/appeal.
Sources: Reddit Help — account status overview, Reddit Help — content moderation, enforcement and appeals, Reddit Help — account flagged for spam or inauthentic activity, Reddit Help — what is ban evasion?, Reddit Help — resolving a dispute with moderators, Reddit Rules