Big general
Best time to post in r/Whatcouldgowrong
The best and worst hours to post, the rules that get posts removed, and a check of your draft against both.
Posts in r/Whatcouldgowrong are most often removed for self-promotion issues. It is a public subreddit that allows only link posts and does not require post flair. In our latest sample of 62 recent posts, an estimated 74% were still up about a day later.
The best place to learn what not to do.
The best and worst hours to post in r/Whatcouldgowrong
Not enough data yet to name a best hour for r/Whatcouldgowrong. We sampled 469 posts, but no single hour has 10or more, so any "best time" would rest on a handful of posts. The grid below shows the raw counts.
Your timezone: UTC (GMT+0). Darker cells mean more posts in our sample.
Compare r/Whatcouldgowrong against every tracked community on the best time to post on Reddit tool.
Estimated survival rate
74%
of 62 recent r/Whatcouldgowrong posts we sampled were still publicly visible about a day later.
How this is measured
Estimate. We sample recent public posts and check again about 18 hours later to count how many are still publicly visible. Posts removed at the moment of submission never become publicly visible at all, so the true removal rate is at least this high. Last sampled Oct 21, 2026.
r/Whatcouldgowrong rules: what actually gets removed
Each rule below is paired with the way it is most likely enforced. Where the rules state a number, we quote it. Where they do not, we say so instead of guessing.
1.Posts must contain both a stupid idea and a thing going wrong
Enforcement variesGolden Rule: Links must contain a stupid idea and something going wrong.
2.Direct links to content only (and no compilations)
Enforcement variesDirect links to gifs/videos/pics only. Compilations are not allowed. Still images are only approved if they meet all criteria (rare).
3.Tag your material NSFW if necessary
Enforcement variesTag your material appropriately. Some NSFW is okay, but overly NSFW material will be removed.
4.Do not submit any posts involving serious injury - this is a lighthearted sub.
Enforcement variesNo serious injuries, no graphic material, no children or animals getting hurt.
5.No obscene material
Enforcement variesMods can remove reposts, obscene material, racism, insults, and sexism at their discretion, and banning will ensue on first offense. Be civil.
6.No fight posts
Enforcement variesPlease do not submit posts of people in a fight unless it is still a good-spirited post and fits the vibe of the sub.
7.No Tiktok videos or plugs for content creators
Enforcement variesDo not submit content that shows watermarks or usernames of individual content creators. Examples include Tiktok videos and instagram videos. We do not want to encourage anyone to perform stunts in an effort to become internet famous.
8.Mods may start community discussions about leaking coffee lids.
Enforcement variesEveryone wins when the lids are fixed.
r/Whatcouldgowrong does not publish karma or account-age minimums in its rules. Subreddits often enforce unpublished filters on top of what they write down, which is why posts from new accounts can vanish without a message here.
Can you self-promote in r/Whatcouldgowrong?
No. r/Whatcouldgowrong bans self-promotion outright: product links, launch posts, and thinly framed feedback posts get removed. The sub's own wording: "No Tiktok videos or plugs for content creators: Do not submit content that shows watermarks or usernames of individual content creators". If you want eyes on your project, contribute first and look for communities with a promo lane.
r/Whatcouldgowrong by the numbers
- Members
- 8M
- Active right now
- Not public
- Posts / day
- 1
- 664 comments / day
- Community age
- 13 years
- since Apr 27, 2013
| Median title length | Posts with a link | Posts with flair | Dominant format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 characters | 100% | 3% | video posts |
What gets removed in r/Whatcouldgowrong
Self-promotion
r/Whatcouldgowrong bans self-promo outright. Product links, launch posts, and thinly framed "feedback" posts are removed.
Low karma or a new account
r/Whatcouldgowrong publishes no karma or age minimum, but unpublished account filters are common at this size. New accounts should comment before posting.
Reddit's sitewide spam filter
A separate layer before the subreddit ever sees your post. New accounts posting links, URL shorteners, and repeated domains are its favorite targets. Removals are instant and silent.
A shadowbanned account
If the account itself is shadowbanned, every post looks live to you and invisible to everyone else, in any subreddit.
Wondering about a post that already disappeared? Start with why Reddit posts get removed or run the free shadowban check.
Subreddits like r/Whatcouldgowrong
Posting somewhere adjacent? Each of these has its own rules and its own removal pattern. Check the one you actually plan to post in.
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r/videos
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r/mildlyinteresting
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r/AmItheAsshole
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r/Whatcouldgowrong posting questions
Can I post links in r/Whatcouldgowrong?
Yes. r/Whatcouldgowrong accepts link posts. The usual sitewide traps still apply: URL shorteners, affiliate parameters, and brand-new domains get filtered fast, and promotional links are judged against the sub's self-promo rules. One clean link to the original source is the safe pattern.
Does r/Whatcouldgowrong require karma to post?
r/Whatcouldgowrong does not publish a karma minimum. That does not mean there is none: many subreddits enforce unpublished karma and account-age filters that remove posts silently. If your account is new or has little karma, that is the first thing to rule out when a post disappears.
Is r/Whatcouldgowrong strict?
Moderate, by our estimate (36/100 on our strictness scale, from its measured removal rate, 8 rules, and its stated gates). About 26% of recent posts disappeared within a day in our sample. Strictness is about enforcement, not hostility: a strict sub is predictable if you follow its rules.
Why do posts get removed in r/Whatcouldgowrong?
The most common reasons are self-promotion violations, plus the layers every subreddit has: Reddit's sitewide spam filter, unpublished AutoMod rules, and account-level gates like karma and age. In our recent sample, roughly 26% of r/Whatcouldgowrong posts disappeared within about a day of going up. Many removals are silent, so checking your draft first beats finding out after.
Rules last checked Oct 21, 2026
Go deeper: how AutoMod removals work, the shadowban explainer, or earning karma the allowed way.
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