How to upvote on Reddit – the complete guide
An upvote on Reddit is a method how users show their approval of the post or comment. The more upvotes you have, the more people will see the post/comment.
Welcome welcome welcome!
This is the 2026 refresh of our upvote walkthrough. Reddit's interface has had a few facelifts since the original screenshots were taken, but the core mechanics of how upvoting works have not changed.
This short guide will introduce you to Reddit and walk you through the best way to leave an upvote on this social media site.
So let’s get started. Before we jump too deeply into upvoting mechanics, we need to answer a simpler question…
What is an upvote on Reddit?
Reddit upvotes are very similar to Facebook likes. They are an indication if the user likes or approves the post or comment. The more upvotes post / comment has, the more likely users agree with it.
What is Reddit?
Reddit remains one of the largest websites in the US in 2026, and it is still a massive collection of forums and communities where people can share news, content or comment on other people's posts.
The difference between Facebook, twitter or any other social media is that Reddit is a community based network rather than focusing on individual user, it’s more like a focus group where anyone is entitled to an opinion.
This is different because anyone can leave a comment on a thread in Reddit – you don’t need to be anyone’s “friend” or “follower”.
That’s why it’s considered the de-facto “front page of the internet”.
If you really want to learn a little more into What is Reddit and how it came to be, I recommend digging into the digital trends guide to What Is Reddit along with this daily dot article.
Moving on…
What is an upvote on Reddit & how do you actually upvote? – Here’s what you need to know
There’s two types of upvotes you can possibly make.
- On a Reddit post (also called a thread)
- On a Reddit comment
Here’s what a Reddit post looks like.
How to upvote a Reddit post
In order to upvote on Reddit, you need to be signed in at first. When you sign in, you are able to upvote, downvote, post, comment etc…
As you could see on the screenshot before, that’s how a post on Reddit looks like. If you want to upvote it, you have to click on the “arrow up” or “two pluses” section in the top left corner. See how it looks like below.
Once you click on the “arrow up” or “two pluses”, you will upvote the post. That’s it. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. See how the upvoted post looks like below.
You’re done. That’s how you upvote a Reddit post.
Now that wasn’t so bad was it?
So how do you upvote a Reddit comment?
Just like upvotes on posts, comments are ranked based on the number of upvotes they get versus the number of downvotes. The higher the score, the more likely the comment is to surface near the top.
In order to upvote one of the comments on a thread, just like you did with the thread – you should look to the left of comment and click on the “two pluses”.
Aaaand you’re done again. That’s how you upvote a Reddit comment.
You might be a bit confused why you sometimes see the “arrow up” and sometimes “two pluses”. That depends on the subreddit thread and its rules. However, the meaning is exactly the same.
If you want to know a little bit more about the math behind how upvotes work, would recommend checking out this math-heavy overview.
But wait, there’s more! If you really want to go viral on Reddit, there’s a couple of tricks you need to know.
Bonus: How to get more upvotes
Bonus 1
In order to get noticed on Reddit a post or comment should literally have high engagement, meaning many users have agreed with your post, thus upvoting the content.
Unlike any other social media platform where posts and comments are just limited to a circle of friends, possibilities on reddit are endless.
If your content is worth reading, watching, or commenting then it would surely be on top of other post on a subreddit or even the reddit itself. That’s why they call “Reddit as the front page of the Internet”.
Bonus 2
First is creating content where people are hooked and willing to give it a positive vote.
This method is organic, but it is hard to do consistently. Reddit is composed of communities, and any post will eventually draw a mixed reaction.
Getting downvotes is inevitable. Building something viral is hard, and getting a large audience to agree with your content is still rare.
Bonus 3
Some operators try to shortcut the process, but the long-term result still depends on whether the content is worth voting on.
The goal of every Reddit user is to build a durable account history and earn karma over time. Reddit karma is basically your score on the platform, and it is influenced by your behavior and the content you share.
Reddit culture is built around the front page of the internet and social proof. The voting system has made the platform more interesting, and many users like to share weird Reddit posts just to see how many up and down arrows it gets.
Reddit Upvotes
Reddit upvotes are very important when it comes to trust and relevance. Even before reading the post or comment, the second you see it has tons of upvotes, you are more likely to believe it. That is just how humans think.
We are used to that from different social media platforms, such as Facebook likes and Instagram likes (hearts). Everybody wants to have as many as possible.
Conclusion
It is pretty clear that upvotes are very important on Reddit. The more you get, the more likely it is to be seen be lots of people. By now, you should know how to upvote on Reddit and the benefits.
If we want the broader operating playbook, see our Reddit marketing guide alongside the all-time leaderboard.
You can get Reddit upvotes by being real, honest and providing valuable content for other users. The shortest path still runs through relevance and timing, not tricks.
FAQ
Can we upvote our own post?
Yes, but that single vote is rarely meaningful. The real signal comes from other users deciding the post is worth attention.
Why do posts sometimes show two different upvote icons?
Reddit changes the display depending on the subreddit and interface. The meaning is the same: positive ranking signals.
What is the safest way to earn more upvotes?
Match the subreddit, write for the audience, and post something that people actually want to read or share.
Last updated: April 2026.
