Reddit Account Operations

This skill is the operating doctrine for every Reddit automation run on a brand, professional or personal account.

The goal is not to comment fast. The goal is to operate Reddit like a careful, helpful human contributor: stable browser, correct context, useful action, no spam, no reputational risk.

Drop-in for any niche (legal, medical, software, finance, creator, ecommerce). Replace the placeholders in section 0 with your own values.

0. Configure for your brand

Before running anything, fill these placeholders in your local copy or your agent's memory:

All shell snippets below assume an OpenClaw browser CLI bound by CDP, but the doctrine works with any browser-automation stack (Playwright, Puppeteer, Chrome MCP). Swap the CLI calls for your own.

Quick config (copy-paste YAML)

If your agent reads config from YAML, drop this in \x3CWORKSPACE_DIR>/config.yaml:

brand:
  name: \x3CBRAND_NAME>
  domain: \x3CBRAND_DOMAIN>

reddit:
  username: \x3CREDDIT_USERNAME>        # e.g. "u/AcmeAlex"
  browser_profile: \x3CBROWSER_PROFILE> # e.g. "reddit-live"
  browser_port: \x3CBROWSER_PORT>       # e.g. 9223

discovery:
  niche_keywords: \x3CNICHE_KEYWORDS>   # e.g. "retrait permis OR contester amende"
  target_subs:
    - r/\x3Csub-1>
    - r/\x3Csub-2>

workspace:
  dir: \x3CWORKSPACE_DIR>               # e.g. "~/.openclaw/workspace/reddit-acme"

alerts:
  channel: telegram | slack | discord
  webhook: \x3CYOUR_WEBHOOK_URL>

Compatibility

The skill is markdown — it works wherever an agent reads SKILL.md:

1. Browser architecture

Physical profile

A single browser profile is used per account:

• \x3CBROWSER_PROFILE> (CDP direct, attached to http://127.0.0.1:\x3CBROWSER_PORT>)

User data dir: ~/.openclaw-browser-profiles/\x3CBROWSER_PROFILE>.

Use it through the OpenClaw browser CLI:

openclaw browser --browser-profile \x3CBROWSER_PROFILE> status
openclaw browser --browser-profile \x3CBROWSER_PROFILE> tabs
openclaw browser --browser-profile \x3CBROWSER_PROFILE> navigate https://www.reddit.com/
openclaw browser --browser-profile \x3CBROWSER_PROFILE> snapshot --limit 160
openclaw browser --browser-profile \x3CBROWSER_PROFILE> click \x3Cref>
openclaw browser --browser-profile \x3CBROWSER_PROFILE> type \x3Cref> "text"
openclaw browser --browser-profile \x3CBROWSER_PROFILE> press Enter
openclaw browser --browser-profile \x3CBROWSER_PROFILE> evaluate --fn "\x3Casync function>"

evaluate --fn is the primary API tool: it runs JS in the active tab and returns the function's value as JSON. Use it for /api/me.json, /api/comment, /api/submit, /api/selectflair, /r/\x3Csub>/rising.json, /search.json.

Roles (mental separation, single physical profile)

Role: red-post

Account cockpit. Use for direct account action.

Use for:

• original informative posts (text/self)
• replies on threads
• inbox/notifications check
• profile checks
• karma snapshots
• flair application

Default page: https://www.reddit.com/user/\x3CREDDIT_USERNAME without u/>

Mental model: act as the account. Protect it. Do not clutter it.

Role: red-engage

Search and discovery radar. Use to find what deserves action.

Use for:

• keyword searches across target subs
• monitoring rising/new posts in target subreddits
• finding qualified candidates for replies
• competitor observation
• trend discovery

Default page: https://www.reddit.com/search/?q=\x3CNICHE_KEYWORDS_URL_ENCODED>&type=link&t=day&sort=new

Mental model: discover, qualify, decide. Do not post impulsively from discovery.

Role: red-stealth

Quiet maintenance bay. Use for low-noise maintenance.

Use for:

• subscribing to relevant subreddits
• saving posts for later study
• reading without interacting
• sub-state observation (flair requirements, karma requirements, mod messages)

Default page: https://www.reddit.com/

Mental model: maintain quietly. No noisy engagement.

Operational law

• red-post = act as the account
• red-engage = discover what to react to
• red-stealth = maintain quietly
• stability matters more than speed
• after every run, navigate back to the role's default page (resting state)

Never collapse all workflows into chaotic browsing.

2. Login verification (run first on every cron)

openclaw browser --browser-profile \x3CBROWSER_PROFILE> status
openclaw browser --browser-profile \x3CBROWSER_PROFILE> evaluate --fn "async () => { const d = await (await fetch('/api/me.json',{credentials:'include'})).json(); return {name: d.data?.name || null, link_karma: d.data?.link_karma ?? null, comment_karma: d.data?.comment_karma ?? null, total_karma: d.data?.total_karma ?? null, modhash: !!d.data?.modhash}; }"

• If status is stopped: report the blockage in your recap channel and stop. Do not attempt to relaunch Chrome from inside a cron — that's a user-side action.
• If name is null: login expired. Stop and report.

