Reddit AMA Ads: Post Setup, Headline Limits and Dynamic CTA Phases

Reddit's AMA Ads format is in beta and is enabled through a sales representative. The format has no image sizes of its own: the creative is pulled entirely from your organic AMA post. This article covers what Reddit fills in automatically, what gets locked the moment you publish the post, how the ad changes its button as the event moves forward, and what shows up in reporting.

How an AMA Ad Is Built

An AMA ad is not created from scratch. In Ads Manager you cannot upload an image and write a headline the way you would for an Image Ad. Instead, you select an organic AMA post you have already published, and Reddit pulls its content into the creative.

The ad headline comes from the post title, the ad body from the post body, and the thumbnail from the first image in the post.

Reddit also fills in the event status and the button. Both depend on the AMA date and time and cannot be set manually.

This dictates the order of work. First the post, then the ad. For example, if the AMA is scheduled for Tuesday and the post goes live on Monday with a typo in the title, the ad will run with that typo: post titles cannot be edited after publishing.

Community AMA and Profile AMA

Reddit offers two ways to host an AMA, and the choice is made when you create the post, not in Ads Manager.

A Community AMA runs in an organic subreddit. It can be your brand's own community or any subreddit relevant to your topic. This option works when you have a specific subreddit to target, or when organic participation and extra visibility matter.

Community rules. Some subreddits do not allow AMAs. Check the rules before you publish.

Identity verification. You need to prove to the subreddit's moderators who you are. Reddit suggests a link to a confirmation post on social media or a proof photo.

A Profile AMA runs in a space your brand controls. This option works when you need guaranteed reach with a specific audience or want to keep control over the conversation.

For a media buyer, one difference matters most: a Community AMA ad has a second, customizable headline. A Profile AMA does not. There the ad is assembled from the post in full, with no editable text field at all.

For example, if the AMA topic needs different framing before and during the event, that is only possible in a Community AMA. In a Profile AMA the post title runs through every phase unchanged.

Post Requirements: Title, Body and Image

Everything that ends up in the ad is prepared when you publish the post. Reddit explicitly recommends taking your time at this step.

Title. Maximum length is 300 characters. Editing after publishing is not available, and Reddit recommends a first-person voice, framed from the host's point of view. The title is locked the moment the post goes live — after that you cannot change it in the post or in the ad.

Post body. Editable until the ad is created. It should contain the AMA description, external links and images — Reddit recommends including a proof photo of the host, which can boost participation. The body sets the frame for the conversation: links to your site or product go here, because the ad itself has no link to an external page.

Scheduling. You set the event date and start time, using the local time zone of the post author.

Image. The first image in the post becomes the thumbnail. Cropping during ad creation is not available, any aspect ratio is accepted, and Reddit recommends following the image ad specs. The thumbnail is generated automatically and cannot be edited — for example, if you upload an interface screenshot first and a portrait of the host second, the screenshot goes into the ad. The image order in your post decides what people see in the feed.

Co-hosts are assigned after publishing: open the post, select the menu, then Add co-hosts.

Campaign Setup and Ad Creation

Supported objectives. AMA Ads run in two campaign types only: brand awareness and reach, or traffic. No other objective is supported, and the campaign has to exist before you create the ad.

How to create the ad:

1. Open the Dashboard and go to the Ads tab.
2. Select Create Ad and choose an ad group inside your brand awareness and reach or traffic campaign.
3. Name the ad. The name is used in the dashboard and in reporting only, and redditors never see it.
4. In Creative, open Choose Post, switch the dropdown to Organic, select your AMA post and select Use Post. The headline, body and thumbnail are filled in automatically.
5. For a Community AMA, add the second headline. This step is not available for a Profile AMA.
6. Set up tracking if you need it.
7. Check the ad preview and select Save.

Selecting a post instead of uploading files is what separates AMA ad creation from every other Reddit format. If your post does not appear in the list, check that the dropdown is set to Organic.

The Three Phases of an AMA Ad

A single AMA ad looks different depending on when someone sees it. The status and the button change automatically, tied to the event date and time from the post.

Before the AMA, the status shows “Coming Up” with the event date and time, the button reads “Remind Me” and subscribes the user to an alert, and the RSVP count is displayed only once 11 or more people have signed up. Redditors who tap “Remind Me” get a push notification when the event goes live.

During the AMA, the status shows “Live,” indicating when the AMA started, and the button changes to “Join Now,” which takes the user to the AMA post.

