How do I track the number of shares my Reddit post gets?

Direct answer: Reddit does not publish a share count for posts. You can’t see a native “shares” metric, but you can approximate reach and track downstream effects using post data, traffic analytics, and crossposts. Use a mix of Reddit metrics and external tracking to gauge impact.

Understanding what you can track on Reddit

What Reddit shows for your post

• Upvotes
• Comments
• Awards
• Views (where available for some posts)
• Crossposts (how many times your post is shared to other subreddits)

What Reddit does not show

• A direct “shares” count
• Exact referral or crosspost destination list

Practical ways to track shares indirectly

1) Monitor crossposts and downstream activity

1. Check the post’s crosspost count in the post header or via the post’s link on related communities.
2. Note where crossposts originate and how often they appear in different subreddits.
3. Track engagement on each crosspost (upvotes, comments) to infer reach.

2) Use web analytics for traffic you control

1. If you link to your own site from Reddit, enable UTM tracking (utm_source=reddit, utm_medium=social, utm_campaign=post_title).
2. Review your analytics dashboard (e.g., Google Analytics) for sessions, users, and behavior from Reddit referrals.
3. Compare referral spikes with the timing of your post’s popularity to estimate reach.

3) Track URL shares with link shorteners

1. Use a URL shortener that provides click analytics for any Reddit links you post.
2. Record daily click counts and correlate with post activity.
3. Be aware that some subreddits auto-remove shortened links or hide them behind text posts; adjust accordingly.

4) Analyze post performance signals

1. Track upvotes and comments velocity (votes per hour, comments per hour) to gauge momentum.
2. Observe engagement patterns after promotions or updates to the post.
3. Note any spikes after crossposts or replies by you or others.

Tools and methods to optimize tracking

A. In-post benchmarks

1. Record baseline metrics within the first hour of posting.
2. Set milestones (e.g., 100 upvotes, 50 comments) to mark active periods.

B. External analytics setup

1. Link important URLs with consistent UTM parameters for easy attribution.
2. Use dashboards to combine Reddit metrics with site analytics for a holistic view.

C. Data interpretation tips

1. Small subs may show rapid early engagement but fade quickly; large subs can sustain longer lifecycles.
2. High crosspost activity often signals broader interest beyond the original community.
3. Correlate traffic surges with specific comments, updates, or crossposts to identify drivers.

Pitfalls to watch

• Assuming share counts exist when they don’t publicly appear.
• Relying solely on Reddit metrics; they don’t map directly to external traffic.
• Overlooking privacy and subreddit rules that affect link visibility.
• Using inconsistent tracking parameters across posts.

Quick checklist

• [ ] Confirm there is no native share count for Reddit posts you can access.
• [ ] Enable UTM tracking on URLs you post to Reddit.
• [ ] Set up analytics dashboards to compare Reddit-driven traffic to other sources.
• [ ] Track crossposts and their engagement each day.
• [ ] Use link shorteners with click analytics when sharing URLs.
• [ ] Monitor upvotes, comments, and views (if shown) for momentum.
• [ ] Align timeframes to posting and crosspost activity for accurate attribution.

Example workflow

1) Publish a post with a linked URL to your site using utm_source=reddit and utm_medium=social.

2) Check analytics after 24 hours for referrer data and session counts.

3) Note crossposts to other subreddits and record any traffic spikes.

4) Compare engagement from comments and upvotes with traffic data to estimate impact.

5) Iterate on future posts using observed patterns.

FAQ JSON data is provided after the main content.

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