Reddit Unveils Mod Helper Program to Mend Frayed Moderator Relations

In response to escalating tensions between Reddit and its moderators, the social media giant is launching the “Mod Helper Program” as part of its efforts to mend relations with its community of moderators.

The program aims to reward moderators who provide valuable assistance to their peers, coupled with an enhanced moderator help center.

The root of this issue lies in the fallout from Reddit’s API pricing changes, which led to the shutdown of several third-party apps that many moderators relied on for managing their subreddits.

Reddit’s native moderation tools were seen as lacking compared to these now-defunct third-party apps, sparking discontent among moderators. To protest the API pricing changes, some moderators even made their subreddits private, leading to the removal of entire mod teams by Reddit’s administrators.

The Mod Helper Program is structured as a tiered system that bestows trophies and flairs upon moderators who receive upvotes for their comments in the r/ModSupport subreddit.

The various ranks, ranging from “Helper” to “Expert Helper,” serve to acknowledge and highlight moderators who consistently offer valuable insights to their fellow moderators.

Reddit’s commitment to fostering a more supportive atmosphere among moderators is also reflected in the recent launch of the Modmail Answer Bot.

This automated tool responds with relevant links from the site’s Help Center and, if necessary, creates a ticket for human admin intervention, streamlining moderator requests and allowing the admin team to focus on more complex issues.

Also, Reddit is consolidating its moderator-specific Help Center with the sitewide Help Center to improve resource accessibility.