Reddit CQS: What It Is, Its Five Tiers, and What You Can Do

Reddit CQS means Contributor Quality Score. Reddit describes it as an account classification based on several signals, with five tiers that may change over time.

Its public Help page explains how moderators can use CQS in AutoModerator. It does not publish a formula, universal threshold, or guaranteed way to raise a tier.

One important limitation: the public documentation does not let readers calculate their own tier.

Quick answer

• Reddit assigns each account one of five tiers: Highest, High, Moderate, Low, or Lowest.
• The documented signal categories include past account actions, network and location signals, and steps taken to secure an account, such as email verification.
• Moderators can use CQS through AutoModerator rules in their own communities.
• Reddit's public documentation does not explain a personal score lookup or promise that a particular action changes your tier.
• A CQS tier by itself does not prove that an account is banned or shadowbanned.

What is Reddit CQS?

The Contributor Quality Score is a user classification Reddit says it uses to identify potential spammers or people less likely to contribute positively. Reddit says every account receives a CQS based on a range of signals, including past account actions, network and location signals, and account-security steps such as email verification.

Reddit says CQS is updated regularly and an account can move up or down based on activity and behavior. It does not disclose the weighting or full formula, so a reader cannot calculate a tier from karma, account age, or one removed post.

For the official description, read Reddit's CQS Help page.

What are the five CQS tiers?

Reddit names five tiers, in descending order: Highest, High, Moderate, Low, and Lowest. The Help page publishes these labels, but it does not give numerical score ranges or say that every tier has the same effect in every community.

This screenshot shows Reddit Help's five tier labels only. It is not a personal CQS, numeric score, or account result; see the official [CQS Help page](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/19023371170196-What-is-the-Contributor-Quality-Score).

Treat the names as categories, not as a public grading rubric. Reddit's documentation does not define a starting tier for new accounts or publish a timeline for moving between tiers.

How do moderators use CQS?

Moderators can reference CQS with AutoModerator's contributor_quality field. Reddit's current AutoModerator documentation describes CQS checks as one option moderators may use in community rules.

That means a community could use its own AutoModerator rule to filter content based on a CQS tier. It does not mean every subreddit uses CQS, and it does not establish a sitewide reach or ranking penalty for an account.

Is CQS the same as karma or a shadowban?

No.

Reddit says karma is an approximate reflection of upvotes and downvotes, not a one-to-one count.

CQS is a separate account classification that uses several signal categories; Reddit does not say that a high karma total guarantees a particular CQS tier.

Nor does a CQS label prove that Reddit has hidden or banned an account.

The official CQS page describes moderator use, not a sitewide ban test.

For distinct account notices, security locks, or visibility symptoms, use our Reddit account health guide and follow the matching Reddit Help route.

This crop lists separate account-help topics. It is not a CQS result or a diagnosis of an account; see the [account health guide](/blog/reddit-account-health) for the official next steps.

Can you check or improve your Reddit CQS?

Reddit's public CQS Help page explains the tier labels and how moderators use them, but it does not document a user-facing lookup or account-settings display. A community bot or third-party tool that claims to report a tier is not the same as an official Reddit account notice.

Do not share your Reddit password, login session, or recovery codes with a checker. If a post or comment is filtered, start with the notice and the community's rules rather than guessing that CQS is the cause.

There is no published score-repair formula. Reddit says tiers can move with activity and behavior, but it does not guarantee that any single step will raise a tier.

Focus on actions that protect your account and fit the rules:

1. Secure the account. Keep access to your email and use Reddit's account-security options. Reddit lists security steps, such as email verification, among the signal categories it considers.
2. Read community rules. A removal or filter may reflect one community's rule or AutoModerator configuration, not an account-wide judgment.
3. Avoid spam-like patterns. Reddit's Spam policy advises authentic participation and checking local rules before posting links or promotional material.
4. Do not manipulate votes. Reddit's Disrupting Communities policy prohibits vote services, coordinated voting, automated vote manipulation, and ban evasion.

This screenshot excerpt shows Reddit's policy, not a CQS signal or a result about a particular account. Read the full [Disrupting Communities policy](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043066412-Disrupting-Communities) before taking action.

What if Reddit or a subreddit filters your post?

Check the exact notice, the community's rules, and whether the issue affects one post, one subreddit, or the whole account. A post that is filtered does not reveal which signal or rule was involved.

If the reason is unclear, ask the community's moderators through the route they allow.

For a Reddit account notice, use Reddit's matching Help or appeal process.

Do not create another account to get around a ban or use votes to try to change a filter.

Reddit CQS FAQ

The short version: Reddit documents five CQS tiers and moderator use, but it does not publish a user-facing score formula or a guaranteed improvement plan. Follow notices and community rules; do not treat one tier as proof of a sitewide restriction.

What does CQS stand for?

CQS stands for Contributor Quality Score. Reddit describes it as an account classification for identifying potential spammers or contributors less likely to contribute positively.

It is not a public karma total, and Reddit does not publish a formula that lets users calculate a tier themselves.

What are the five Reddit CQS tiers?

The five labels are Highest, High, Moderate, Low, and Lowest. Reddit says tiers update regularly and can move based on activity and behavior.

The public Help page does not publish numerical boundaries or a fixed meaning for each tier beyond the labels.

Can I see my CQS in Reddit settings?

Reddit's public CQS article explains how moderators use the contributor_quality field in AutoModerator; it does not document a user-facing score lookup in account settings.

Treat community-bot replies and third-party checker results as unofficial, not as a Reddit account notice.

Does CQS affect whether a post is filtered?

A moderator may configure AutoModerator to use CQS when filtering content in that community. The rule is community-specific, and Reddit's public documentation does not say every subreddit uses it.

A filtered post alone does not show that CQS caused the action. Check the notice and ask moderators if the reason is unclear.

Can karma or upvotes raise my CQS?

Reddit says karma is an approximate reflection of votes, while CQS uses several signal categories. Its public Help page does not say that a certain karma total or vote ratio guarantees a higher tier.

Make contributions that fit the community, but do not treat votes as a CQS formula.

Is a low CQS the same as being shadowbanned?

No. Reddit's CQS article describes tier classification and moderator use; it does not say that a Low or Lowest tier proves a sitewide ban or shadowban.

Check the account notice and the affected content, then use the appropriate Reddit Help or moderator route.