I used to post on Reddit whenever I finished writing something.

10 PM on a Tuesday? Sure. 3 AM on a Saturday? Why not. The content was good. That should be enough, right?

Wrong.

After 6 months of random posting, I started tracking my results. Same quality posts, wildly different outcomes. Some got 500 upvotes. Others died at 3. The only variable? Timing.

Turns out the Reddit algorithm cares a lot about when you post. And most of us are doing it wrong.

How the Reddit Algorithm Actually Works

Let me explain this simply because most guides overcomplicate it.

Reddit uses a "hot" ranking system that weighs two things:

Recency - Newer posts get priority
Velocity - How fast you get upvotes in the first hour

That is it. New posts with quick upvotes rise. Old posts with slow upvotes sink.

The algorithm does not care if your post eventually gets 1,000 upvotes. If it took 24 hours to get there, it was already buried. The first hour is everything.

This is why timing matters so much. Post when users are active, you get fast upvotes, you rise. Post when nobody is online, you get nothing, you die.

The Golden 30 Minutes

Here is something most people miss:

The first 30 minutes after you post are critical. If your post gets 5-10 upvotes in that window, the algorithm assumes it is good content and pushes it higher. If it gets nothing, the algorithm assumes nobody cares and buries it.

This creates a feedback loop. Early upvotes lead to more visibility, which leads to more upvotes. Early silence leads to obscurity, which leads to death.

So our goal is simple: post when the most potential upvoters are online.

Best Times to Post (The Data)

Based on aggregated data from multiple sources and my own experiments:

Weekdays (All Times in EST)

| Day | Best Windows | Avoid | |-----|--------------|-------| | Monday | 6-8 AM, 12-1 PM | After 9 PM | | Tuesday | 6-9 AM, 2 PM | Late night | | Wednesday | 8-10 AM, 2 PM | Early morning | | Thursday | 7-9 AM, 2 PM | After 10 PM | | Friday | 6-10 AM, 3-4 PM | Evening |

Weekends

| Day | Best Windows | Notes | |-----|--------------|-------| | Saturday | 7-9 AM | Lower activity overall | | Sunday | 8-10 AM | People catching up |

The pattern:

Early morning (6-10 AM EST) works consistently
Lunch time (12-2 PM EST) catches work breaks
Evenings are unpredictable
Late night is almost always bad

Why These Times Work

50% of Reddit users are in North America. Most are browsing during:

Morning commute
Work breaks
Lunch time
Early evening unwinding

If you post at 6 AM EST, you catch the East Coast waking up, then ride the wave as Central and West Coast join.

Post at 10 PM EST and you are competing with fewer users for attention... but there are also fewer users to upvote you. The math does not work.

The 2025 Algorithm Changes

Reddit updated its algorithm in 2024-2025. Here is what changed:

Before: Upvotes were king. More upvotes = higher ranking.

Now: Comments and discussion depth matter more. A post with 100 upvotes and 50 thoughtful comments beats a post with 200 upvotes and 5 comments.

This is what Reddit calls "interaction-first" ranking.

What this means for your strategy:

Posts that spark discussion rise faster
Reply to every comment on your posts
Ask questions that invite responses
Controversial takes beat bland ones

The best performing posts now are ones that get people arguing in the comments. Not hostile arguing - productive debate.

Subreddit-Specific Timing

Here is the thing: general timing rules are just starting points.

Different subreddits have different peak times:

Business/Entrepreneur subreddits:

Peak during work hours (9 AM - 5 PM EST)
Users browse during breaks
Best: Monday-Friday morning

Gaming/Entertainment subreddits:

Peak in evenings and weekends
Users have free time
Best: Friday-Sunday evening

International subreddits:

Depends on target region
r/europe peaks at 9 AM - 3 PM CET
r/australia peaks overnight EST

How to find your subreddit's peak:

I use Reddit Toolbox to analyze recent posts in my target subreddits. Filter by "Top - Past Week" and note when the highest-engagement posts were submitted. Patterns emerge fast.

Manual method: Check the subreddit at different times. Sort by "New". How fast do posts accumulate? Fast = active time. Slow = dead time.

The Schedule I Use Now

Here is my actual posting workflow:

Sunday night:

Write posts for the week
Schedule topics by subreddit

Monday-Thursday mornings:

Post at 7:30 AM EST
Immediately check for comments
Reply within first 30 minutes

Fridays:

Post at 6 AM EST (catch weekend scrollers)
More casual content

Weekends:

Usually rest, but if posting: Saturday 8 AM

Consistency matters. Reddit's algorithm also tracks account behavior. Accounts that post regularly at similar times get slight preference over accounts that post randomly.

Tools for Timing

A few things that help:

For analysis:

Reddit Toolbox (what I use) - analyze historical post performance
LaterForReddit - basic scheduling
Subreddit Stats - activity patterns

For scheduling:

Most scheduling tools work
Warning: some subreddits ban scheduled posts
Check rules before automating

For tracking:

Spreadsheet with post time, upvotes at 1hr, final upvotes
After 20 posts, patterns become clear

Common Timing Mistakes

Mistake 1: Posting on impulse

You finish writing something, you want to share it immediately. I get it. But 11 PM on Saturday is a terrible time to post. Save it for Monday morning.

Mistake 2: Ignoring time zones

If your audience is in Europe, posting during US peak hours is pointless. Know where your target users are located.

Mistake 3: Posting at "round" times

8:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 5:00 PM - everyone posts at these times. There is more competition. Try 7:47 AM or 11:53 AM. Same audience, less noise.

Mistake 4: Not adjusting for subreddits

I post in r/SaaS and r/Entrepreneur at different times. SaaS founders wake up earlier (hustle culture). General entrepreneurs are more spread out.

Quick Reference Card

Safe defaults for most subreddits:

Best single time: Tuesday 8 AM EST
Best range: Monday-Thursday, 6-10 AM EST
Backup slot: Lunch time 12-2 PM EST
Avoid: Weekday evenings, late nights, Sunday evening

For maximum engagement:

Post at peak time (data-driven)
Stay online for 30 minutes after posting
Reply to every comment quickly
Ask questions that invite discussion

For testing:

Post same-quality content at 5 different times
Track 1-hour upvote count
After 3 weeks, you will know your optimal window

The Honest Truth

Timing matters, but it is maybe 20% of the equation.

Good content at a bad time still does okay. Bad content at peak time still fails. Timing maximizes good content - it does not save bad content.

If your posts consistently die regardless of timing, the problem is the content. Work on that first.

But if your content is solid and results are inconsistent, timing might be the variable you are missing. Test it systematically. The data does not lie.

Related Guides:

Reddit Algorithm Explained: Best Time to Post for Maximum Engagement (2025)