Upvotes change what people see; karma roughly reflects votes on your posts and comments — not 1:1. Official Help, plus why karma gates exist before you post.
Upvotes and downvotes
Reddit Help describes upvotes and downvotes as the community signals that influence what is surfaced in communities and feeds. Upvotes mark content people consider a positive contribution; downvotes mark content they want pushed down. Early after a post is created, vote totals may be hidden so people are less swayed by visible scores — some communities also hide votes for a period on purpose.
What karma is (and is not)
Karma is Reddit’s approximate reflection of the upvotes and downvotes on your posts and comments. Help is clear that the relationship is not 1:1. Chasing karma as a game usually produces worse posts; participating helpfully tends to move the number as a side effect.
You can see post and comment karma on your profile (web and apps differ slightly in layout).
Why your post might not show
Some communities require a minimum karma (and sometimes account age) before posts appear. Reddit documents this as an anti-spam measure. If you are new, look for communities that explicitly welcome newcomers rather than trying to force your way into the largest rooms first.
That is a discovery problem as much as a karma problem: use how to find related subreddits, the related finder, and choose which subreddit to post in before burning attempts on gated giants.
Quick answers
Is karma currency? No. It is a reputation-style score, not a balance you spend.
Can I buy karma? Not through anything Reddit endorses. Services that sell votes violate Reddit’s rules and put accounts at risk.
Where do official definitions live? Start with Reddit Help articles linked under Sources — they override blog summaries when product behaviour changes.
Sources
- Reddit Help — What is karma? — Official karma definition, not 1:1 with upvotes, posting requirements. Checked 2026-11-06.
- Reddit Help — What are upvotes and downvotes? — Official voting behaviour. Checked 2026-11-06.