Hot Feed
Definition
The default content sorting view within a subreddit prioritizing posts based on a combination of recency and engagement velocity — favoring content accumulating upvotes rapidly over a short period.
Context
Reddit's Hot sort uses a time-decay function — older posts need progressively more votes to maintain ranking against newer posts. This is why the Hot feed feels fresh: a post with 10,000 upvotes from three days ago will rank below a post with 500 upvotes from two hours ago, all else being equal. For brands, posting timing and early engagement momentum matter as much as total vote accumulation.
Relevance to Reddit
Reaching the Hot feed is the threshold at which brand content achieves meaningful organic reach within a community. Momentum in the first hour after posting is critical — early upvotes and comments disproportionately determine whether content rises to Hot or fades in the New feed. Timing posts during peak community activity windows maximizes early engagement probability.
