What Is Reddit CQS? How to Check and Improve Your Score in 2026

What Is Reddit CQS?

CQS stands for Contributor Quality Score. It's Reddit's internal metric that measures the quality and trustworthiness of your account. Think of it as a hidden credit score for your Reddit profile.

Reddit introduced CQS to combat spam, bot activity, and low-quality contributions. Your CQS determines how much freedom you have on the platform — from posting frequency to which subreddits you can access.

Why CQS Matters for Marketers

If you're using Reddit for marketing, your CQS directly impacts your ability to execute campaigns:

• Low CQS — Posts get caught in spam filters, comments are auto-removed, you're rate-limited on posting, and moderators see a warning flag on your profile.
• High CQS — Posts appear instantly, no rate limiting, less moderator scrutiny, and access to subreddits with strict quality requirements.

A low CQS can silently kill your marketing efforts without you even knowing. Your posts might be invisible, your comments auto-removed, and your account flagged — all while you think everything is working fine.

How Reddit Calculates CQS

Reddit hasn't published the exact formula, but based on community research and Reddit's own hints, CQS is influenced by:

Account Age

Older accounts get higher CQS scores. Reddit trusts accounts that have been around for years over newly created ones. This is one reason why aged Reddit accounts are valuable for marketing.

Karma History

Both total karma and karma consistency matter. An account with steady karma growth over time scores higher than one with sudden karma spikes (which can indicate manipulation).

Posting Patterns

Regular, consistent posting across multiple subreddits scores higher than burst activity. Posting the same content to many subreddits at once lowers your CQS.

Community Standing

Accounts that engage positively — thoughtful comments, helpful answers, genuine discussions — score higher than accounts that only post links or promotional content.

Rule Violations

Past bans, removed posts, and moderator actions against your account lower your CQS. Even temporary bans from individual subreddits can impact your score.

Email Verification

Accounts with verified email addresses score higher than unverified ones.

Upvote-to-Downvote Ratio

The ratio of upvotes to downvotes you receive matters. Consistently downvoted content signals low quality to the CQS algorithm.

How to Check Your CQS Score

Reddit doesn't show your CQS directly, but you can estimate it:

Method 1: Use Our CQS Checker

Our free CQS Checker tool analyzes your public profile data to estimate your Contributor Quality Score based on karma, account age, posting history, and engagement patterns.

Method 2: Look for Signs

You likely have a low CQS if:

• Your posts don't appear in "new" on subreddits (check in an incognito window)
• You see "you're doing that too much" rate-limiting messages
• Your comments disappear from threads
• You can't post in certain subreddits despite meeting karma requirements

You likely have a high CQS if:

• Posts appear instantly
• No rate limiting on comments
• You can post in strict subreddits
• Moderators don't flag your content

How to Improve Your CQS

Build Genuine Engagement

The fastest way to improve CQS is to be a genuine community member:

• Comment thoughtfully on posts in your niche
• Answer questions in help-oriented subreddits
• Share personal experiences and insights
• Avoid one-word comments or generic replies

Diversify Your Activity

Don't just post in one subreddit. Engage across 10-20 different communities to show Reddit you're a real user with broad interests.

Maintain Consistency

Post and comment regularly — a few times per week at minimum. Long periods of inactivity followed by burst posting looks suspicious.

Avoid Spam Signals

Don't:

• Post the same link to multiple subreddits
• Delete and repost content
• Use URL shorteners
• Post only promotional content
• Copy-paste the same comment across threads

Verify Your Email

This is the easiest CQS improvement. If you haven't verified your email, do it now. It's a one-time action that permanently boosts your score.

Earn Positive Karma

Buying upvotes for your posts and comments can help improve your karma ratio, which positively impacts CQS. The key is combining purchased upvotes with genuine engagement.

Use Aged Accounts

If you're starting from scratch, consider buying aged Reddit accounts that already have established CQS scores. This gives you a head start on credibility.

CQS and the Reddit Algorithm

CQS interacts with Reddit's content ranking algorithm in important ways:

• Higher CQS = posts get ranked faster and higher in "hot"
• Higher CQS = comments appear higher in "best" sorting
• Higher CQS = less likely to be caught by AutoModerator
• Higher CQS = more visible in Reddit search results

This creates a compound effect: accounts with high CQS get more visibility, which leads to more upvotes, which further improves their CQS.

CQS Tips for Reddit Marketing

Warm Up Accounts

Before using any account for marketing, warm it up with 1-2 weeks of genuine activity. This establishes a positive CQS baseline.

Monitor Your Accounts

Regularly check your accounts' CQS using our checker tool. If you notice a drop, reduce promotional activity and focus on genuine engagement.

Rotate Accounts Strategically

Don't burn through accounts. Rotate between multiple accounts with good CQS to avoid overusing any single profile.

Quality Over Quantity

One well-received post per day is better than ten mediocre ones. CQS rewards quality engagement over volume.

Conclusion

CQS is Reddit's way of separating quality contributors from spammers and bots. For marketers, understanding and optimizing your CQS is essential for running effective campaigns. Focus on genuine engagement, use verified aged accounts, and monitor your scores regularly.

Start by checking your CQS score and build your strategy from there.