Reddit Karma After Deletion: What Really Happens When You Delete Posts
Does deleting Reddit posts reduce your karma? Learn the truth about karma retention after deletion and how to protect your score while cleaning history.
One of the most common questions about Reddit history management: "If I delete my posts, will I lose my karma?" Here's the definitive answer and what it means for your account.
The Short Answer: No, You Don't Lose Karma
Your karma score remains unchanged when you delete posts or comments. Deleting a post with 10,000 upvotes doesn't reduce your karma by 10,000 points.
This is great news for users who want to clean their history while maintaining their karma score and associated privileges.
How Reddit Karma Actually Works
Karma Calculation
Reddit karma is calculated from upvotes and downvotes on your content:
- Post Karma: From link posts and image/video posts
- Comment Karma: From comments on posts
- Awardee Karma: From awards received (Reddit Premium-only visibility)
The Accumulation System
When you receive upvotes:
- Karma is awarded to your account
- The karma number on your profile increases
- This karma is "banked" in your account
When you delete content:
- The post/comment disappears
- The karma points stay in your account
- Your total karma score is unchanged
Why This Makes Sense
Karma represents your historical contribution quality, not your current visible content. Think of it like a diploma—your degree doesn't disappear if you lose the physical certificate.
What You Actually Lose When Deleting
Visible Post History
Your profile shows fewer posts, which means:
- Less evidence of how you earned karma
- Higher karma-per-post ratio
- Potentially looks more selective about quality
Example:
- Before: 50,000 karma with 5,000 posts = 10 karma/post average
- After deletion: 50,000 karma with 500 posts = 100 karma/post average
This actually makes you appear MORE discerning.
Future Karma Potential
Deleted posts can't accumulate more upvotes. If you delete a popular post:
- It stops gaining visibility
- New users can't upvote it
- You won't get future karma from it
However, most karma comes from the first 24-48 hours after posting. Old posts rarely gain significant karma.
Post Reference Value
Some users keep highly-upvoted posts as:
- Portfolio of contributions
- Proof of expertise
- Reference material for others
- Personal archive of thoughts
Deletion removes these reference points.
Strategic Deletion: Keep Karma, Remove Risk
The Selective Approach
You don't need to delete everything. Strategic deletion balances privacy and credibility:
Keep:
- High-quality contributions showcasing expertise
- Helpful answers in professional subreddits
- Popular posts that reflect well on you
- Non-identifying, non-controversial content
Delete:
- Low-value comments
- Controversial or heated arguments
- Posts with identifying information
- Outdated opinions
- Participation in problematic subreddits
This maintains visible evidence of quality while removing risk.
The 80/20 Rule
Often, 20% of your posts generate 80% of your karma. Identify your top-performing posts and keep those while deleting the rest.
How to Find Top Posts:
- Sort profile by "Top" → "All Time"
- Note your most upvoted content
- Keep these visible as karma evidence
- Delete lower-performing content
Using Redeleter, you can:
- Sort by karma score
- Filter out posts above certain thresholds
- Protect high-value content while deleting everything else
Karma Thresholds and Access
Why Karma Matters
Many subreddits require minimum karma for participation:
Common Thresholds:
- r/CryptoCurrency: 500 comment karma
- r/borrow: 1,000+ combined karma
- r/MakeupAddiction: 25 comment karma
- r/assistance: 400 karma
- r/forhire: 10+ combined karma
- Many subreddits: Undisclosed minimums
Karma Types Matter
Some subreddits check:
- Total karma
- Comment karma specifically
- Post karma specifically
- Account age + karma combination
Deletion doesn't affect any of these scores.
Shadowban Protection
Very low karma on an old account can trigger spam filters. Maintaining your karma through deletion ensures:
- Your posts remain visible
- You avoid aggressive spam filtering
- Moderators see you as an established user
Rebuilding Visible Post History
After Bulk Deletion
If you delete most of your history and want to rebuild visible contributions:
Fast Karma Methods (for rebuilding visibility):
- Comment on rising posts in r/AskReddit
- Answer questions in help subreddits
- Post quality content in niche communities you know well
- Provide helpful responses in your professional field
Sustainable Karma Building:
- Genuine participation in communities you care about
- Thoughtful, helpful responses
- Original content that adds value
- Consistent engagement over time
The Fresh Slate Advantage
Starting with a cleaned history lets you be strategic:
- Only post quality content
- Think before commenting
- Build a curated profile from scratch
- Represent your current self only
Common Karma Misconceptions
Myth 1: Deleting Reduces Karma
False. Your karma score is permanent once earned.
