Community guides · Education
Getting your reply seen in r/explainlikeimfive (without sounding like a brand)
If r/explainlikeimfive has a culture, it's 'show your work.' Replies that walk through reasoning land; replies that state conclusions don't.
What's hot in r/explainlikeimfive now
What people are actually discussing
Top threads from the last month — what's getting engagement right now.
- ELI5 what does it mean people see "nothing" rather than "black void" if born absolutely blind
- ELI5: Why does Cuba allow a U.S. military base (and prison) on their soil while the U.S. has had them under trade embargos for decades?
- ELI5: Why is crack so much cheaper than cocaine when cocaine is just cooked crack?
What this sub rewards
How replies earn upvotes here
- Plain-language analogies are welcome, but never at the cost of accuracy.
- Back specific claims with evidence — research, data, or named sources. Primary sources beat secondary. Wikipedia is a starting point, not a citation.
- Acknowledge limitations, trade-offs, or uncertainty when relevant. Mark what's contested vs settled. Historical interpretation evolves; physics doesn't.
- Offer multiple options or perspectives, not a single prescription. Name 2–3 frameworks for the same question. Single-framework answers get pushback.
What good looks like
Real comments that landed in r/explainlikeimfive
Two recent highly-upvoted replies. Notice what they have in common — concrete, no preamble, no self-promotion.
"When you, a sighted person, closes your eyes, you see darkness. That is because your optical nerves and receptors and the pathway to your brain that interprets that light into an image are all functioning, but receiving no input. Your brain is asking your eyes “what am I seeing?” And your eyes are replying “no light, no image, just dark”.…"
"The short answer is: Cuba cannot do anything about it."
The one rule that gets posts removed
Goal is genuine understanding, not oversimplification — avoid condescension.
Your pre-reply checklist
Before you hit Reply — four quick checks
Does my comment add something specific, not just an opinion?
A useful reply names a number, a method, a personal experience, or a concrete example. If you could replace your draft with "I agree" and lose nothing, rewrite.
Have I read the top 3 comments already on this thread?
If the highest-upvoted reply already says what you were about to say, your comment will sink. Add what's missing — counterexamples, edge cases, the next step — not what's there.
Would my reply still work if my username was removed?
If it only makes sense because it promotes you, your product, or your platform, this sub will spot it. Frame the value as "this solved it for me," not "check out my…"
Did I skim the sidebar rules one more time?
Every sub has at least one rule that surprises outsiders — peer-review only, no images, no specific tags, no off-topic. Five seconds in the sidebar can save you a removal.
Want to draft this reply with the rules already baked in?
Try Redimates — free, 10 replies / week