After the AMA, the status shows “Just Finished,” inviting redditors to view the top answers, and there is no button at all — which is why Reddit recommends building a separate post-AMA ad. It points to the same post and works on everyone who missed the live session.

For example, say the AMA runs for an hour. An ad launched a week ahead collects sign-ups through “Remind Me,” switches itself to “Join Now” during the hour of the session, and stays in the feed with no button afterward. Delivery continues, but there is nothing left for a redditor to tap except the ad itself.

Headline Recommendations by Phase

Reddit recommends matching the headline to the phase of the event. What you can actually do depends on the AMA type: a Profile AMA has one headline across all phases, while a Community AMA adds a customizable ad headline on top.

Profile AMA. Here the post title runs through every phase unchanged, so the call to action inside it is kept general.

Before and during the AMA. State who you are, what you are covering and when. The fields:

Hi Reddit, this is {{Host name}} from {{Brand}}. I'll be here to talk about {{Topics}} on {{Date and time}}. Ask me anything.

After the AMA. For this phase Reddit recommends a separate ad with a short recap:

ICYMI: {{Host name}} answered your questions about {{Topics}} with {{Brand}}. Read the full discussion here.

Community AMA. The headline speaks to the community and can differ by phase. The host and the topics are picked to fit the subreddit.

Before the AMA. Address the community, say who you are and what you will cover:

Hey r/{{Community}}, {{Host name}} here to talk about {{Topics}} with {{Brand}} on {{Date and time}}. See you then.

During the AMA. Invite people into a conversation that is happening right now:

Our AMA with {{Host name}} is live right now in r/{{Community}}. Come join the conversation.

After the AMA. A separate ad pointing to the discussion:

ICYMI: {{Host name}} answered questions about {{Topics}}. Catch up on the discussion in r/{{Community}}.

Reddit does not state a character limit for the additional Community AMA headline.

What the Format Does Not Support

AMA Ads have fewer settings than any other Reddit format. The list of limitations is short, but all of your preparation hangs on it.

Custom calls to action. You cannot choose the button. It is set by the event phase.

Links to external pages. Destination URLs are not supported. Clicking the ad takes people to the AMA post and nowhere else.

Editing the title after the post is published. The title is locked at publishing.

Cropping the thumbnail. The first image in the post is used as is.

A customizable headline in a Profile AMA. Available in Community AMAs only.

The practical consequence: every link your campaign needs goes into the post body. A product page, a registration page, the research your host is talking about. If they are not there, nobody leaves the ad.

Engaged Clicks and RSVP in Reporting

The core metric for the format is Engaged Clicks. It counts the redditors who tapped “Remind Me” and set up a reminder.

The metric is based on ad RSVPs and does not go down when someone cancels their reminder. That is why Engaged Clicks and the total RSVP count drift apart. Engaged Clicks tells you how many reminders were set up. The RSVP count tells you how many are still active right now.

What this means when you report to a client: Engaged Clicks answers how many people responded to the ad; the RSVP count answers how many are waiting for the event at this moment; and a gap between the two numbers is not a reporting error and not a reason to go looking for a tracking problem.

The in-ad RSVP counter is a separate thing. Redditors only see it in the pre-AMA phase, and only once 11 or more people have signed up. Below that the ad runs without a counter, even though Engaged Clicks are already growing in reporting.

The metric is available in Reddit Ads reporting.

Checklist Before You Publish the Post

Most of the work sits in the post, not in the ad. The list below is assembled from the requirements covered above.

Before publishing the post

1. The AMA type is chosen: Community or Profile. It cannot be changed after publishing.
2. For a Community AMA, the subreddit rules are checked. Not every community allows AMAs.
3. The title is proofread. It cannot be edited after publishing.
4. The body is assembled: topic description, proof photo of the host, every link the campaign needs.
5. Images are uploaded in the right order. The first one becomes the thumbnail and cannot be cropped.
6. The first image follows the image ad specs.
7. The date and start time are set in your local time zone.

After publishing the post

8. Co-hosts are assigned through the menu in the post.
9. For a Community AMA, identity confirmation is sent to the moderators.
10. The post is crossposted to relevant subreddits where the rules allow it. You have to be a member of a community to crosspost there.

In Ads Manager

11. A brand awareness and reach or traffic campaign is created.
12. The post is selected through Choose Post with the dropdown set to Organic.
13. For a Community AMA, the second headline is added.
14. A separate ad is prepared for the post-AMA phase.