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Knowledge Base entry

How do you use removal reasons to educate users after deleting content?

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FAQ Imported article

Removal reasons are short, templated messages that moderators can attach to a removal action and deliver automatically to the user whose content was removed. Used well, they transform a potentially frustrating experience — having your post or comment disappear without explanation — into a learning opportunity that increases the quality of future contributions and reduces repeated rule violations. Reddit's moderator tools allow communities to create a library of custom removal reasons through the Mod Tools settings. Each reason can include a title that names the rule violated, a body that explains why the content runs afoul of it, and optionally a link to the relevant rule in the subreddit's sidebar or wiki. This library should be built with the most common violation types in mind: low-effort posts, off-topic content, self-promotion violations, rule-breaking content categories, and format requirements like required flairs or title structures. The language of removal reasons is important. The most effective removal reasons are clear, specific, and non-accusatory. They explain what the content lacked or what rule it violated without implying bad faith on the user's part — most rule violations, especially from newer community members, are the result of not reading the rules rather than intentional disregard. A message that says "This post has been removed because it doesn't include the required flair. Please resubmit with the appropriate flair selected — here's how to do that" is far more useful than "Removed for violating Rule 3." Good removal reasons also include a pathway for the user to take next: resubmit with the required format, contact modmail if they believe the removal was incorrect, or direct them to a more appropriate subreddit if their content is off-topic but not rule-breaking in intent. This constructive closure converts a negative interaction into one that leaves the user with information they can act on, which reduces frustration and improves the subreddit's overall relationship with its members.

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