3. Phase gating (karma)

Reddit's spam filters and most sub auto-mods judge new accounts harshly. Run in two phases:

• Phase A (karma \x3C 100): only karma-builder + ops crons run. Any brand-mentioning cron must check karma at start and abort with "phase A, karma=X, skip" if karma \x3C 100.
• Phase B (karma ≥ 100): all crons authorized.

Always read \x3CWORKSPACE_DIR>/memory/reddit-karma-log.md at start (last line = current state) AND verify via /api/me.json.

A Daily Metrics Recap cron appends a snapshot every night and pings your alert channel explicitly when karma crosses 100 for the first time.

4. Qualification of a post for reply

A post is repliable only if all of:

• Age ≤ 24h (use created_utc)
• Comment count \x3C 200
• Score positive (≥ 1, accept controversial-but-genuine)
• Not flagged removed or locked
• Question is a real question in your domain (not a vent, not a meme, not a request for free work)
• No more than 1 expert-like reply already in top 10 comments (check for domain markers in flairs/body)
• Subreddit is not in freeze state (see reddit-subs-state.md)
• Your account has not interacted with this thread before (reddit-reply-log.md)
• Phase A: no domain-expert reply at all — only general helpful Phase A comments in Phase A subs.

If any check fails: skip. Document why in the recap.

5. Reply templates

Phase A (karma builder, NO brand mention)

• 1-3 sentences, conversational, genuinely helpful
• Match the sub's tone
• Never expert-grade advice (medical, legal, financial)
• Never link to anything
• Never sign with anything that hints at a profession

Example structure:

[Direct answer or empathy hook]. [One concrete tip from common sense]. [Soft close optional].

Phase B (brand-aware, expert)

Default mode = pedagogical, not promotional.

Structure:

[Acknowledge the situation in 1 sentence, neutral tone.]

[General rule / framework in 2-3 sentences. Cite a source only if essential. No promise.]

[Concrete next step the OP can take themselves: deadline, document to gather, official portal, command to run.]

[Optional: if the case is complex, mention that a specialist can review the OP's situation. No brand name in the comment body.]

Brand link policy:

• Allowed at most once per reply, only as a trailing line: "I wrote about the procedure here if you want to dig: [link to a relevant blog article]"
• Link only to a relevant content page on \x3CBRAND_DOMAIN> — never the homepage, never a contact page in a reply
• Never link in the same reply that gives personalized advice — split: rule of the field in the body, generic resource in the trailing line
• Never mention the brand by name in the reply text. The username profile already signals it for curious readers.

Forbidden in any reply:

• "Contact me", "DM me", phone numbers, email addresses
• Promises ("you will win", "it's certain", "guaranteed results")
• Quoting specific past client/customer cases
• Asking the OP to DM you

6. Informative post structure (regular cadence, e.g. Tue + Fri)

Target sub: pick one from \x3CTARGET_SUBS> based on:

1. Sub karma requirement satisfied
2. Sub freeze state (skip if frozen)
3. Topic relevance (consult reddit-ideas.md and rotate)
4. Last 14 days have NOT seen you post in that sub (cross-check reddit-post-log.md)

Format:

Title: [Question-form or "Guide:" prefix, ≤ 100 chars]

Body (markdown):
**Context** : [1 paragraph framing the problem people face]

**The rule / framework** : [2-3 paragraphs of plain-language explanation: sources, deadlines, mechanics]

**What to do concretely**:
1. [Action 1]
2. [Action 2]
3. [Action 3]

**Takeaway** : [1 paragraph summary]

---
*For a detailed walkthrough, I wrote a full article here: [link to blog on \x3CBRAND_DOMAIN>]. I don't take case-specific questions in public comments — for a precise situation a 1:1 review works better.*

The closing block is the only explicit reference to the brand. Keep it short, factual, no marketing language.

Apply flair if the sub requires one. If no relevant flair exists, skip the sub.

7. Quotas (hard limits)

Quota tracking: read reddit-reply-log.md and reddit-post-log.md at start of every run, count entries with timestamps in the last 24h / 7d, abort early if quotas already met.

8. Anti-spam triggers (words and patterns to avoid)

Comment/post content

Behavioral triggers

• Same content cross-posted \x3C 7 days apart → spam detection
• ≥ 2 links in a single comment → auto-removed
• New account (karma \x3C 100) posting in large subs → auto-removed
• Replying within 60s of post creation → looks bot-like, wait ≥ 5 min
• Same opening phrase across multiple replies → flagged

• 3 actions in 30 min → temporary rate limit

9. Sub state management

File: \x3CWORKSPACE_DIR>/memory/reddit-subs-state.md

For each sub, track:

• Last action timestamp (any reply or post)
• Last 5 actions and their outcome (live / removed / locked)
• Karma requirement observed
• Flair required (yes/no/list)
• Freeze state (yes if 2 last actions were removed → unfreeze date = removal date + 7 days)
• Mod messages received (any DM from /r/[sub] mods → flag for human review)

Update at the end of every run that touched the sub.