Myth 2: Deleted Posts Show Negative Karma
False. They don't affect your score at all.
Myth 3: Admins Can Remove Karma
Mostly False. Only in extreme cases (vote manipulation, ban evasion) might Reddit adjust karma. Normal deletion never triggers this.
Myth 4: Karma Expires
False. Karma never decreases naturally. It's cumulative forever.
Myth 5: You Need Visible Posts to Prove Karma
Partially True. While some users check post history to validate karma, most subreddit bots only check the number, not the source.
Account Age vs. Karma Balance
The Credibility Formula
Reddit credibility comes from:
- Account Age: Shows you're not ban-evading
- Karma Score: Shows contribution quality
- Visible History: Shows current activity
Optimal Balance
Ideal account characteristics:
- Old account (1+ years)
- Moderate to high karma (10,000+)
- Some visible quality posts (50-200)
- Clean history (no controversies)
Red Flags to Avoid
Suspicious patterns:
- Old account, very low karma (suggests deleted history or lurking only)
- New account, extremely high karma (suggests vote manipulation)
- High karma, zero visible posts (obvious bulk deletion without rebuilding)
Solution: After bulk deletion, make 20-50 quality posts/comments to rebuild visible history while maintaining karma.
Karma Protection Strategies
Before Deleting
- Screenshot your karma scores (proof if needed)
- Note your top posts (keep these if desired)
- Verify which subreddits have karma requirements
- Ensure you're above critical thresholds
During Deletion
Using Redeleter:
- Filter by karma score to protect high-value posts
- Delete in batches rather than all at once
- Review each deletion category before confirming
- Keep evidence of expertise and helpfulness
After Deletion
- Verify karma scores remain unchanged
- Test posting in karma-restricted subreddits
- Begin rebuilding visible history
- Maintain regular content hygiene
Technical Details: How Reddit Stores Karma
Separate Counters
Reddit maintains separate counters for:
- Total post karma
- Total comment karma
- Awardee karma (Premium users)
- Each is calculated independently
Database Structure
When you post:
- Content is stored in content database
- Karma is stored in user profile database
- These are separate systems
When you delete:
- Content database removes the post
- User profile database is unchanged
- Karma counters remain untouched
This separation is why karma persists after deletion.
Special Cases and Exceptions
Banned or Suspended Accounts
If you're banned:
- Karma remains on your account
- You can't earn new karma
- Deletion still doesn't reduce existing karma
Deleted Accounts
If you delete your entire account:
- Karma disappears with the account
- Posts remain but show [deleted] username
- You can't recover the karma
Shadowbanned Accounts
If shadowbanned:
- Karma stops accumulating from new posts
- Existing karma remains
- Deletion still doesn't affect karma score
Vote Manipulation
If caught manipulating votes:
- Reddit may adjust karma downward
- This is rare and requires clear evidence
- Normal deletion never triggers this
Practical Applications
Job Hunting Scenario
Problem: Need to clean controversial content but don't want to lose karma needed for professional subreddits.
Solution:
- Identify minimum karma needed for target communities
- Verify current karma (you're likely well above minimum)
- Delete problematic content confidently
- Keep 20-30 professional posts as evidence
- Your karma score proves your legitimacy
Privacy Audit Scenario
Problem: Want to remove all identifying information but maintain community standing.
Solution:
- Use Redeleter to search for personal details
- Delete all posts mentioning location, job, etc.
- Keep non-identifying contributions
- Karma proves you're an established user
- Maintain credibility without exposure
Fresh Start Scenario
Problem: Want almost completely clean slate while keeping account age and karma.
Solution:
- Delete 95% of history
- Keep 10-20 recent, high-quality posts
- Karma score remains intact
- Account age benefits preserved
- Begin building new curated history
Conclusion: Delete Confidently
The fear of losing karma prevents many users from cleaning their Reddit history. This fear is unfounded.
Key Takeaways:
- Deleting posts NEVER reduces karma
- Your karma score is permanent once earned
- You can clean your history while maintaining account privileges
- Strategic deletion balances privacy and credibility
- Selective keeping of quality posts maintains visible evidence
Don't let karma concerns prevent necessary privacy management. Your karma is safe—clean your history confidently.
Use tools like Redeleter to efficiently delete problematic content while protecting valuable contributions. Maintain your karma score, protect your privacy, and take control of your Reddit presence.
Your reputation and security matter more than visible post count. Delete what you need to, keep what serves you, and move forward with a cleaner, safer Reddit profile.