/reddit

Reddit engagement automation — from finding relevant posts to writing authentic comments and tracking results. Comment-first strategy: build karma and reputation before any self-promotion.

Philosophy

• Value first, product never (in comments) — genuinely help, mention product only when directly asked
• Comment-first — 30+ comments before any self-promotional post
• Read before write — analyze post, existing comments, subreddit culture before drafting
• Track everything — karma growth, engagement rates, what works

Routing

User says	Action
/reddit setup <project>	Go to Setup section
/reddit find [subreddit]	Go to Find Posts section
/reddit comment [url]	Go to Comment section
/reddit post <subreddit>	Go to Write Post section
/reddit status	Go to Status section
/reddit batch [subreddit]	Go to Batch Mode — find + comment x3

MCP Tools

Playwright (required for posting)

• browser_navigate(url) — go to Reddit page
• browser_snapshot() — read page structure (accessibility tree, NOT screenshots)
• browser_click(ref) — click elements
• browser_type(ref, text) — type text
• browser_wait_for(state) — wait for page load

SoloGraph (optional, for search)

• web_search(query) — search Reddit threads
• kb_search(query) — find project context
• project_info(name) — get project details

If MCP tools not available, use WebSearch/WebFetch as fallback.

Scripts (no MCP needed)

• scripts/check-karma.sh <username> — check karma, account age, posting readiness
• scripts/search-posts.sh <subreddit> [query] [sort] — find posts via Reddit JSON API
• scripts/check-post.sh <url> — read post content + top comments

Use scripts first (faster, no Playwright needed). Fall back to Playwright for posting.

Setup

First-time setup for a project. Creates profile and tracking files.

1. Parse project from $ARGUMENTS or ask user.
2. Read PRD/README to extract: problem, solution, ICP, key features, competitor names.
3. Identify target subreddits — search for where ICP hangs out:
   • Language/framework subs (r/rust, r/python, r/javascript)
   • Domain subs (r/selfhosted, r/devops, r/ClaudeAI)
   • General tech (r/programming, r/webdev)
4. Research each subreddit:
   • Read sidebar rules (via WebFetch or Playwright)
   • Check self-promotion policy
   • Note posting format, flairs, weekly threads
   • Find top posts to understand culture
5. Write profile to docs/reddit/profile.md:

# Reddit Profile: {Project Name}

**Product:** {one-line}
**ICP:** {target persona}
**Value prop for Reddit:** {what genuine help can we offer}

## Target Subreddits

| Subreddit | Members | Self-promo | Culture | Best content type |
|-----------|---------|------------|---------|-------------------|
| r/xxx | NNNk | rules... | tone... | type... |

## Search Keywords
- Problem: {what users complain about}
- Solution: {what users search for}
- Competitors: {names for "vs" and "alternative" threads}

## Voice Guide
- Tone: {casual/technical/friendly}
- Never say: {banned phrases — "game-changer", "revolutionary", etc.}
- Always: {disclose affiliation, lead with value}

6. Create tracking file docs/reddit/tracking.md:

# Reddit Tracking

## Stats
- Account: {username}
- Starting karma: {N}
- Comments posted: 0
- Posts made: 0

## Activity Log
<!-- entries added by /reddit comment and /reddit post -->

Find Posts

Find posts worth commenting on in a subreddit.

1. Load profile from docs/reddit/profile.md.
2. Search for relevant threads:
   • Via WebSearch: "{keyword}" site:reddit.com/r/{subreddit} for each keyword group
   • Or via Playwright: navigate to reddit.com/r/{subreddit}/new/ and reddit.com/r/{subreddit}/rising/
3. Filter posts:
   • Less than 7 days old (prefer < 24h for visibility)
   • 2-30 comments (active but not buried)
   • Matches problem/solution/competitor keywords
   • NOT already commented on (check tracking)
4. Score and rank top 5 posts by:
   • Relevance to our expertise (high)
   • Comment count sweet spot (medium = best)
   • Recency (newer = better)
   • Can we genuinely help? (must be yes)
5. Output ranked list with URLs, titles, why each is good.

Comment

Write and optionally post a comment on a specific Reddit post.

Step 1: Load Context

• Read docs/reddit/profile.md for voice guide
• Read docs/reddit/tracking.md to check we haven't commented on this post
• Read references/style-guide.md for comment patterns

Step 2: Deep Analysis

Navigate to the post URL (via Playwright or WebFetch):

• Read the full post — understand what OP actually asks
• Read existing comments — understand tone, what's been said, gaps
• Identify OP's intent: asking for help? sharing experience? seeking opinions?
• Decide angle: what unique value can we add that others haven't?

