Reddit Karma Cultivator (Anti-Shadowban Edition)

Automatically builds Reddit karma by commenting on rising posts with genuine, value-first responses.

Prerequisites

1. macOS only (uses AppleScript)
2. Google Chrome with "Allow JavaScript from Apple Events" enabled:
   • Chrome → View → Developer → Allow JavaScript from Apple Events
   • Restart Chrome after enabling
3. Logged into Reddit in Chrome

How It Works

1. AppleScript injects JavaScript into your logged-in Chrome browser
2. Fetches rising/hot posts from target subreddits via Reddit's internal JSON API
3. AI drafts a natural, value-first comment for each post
4. Posts comments with human-like delays and rate limiting
5. Tracks all activity to prevent duplicate comments

Anti-Shadowban Rules (CRITICAL — FOLLOW EXACTLY)

These rules are non-negotiable. Violating them WILL get the account shadowbanned:

Frequency Limits

• Maximum 5 comments per session (never exceed this)
• Minimum 45-90 seconds between comments (randomized delay)
• Maximum 2 sessions per day (morning + evening, 6+ hours apart)
• Skip days randomly — do NOT comment every single day. Aim for 4-5 days per week.

Comment Quality Rules

• NO self-promotion — never mention your own product, link, or project
• NO generic responses — "Great post!", "I agree!", "This is helpful" will get flagged
• Minimum 2 sentences per comment, ideally 3-5 sentences
• Must directly address the specific content of the post
• Add personal experience or perspective — share an anecdote, opinion, or related info
• Vary sentence structure — don't start every comment the same way
• Use casual Reddit tone — contractions, lowercase "i" sometimes, occasional humor
• NO emojis or excessive formatting — Redditors hate that

Subreddit Behavior

• Rotate subreddits — don't hammer the same subreddit repeatedly
• Mix "easy karma" subs with niche subs — balance r/AskReddit type posts with r/indiehackers
• Read the room — serious subs need serious comments, casual subs can be lighter
• Avoid commenting on posts older than 6 hours — comments on old posts look suspicious

Red Flags to Avoid

• Commenting immediately after account creation
• All comments in same time window (looks like a bot schedule)
• Copy-paste or templated language across comments
• Only commenting, never upvoting (the script should upvote posts it comments on)
• Sudden spike in activity after days of silence

Usage

Run the cultivation script:

python3 {baseDir}/scripts/reddit_cultivate.py --subreddits "indiehackers,SideProject,startups,AskReddit,technology" --max-comments 5

Parameters

• --subreddits: Comma-separated list of target subreddits (default: indiehackers,SideProject,startups,technology,AskReddit)
• --max-comments: Maximum comments this session (default: 5, hard cap: 5)
• --min-delay: Minimum seconds between comments (default: 45)
• --max-delay: Maximum seconds between comments (default: 90)
• --check-only: Just check account status and karma, don't comment
• --dry-run: Generate comments but don't post them (for review)

Check Account Status

python3 {baseDir}/scripts/reddit_cultivate.py --check-only

Dry Run (Preview Comments)

python3 {baseDir}/scripts/reddit_cultivate.py --subreddits "indiehackers,startups" --dry-run

Comment Generation Guidelines for AI

When generating comments, follow these patterns:

Good comment patterns:

• "I ran into this exact same issue last month. What worked for me was [specific approach]. The key thing I learned was [insight]."
• "Interesting take. I'd push back a little on [specific point] though — in my experience [alternative perspective]. That said, [agreement with part of post]."
• "This reminds me of [related concept/experience]. Have you considered [thoughtful question]? I found that [relevant observation]."

Bad comment patterns (NEVER use):

• "Great post! Thanks for sharing." (too generic)
• "Check out my tool at [link]" (self-promotion)
• "I totally agree with everything here." (no substance)
• "As an AI language model..." (obviously wrong)
• Starting every comment with "I think" or "In my opinion"

Activity Log

The script maintains a log at ~/.openclaw/reddit-cultivate-log.json tracking:

• Timestamps of all comments
• Subreddits commented in
• Post IDs (to avoid duplicate comments)
• Daily/weekly comment counts
• Karma snapshots over time

This log is used to enforce rate limits and detect patterns that could trigger shadowban.

Shadowban Detection

Run periodically to check if the account has been shadowbanned:

python3 {baseDir}/scripts/reddit_cultivate.py --check-shadowban

This opens an incognito window and checks if the user profile is visible to logged-out users. If shadowbanned, STOP all automation immediately.