10. Recovery & blockers

11. Mandatory recap (alert channel + memory)

At the end of each cron:

Alert channel (Telegram / Slack / Discord) — final run message:

[Job name] — [status: ok|partial|blocked|skipped]
Public actions: [list short OR "no post/reply"]
Links: [URLs of new comments/posts]
Karma: link_karma=X comment_karma=Y total=Z
Blockers: [text OR "—"]
Next action: [1 line]

Memory — append to \x3CWORKSPACE_DIR>/memory/reddit-recaps.md:

## YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM TZ — \x3Cjob-id> — status: \x3Cstatus>
- Job: \x3Cdescription>
- Phase: A|B
- Karma: link=X comment=Y total=Z
- Actions: \x3Clist or "no action — reason">
- Subs touched: \x3Clist>
- Links: \x3CURLs>
- Blockers: \x3Ctext or "—">
- Next useful action: \x3C1 line>

If no action was taken: say so clearly (no post/reply/follow/subscribe performed, reason).

12. Memory files inventory

Located at: \x3CWORKSPACE_DIR>/memory/

13. Account identity guardrails

This account exists to be useful in public with the brand as a background signal.

• The username should be intentionally neutral — do not advertise the brand in the handle
• Profile bio: a short generic line, no firm name, no contact info
• Never reply to a DM that asks for expert-grade advice — direct the person to the brand contact page via a standard polite reply
• Never share private case details, names, or numbers
• Never reuse strict templates from your CRM / case management as Reddit content
• Never promise an outcome
• Never charge or solicit payment via Reddit

If anyone DMs about hiring you: reply once with a neutral line ("the studio takes inquiries via \x3CBRAND_DOMAIN>/contact") and stop.

14. Phase A → Phase B transition

When the Daily Metrics Recap detects total_karma ≥ 100:

1. Append to reddit-karma-log.md: YYYY-MM-DD - karma=X - PHASE_B_THRESHOLD_REACHED
2. Send a distinct alert: 🎉 Reddit karma ≥ 100 — enable Phase B (jobs.json: keyword-monitor-* + reply-pass-* + informative-post-* + subscribe-growth — flip enabled=true)
3. Do NOT auto-flip the crons (manual user action — reduces risk of premature B-phase posting)

Once Phase B is enabled by the user:

• First week: 1 reply/day max (not the full 3) — soft ramp
• Keep karma builder running for 2 more weeks in parallel
• Once total_karma ≥ 250: disable karma builder, keep only Phase B crons

15. Stability discipline

• Read the UI before clicking
• One click → verify with a snapshot
• Do not stack clicks
• Close stale tabs at the end of every run
• Return to the role's default page when done
• Never silently fake a successful action — always verify via API or UI confirmation

Better silence than spam. Better a blockage report than a fake success.

16. First-run checklist

Before enabling any cron, run through this checklist:

• Section 0 placeholders filled in your local copy / agent memory.
• Reddit account created with neutral username (no brand in the handle).
• Profile bio is one short generic line — no firm name, no contact info.
• Browser profile launched at http://127.0.0.1:\x3CBROWSER_PORT> and logged in.
• /api/me.json returns a non-null name (login verified).
• \x3CWORKSPACE_DIR>/memory/ directory exists with the 7 memory files (see section 12) — empty is fine, scripts append to them.
• Alert channel (Telegram / Slack / Discord) webhook tested with a "hello" message.
• Phase A confirmed: total_karma \x3C 100 → only karma-builder + ops crons enabled.
• At least 2 weeks of organic activity (subscribes, low-stakes comments) before enabling brand-mentioning crons, even if karma ≥ 100.

A bash one-liner to init the memory files:

mkdir -p "\x3CWORKSPACE_DIR>/memory" && cd "$_" && touch reddit-recaps.md reddit-post-log.md reddit-reply-log.md reddit-karma-log.md reddit-subs-state.md reddit-ideas.md reddit-learnings.md

(The GitHub repo ships an init-memory.sh script that does the same interactively.)

17. FAQ

Q: Do I need OpenClaw to use this skill? A: No. OpenClaw browser CLI is the example stack — the doctrine works with Playwright, Puppeteer, Chrome MCP, or any CDP-capable tool. Swap the CLI calls.

Q: Can I use this skill for multiple Reddit accounts? A: Yes — clone the workspace dir per account. Each account gets its own memory/ and its own browser profile. Do not cross-link accounts in any reply.

Q: What if my niche has only one relevant sub and it's strict? A: Run Phase A on adjacent subs (low-stakes, high-volume) to build karma, then start Phase B on the niche sub with the longest possible runway. Some niche subs also require 90+ days of account age regardless of karma.

Q: Is shadowban detection reliable? A: Partially. The "comment posted but invisible in incognito after 5 min" check catches most shadowbans, but Reddit also does community-specific shadowbans that don't fire that signal. Track per-sub upvote ratios over time as a backup signal.

Q: Can I run multiple crons in parallel? A: Yes, but respect the global "30 min apart" rule across all crons. A lock file at \x3CWORKSPACE_DIR>/.lock is the cleanest way to enforce it.

Q: What if my account is suspended? A: Stop everything. Do not appeal automatically. Manual review only. Document the suspension in reddit-learnings.md with the exact last action before suspension.