Reddit’s spoiler tags warn users about potential spoilers and hide or pixelate preview content until it is deliberately revealed. They help people discuss films, television, games, books, and other releases without immediately exposing key plot details.
The feature works in both text and visual contexts. A spoiler-marked post or comment can display a warning or concealed text, while spoiler-marked image previews may be obscured so that the thumbnail itself does not reveal the subject. Users generally click or tap the concealed area to view it.
Reddit introduced its spoiler tags feature in January 2017. Before that, communities often relied on manually typed warnings, special title formats, or moderator rules. Tags created a more consistent platform-level way to protect readers who had not yet seen or played something.
Spoiler tags are different from content flairs. A flair labels or categorizes a post, while a spoiler tag actively hides potentially revealing material. They are also not moderation notes: moderators may enforce spoiler rules, but the tag is a visibility-control feature for ordinary readers.