What a Reddit post history shows, what it hides, and how to read one

What is a Reddit post history?

A Reddit post history is the record of posts and comments an account has made, shown on its profile at reddit.com/user/ followed by the username, minus any activity the owner chose to hide. The profile splits that record into posts and comments, and Reddit's API reference exposes the same split as three listings: /user/username/overview for both together, /user/username/submitted for posts and /user/username/comments for comments.

The history is a curated view, not a complete log. Since Reddit gave every user control over what their profile displays, two people with the same activity can show very different profiles. Treat a thin profile as a profile with settings, not as a new or inactive account, until you have checked.

How do you view someone's Reddit post history?

You view someone's Reddit post history by clicking their username on any post or comment, which opens their profile, and then switching between the posts and comments views. If you already know the exact name, type reddit.com/user/ and the name into the address bar.

1. Click or tap the username on a post or comment.
2. On the profile, open the posts view to see what they submitted.
3. Switch to the comments view to see what they wrote in other people's threads.
4. To filter posts by topic, run a Reddit search for author:username keyword. Reddit's help centre defines author as "The user who submitted the post" and warns against a space after the colon.
5. To filter by community, add subreddit:name to the same search.

The API listings take a sort of hot, new, top or controversial and a time filter t of hour, day, week, month, year or all. The API reference also marks the user history endpoints with "rss support", so the same listings are available as RSS feeds. The Reddit search operators guide lists the other filters you can combine with author:.

What can a user hide from their Reddit post history?

A Reddit user can hide posts and comments from chosen communities, hide all of them, hide NSFW activity and hide their follower count. Reddit's profile settings article says the Content and activity setting lets users "customize which subreddits' content is visible on your profile," and that "You can also choose to show all or hide all."

Hiding is not deleting. The same article says hidden posts and comments "are still available in the original community where they were made, as well as in search results both on and off the platform." An author: search can still surface posts a profile does not show.

The rows come from Reddit's help centre. Its edit article says "an asterisk will appear next to it" after an edit, and that you "can only edit a post's content and not its title." Its account deletion article says a deleted account's posts "stay on Reddit, but people can't see who they came from," and a deleted post "is only accessible with a direct link and will not appear in Reddit search." Its blocking article says blocked accounts "can't access your profile."

Who can see a full Reddit post history regardless of settings?

Moderators of a community see a user's full post history for 28 days after that user posts, comments, edits, sends modmail or requests access there, whatever the user's profile settings say. Reddit's moderator visibility article describes it as "full visibility into a profile (public posts and comments) for 28 days," and adds that "The 28-day full profile access restarts with each new engagement." The access covers every moderator on the team, bots included.

The rule also covers ordinary users in one case. Reddit's profile settings article says "The same rule applies when you comment on another user's profile. That user will have 28 days of access to your full profile content."

Moderators also get a summary view. Reddit's user profile panel article says its Overview tab "provides a six-month overview of a community member's engagement," including "community karma, past bans, mutes, and submission removals."

For anyone replying to buyers, this rule matters more than any other on the page. The moment you comment in a subreddit, its moderators can read everything you have posted for four weeks. A history full of links to your own product looks like spam to them, whatever you hid on your profile.

How do you read a Reddit post history before replying to a prospect?

You read a prospect's Reddit post history for three things before replying: whether the need is real, whether they are tied to a competitor, and whether they have asked the same question before. Five minutes on the profile changes what a good reply looks like.

1. Check the need. Search author:username with your topic word. Earlier posts about the same problem mean the question is genuine, not idle curiosity.
2. Check for affiliation. Read the posts about tools in your space. An account that only praises one product is a fan or an employee, and arguing with it in public wastes your reply.
3. Check earlier asks. If they asked last month and rejected three suggestions, read why, and do not suggest the same three.
4. Note the communities. The communities in their history show where people like them ask questions, which gives you the next places to watch.
5. Check account age and karma. A brand new account with no karma can be a throwaway. Reddit's karma article calls karma "a reflection of the upvotes and downvotes you receive," and the Reddit karma guide covers how to read it.

Then reply in the thread, where they asked. Do not quote their history back to them or open with a DM about something you read on their profile. Reddiquette asks you to contribute far more than you promote, and a reply that reads like surveillance does neither.

Run the same check on your own account. If your comments get no replies at all, the account itself could be hidden from everyone else, which is the test described in the Reddit shadowban guide.

Can you see deleted posts in a Reddit post history?

Reddit shows no deleted posts in a post history and cannot bring them back. Reddit's help centre answers If I delete a post or comment, can it be restored? with "No, if you delete a post or comment, it's removed from Reddit and moderators and Reddit administrators won't be able to bring it back for you."

Third-party archives hold copies of some public content. The Arctic Shift archive offers an author parameter on its post and comment search. For vetting a prospect you do not need it. What someone deleted is what they chose not to stand behind, and a reply built on it will land badly.

How does RedReplier fit with reading a post history?

RedReplier finds the thread, and you read the poster's history before you answer. RedReplier watches every public subreddit on Reddit for the keywords you target, and you can narrow it to specific communities. It ranks each match by buyer intent, and matches land on your RedReplier dashboard within minutes of a post or comment going live. Email alerts go out as digests on a cadence you set per keyword, from hourly to daily. RedReplier drafts a reply, and you review, edit and post it yourself, which leaves time for the profile check above. The Reddit lead generation page shows the workflow.

Frequently asked questions

How do I see someone's Reddit post history?

Click their username on any post or comment to open their profile, then switch between the posts and comments views. You can also type reddit.com/user/ followed by the username. To filter their posts by topic, search author:username plus a keyword.

Can you hide your post history on Reddit?

Yes. The Content and activity setting under Curate your profile lets you hide chosen communities or hide all. Reddit's help centre says the hidden posts and comments stay available in the original community and in search results.

Can moderators see a hidden Reddit post history?

Yes, for 28 days. When you post, comment, edit, send modmail or request access in a community, every moderator there gets full access to your public posts and comments for 28 days, and each new action restarts the clock.

Do deleted posts show in a Reddit post history?

No. A deleted post leaves the profile, drops out of Reddit search and stays reachable only through its direct link, with the content gone. Reddit's help centre says neither moderators nor admins can restore it.

What happens to a post history when an account is deleted?

The profile disappears and anyone opening it sees that the account was deleted. The posts and comments stay on Reddit, but Reddit's help centre says "people can't see who they came from."

Why can't I open someone's Reddit profile?

Reddit's help centre documents two causes: the account was deleted, or the person blocked you. Reddit's blocking article says blocked accounts "can't access your profile." Anyone opening a deleted account's profile gets a message that says the account has been deleted.

Can I get a Reddit user's post history through the API or RSS?

Reddit's API reference exposes three listings: /user/username/overview for posts and comments together, /user/username/submitted for posts and /user/username/comments for comments. They take a sort of hot, new, top or controversial and a time filter t of hour, day, week, month, year or all. The reference marks these endpoints as supporting RSS, so the same listings work as feeds.

How do I search a Reddit user's posts by topic or community?

Run a Reddit search for author:username keyword. Add subreddit:name to limit the results to one community, and leave no space after the colon. Hidden posts stay in search, so this can surface posts a profile does not show.

Does editing a post change a Reddit post history?

An edited post or comment stays on the profile with an asterisk next to it, which tells other users it has been changed. You can edit a post's content but not its title.

Can another user see my full Reddit history if I comment on their profile?

Reddit's profile settings article says the moderator rule applies here too. When you comment on another user's profile, that user has 28 days of access to your full profile content.