Reddit Marketing·By DeadSubs

Why Was My r/redditrequest Denied? (9 Common Reasons + Fixes)

The 9 most common reasons r/redditrequest submissions get denied or removed — and exactly how to fix each one so your next request gets approved.

Why Was My r/redditrequest Denied? (9 Common Reasons + Fixes)

Quick answer: Most r/redditrequest denials come from one of nine causes: a moderator is still active sitewide, you didn't send modmail first, you didn't wait the full waiting period, your account doesn't meet karma or age requirements, you formatted the post wrong, the subreddit isn't actually eligible (private, banned, or admin-controlled), you submitted too frequently, there were already three pending requests, or your revival plan was too vague. Each has a specific fix, and most denied requests can succeed on a second, corrected attempt.

Getting denied is frustrating, especially after waiting days. The good news: r/redditrequest denials are almost always procedural, not personal. Fix the specific issue and resubmit when you're eligible. Here are the nine reasons, in rough order of how often they happen.

Table of Contents

1. A Moderator Is Still Active Sitewide

This is the number one reason. Reddit measures moderator activity across all of Reddit, not just inside the target subreddit. A mod who hasn't touched the subreddit in two years but commented on a random post last week is still "active" — and request_bot will reject your request.

The fix: Before requesting, visit every human moderator's profile and confirm none have posted or commented anywhere on Reddit in the required window. If even one mod is active sitewide, the subreddit isn't claimable yet. A tool like DeadSubs helps you spot candidates, but always manually verify each mod's sitewide activity before submitting.

2. You Didn't Send Modmail First

Reddit requires you to message the subreddit's existing moderators before submitting your request. This proves you gave them a fair chance to respond. Skip it and your request can be removed outright.

The fix: Send a polite modmail to the subreddit expressing your interest in helping revive the community. Keep a record of it (the date and content). You'll reference it when request_bot asks.

3. You Didn't Wait Long Enough

There are two waiting periods people confuse:

  • After sending modmail: wait at least 5 full days for the mods to respond before submitting.
  • Moderator inactivity: the mods must have been inactive for the required period (Reddit's stated minimum is 30 days; 60+ is the safe, commonly-cited threshold for clean approvals).

Submitting before the 5-day modmail window closes is a common, avoidable denial.

The fix: Send modmail, mark your calendar for 5 days later, and only then submit. Don't rush it.

4. Your Account Doesn't Meet the Requirements

Per Reddit's r/redditrequest criteria, your account must:

  • Be at least 90 days old
  • Have 100+ comment karma and 100+ post karma (not from free-karma communities)
  • Have a verified email
  • Have two-factor authentication enabled
  • Not be recently banned or suspended
  • Be generally active across Reddit, and actively moderating any communities you already mod

The fix: If your account is too new or low-karma, spend a few weeks genuinely participating before requesting. Enable 2FA and verify your email now — these are quick wins that requests get denied for surprisingly often.

5. The Post Was Formatted Incorrectly

r/redditrequest has strict formatting rules, and request_bot is unforgiving:

  • Post type: must be a link post, not a text post.
  • Title: must be exactly the subreddit name (e.g., r/twitchstreams) — no "Requesting" prefix, no extra words.
  • Link URL: the full subreddit URL (e.g., https://www.reddit.com/r/twitchstreams/).
  • Flair: select the appropriate flair (such as the inactive-top-mod-removal option).

The fix: Follow the format exactly. After posting, reply to the request_bot comment with your reason and a reference to the modmail you sent.

6. The Subreddit Isn't Actually Eligible

Some subreddits can't be claimed regardless of inactivity:

  • Private, restricted, or quarantined subreddits
  • Banned subreddits (if banned for being unmoderated, they're ineligible until 30 days pass; if banned for rule violations, they're ineligible entirely)
  • Default or admin-controlled subreddits

The fix: Verify the subreddit is public and in good standing before you invest time. Check its status on old Reddit if you suspect a ban.

7. You Requested Too Frequently

Reddit limits you to one request every 15 days, and this includes posts you deleted before review. Submit more often and your extra requests are automatically removed.

The fix: Plan your targets. If you're pursuing several subreddits, start with the highest-value one and space subsequent requests at least 15 days apart.

8. There Were Already Three Pending Requests

If a community already has three pending requests in the queue, no new requests are considered until those are reviewed.

The fix: If you hit this, wait for the queue to clear and resubmit later. It also signals the community is contested — you may want to prioritize a less crowded target.

9. Your Revival Plan Was Too Vague

Meeting the criteria doesn't guarantee approval. Requests with weak or generic plans are more likely to be denied, especially for larger communities.

The fix: Be specific. Instead of "I'll revive it," write something like: "I'll post weekly discussion threads, update the rules and sidebar, add AutoModerator anti-spam filters, and cross-promote with related communities. I have experience moderating [X]." Concrete plans signal you'll actually steward the community.

How to Maximize Your Approval Odds

Put it all together into a clean, repeatable process:

  1. Find a genuinely abandoned target and verify every human mod is inactive sitewide. DeadSubs surfaces candidates and shows inactivity status.
  2. Confirm eligibility — public, not banned, not a default.
  3. Prepare your account — 90+ days, 100/100 karma, verified email, 2FA.
  4. Send modmail and wait the full 5 days.
  5. Submit a correctly formatted link post with the exact subreddit name as the title.
  6. Reply to request_bot with a specific revival plan and your modmail reference.
  7. Respect the 15-day limit between requests.

Do all seven and the overwhelming majority of requests on truly abandoned, eligible subreddits get approved.

Ready to Try Again?

Find an eligible, genuinely abandoned subreddit with DeadSubs, then follow the complete r/redditrequest guide to submit a clean request.

Further Reading