Ben Stockton · December 1, 2020 · 5 min read With so many different forms of social media available, it’s never been more important to build an audience by sharing your message on as many platforms as possible. Reddit is one of the most essential of those platforms, with thousands of different communities (named subreddits) that you can post in.
Some subreddits have huge audiences, making it much easier to spread your message. Others are much smaller, with niche audiences focused around a central topic. This is where crossposting becomes essential. So, if you want to know how to crosspost on Reddit, here’s what you’ll need.
What is a Reddit Crosspost?
When we talk about crossposting, we mean the process of posting the same Reddit post in several different subreddits. You may decide to do this if you want to reach similar audiences with your content, giving your content the largest number of possible viewers (and commentators) at once.
By crossposting, you’ll post the same post (regardless of the content it contains) in multiple subreddits at once. Each post is independent of the other—the likes and comments won’t appear across each post (even if you link to the previous post).
This makes crossposting different to reposting. If you repost on Reddit, you repeat the post (with the same content) in the same subreddit, some time after the original post is posted. Crossposting, on the other hand, relies on posting in an entirely different subreddit.
However, if you’re keen to crosspost, you should check the subreddit rules before doing so. Not every subreddit allows crossposting (or reposting), so you’ll need to check the rules. Otherwise, you may end up with a ban (or shadowban).
Linking to Existing Posts vs Crossposting on Reddit
If you’re thinking about crossposting on Reddit, you’ll need to remember the difference between crossposting and linking to existing posts.
A crosspost is repeating the same post, content included. This may include a disclaimer, alerting the user that the post is a crosspost (or x-post) of the original, as well as a link.
While a crosspost can contain a link to the original post, the link isn’t the focus, as you instead repeat the original content. This isn’t true for posts that only contain links, where clicking on the post title takes the user to the original post instead.
As with crossposting, however, you’ll need to be sure that you have permission to link to another post in the same or different subreddit. Each subreddit has its own rules about this, so double-check these first.
How to Check Subreddit Rules for Crossposting
Each subreddit, as we’ve mentioned, has its own rules. You’ll need to make sure that you understand the rules before you post, as crossposting in a subreddit that doesn’t allow it will cause your post to be deleted and may result in a ban.
You can check the rules for a subreddit on the Reddit website. Whether you’re using the old or new Reddit interface, the rules can be seen on the right-hand side of each subreddit page.
You can determine if the rules forbid crossposting or post linking here. If the rules aren’t clear (or if you’re unsure), then you can check by messaging a moderator. A list of moderators for each subreddit is visible below the subreddit rules.
How to Crosspost on Reddit in a Web Browser
If you want to crosspost on Reddit, you can do so from your web browser on a PC or Mac.
- Start by opening the Reddit website and head to a subreddit page. You can do this manually (using the address bar), or use the Reddit search bar to access the subreddit instead.
- On the subreddit page, open the post you wish to crosspost. Below the listed content, select the Share button. From the drop-down menu, select the Crosspost option.
- If you’re using the old Reddit interface, select the Crosspost button instead.
- In the Create a crosspost menu, select a subreddit to post your crosspost to from the Choose a community drop-down menu. Subreddits that can’t be posted to will be grayed out.
- If you’re ready to post, select the Post button. If the post needs approval first, select the Request to post button instead.
- Once approved, the crosspost will appear in the new subreddit as a post with a Crossposted by tag.
How to Crosspost on Reddit in the Mobile App
Mobile users can also crosspost using the Reddit mobile app. You’ll also need to be signed in to do this with a suitable Reddit account. Depending on the amount of Reddit Karma you have and the subreddit itself, you may not be able to crosspost until you’ve built up a reputation, so check this first.
- Open the Reddit app to begin, using the search bar to find the subreddit containing the post you want to crosspost.
- In the subreddit, select the Share button in the bottom-right corner of each post card.
- In the Share menu, select the Crosspost on Reddit option. This step will vary, depending on whether you’re using an Android or iPhone device.
- In the Choose a community menu, select the subreddit you wish to crosspost to, then select the Post option.
Building a Reddit Audience
Once you know how to crosspost on Reddit, you can break into the platform and start to build up an audience around your content. You can take things a step further by scheduling your Reddit posts in advance or, if you want to keep on top of new posts yourself, you can set up custom Reddit alerts.
Don’t forget to like and promote the posts you enjoy and, if other users like your posts, you’ll gain Reddit Karma and Reddit Gold in the process. Reddit isn’t a platform for everyone, however, so if you can’t find interesting subreddits to join, you can delete your Reddit account instead.