Step 3: Draft Comment

Write a comment following these rules:

• Match subreddit tone — casual for r/ClaudeAI, technical for r/rust
• Lead with value — first 2-3 sentences directly address OP's question
• Be specific — code snippets, numbers, concrete steps > vague advice
• 1-2 focused points — don't try to cover everything
• No product mention unless directly relevant AND we have 10+ comments in this sub
• If mentioning product: last paragraph, with "I work on X" disclosure

Step 4: Anti-Spam Review

Check the draft against references/spam-signals.md:

• No marketing language ("game-changer", "revolutionary", "10x")
• No link in first comment on a subreddit
• Not a copy of any previous comment
• Directly addresses OP's question (not tangential)
• Would be useful even if product didn't exist
• Reads like a human, not a press release
• No emoji overuse (0-1 max)

If any check fails: rewrite.

Step 5: Post (if Playwright available and user approves)

1. browser_navigate(post_url)
2. browser_snapshot() — find comment input
3. browser_click(comment_box_ref)
4. browser_type(comment_box_ref, comment_text)
5. browser_click(submit_button_ref)
6. browser_snapshot() — verify posted, get permalink

If Playwright not available: copy comment to clipboard via pbcopy.

Step 6: Track

Update docs/reddit/tracking.md:

### {YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM} r/{subreddit}
- **Post:** [{title}]({url})
- **Comment:** [{permalink}]({comment_url})
- **Angle:** {what value we provided}
- **Product mentioned:** yes/no

Write Post

Create a Reddit post for a specific subreddit.

1. Pre-flight checks:

   • Do we have 10+ tracked comments in this subreddit? If no: STOP, comment more first.
   • Check subreddit rules for post format, flairs, allowed content types.
   • Check if showcase/self-promo threads exist (e.g., "Showoff Saturday").

2. Determine post type:

   Type	When to use
   Experience sharing	We solved a hard problem — share the story
   Technical deep-dive	Interesting approach worth discussing
   Tool announcement	Only in subs that allow it, with heavy context
   Question/discussion	Genuine question that sparks conversation

3. Draft post:

   • Title: specific, accurate, matches sub format (check top posts)
   • Body: value-first structure from references/post-templates.md
   • Links: max 1-2, put extras in first comment
   • Flair: match subreddit requirements

4. Review against rules:

   • 90/10 rule: 90% value, 10% promotional
   • No clickbait titles
   • Follows subreddit-specific format
   • Would you upvote this if it wasn't yours?

5. Post via Playwright or copy to clipboard.

6. After posting:

   • Monitor comments for 2 hours
   • Reply to every comment (boosts ranking)
   • Track in docs/reddit/tracking.md

Batch Mode

Efficient mode: find 3 posts + write 3 comments in one session.

1. Load profile and tracking.
2. Run scripts/check-karma.sh to verify account status.
3. Run scripts/search-posts.sh for target subreddit.
4. For top 3 candidates, run Comment flow sequentially.
5. Wait 5-10 minutes between comments (rate limiting).
6. Write structured summary to docs/reddit/batch-{date}.json:

{
  "date": "2026-03-25",
  "subreddit": "r/ClaudeAI",
  "comments_posted": 3,
  "posts": [
    {"url": "...", "title": "...", "angle": "...", "product_mentioned": false}
  ],
  "karma_before": 37,
  "karma_after": null
}

7. Print human summary: 3 comments posted, links, karma status.

Status

Show current Reddit engagement stats.

1. Read docs/reddit/tracking.md.
2. Count: total comments, comments per subreddit, posts made.
3. Calculate: comments since last promotional post (10:1 ratio check).
4. Show readiness: "Ready to post in r/X" or "Need N more comments in r/X".

Critical Rules

1. Never post without reading the full thread — context is everything
2. Never mention product in first 10 comments in any subreddit
3. Never post same content to multiple subreddits — customize each
4. Never argue with moderators — accept removal gracefully
5. Always disclose affiliation when mentioning your product
6. Minimum 5 minute gap between comments (avoid rate limiting)
7. No vote manipulation — never ask for upvotes anywhere
8. Use browser_snapshot not browser_take_screenshot — saves tokens
9. Navigate by URL (browser_navigate) not clicking links — prevents errors

Gotchas

1. Reddit spam filter on low-karma accounts — new or inactive accounts get auto-filtered. Build 50+ karma with genuine comments before any self-promo posts. If filtered: message mods via modmail (sidebar link), don't repost.
2. Links trigger spam filter — first comment with a link in a new subreddit often gets caught. Post text-only comments first, add links only after established.
3. Subreddit AI content rules — r/rust and others may remove posts with AI-generated content. Be transparent about AI-assisted development but ensure comments are genuinely human-directed.
4. Rate limiting — Reddit throttles new/low-karma accounts. If you see "you're doing that too much", wait 10 minutes. Don't retry immediately.
5. Old Reddit vs New Reddit — old.reddit.com has better search. Use new.reddit.com for posting (Playwright works better with new UI).
6. Playwright login state — Reddit login persists in browser session. If logged out: user must log in manually (browser_navigate("https://www.reddit.com/login")), skill can't enter credentials.

Notes

• This skill complements /community-outreach (which finds threads) and /content-gen (which generates post copy). Use /reddit for the actual engagement loop.
• For Reddit Ads, see the reddit-ads skill from kostja94/marketing-skills.
• Karma builds compound: each good comment makes the next one more visible.