diff --git a/app/controllers/reactions_controller.rb b/app/controllers/reactions_controller.rb
index eaf53fe63..4ac6ce829 100644
--- a/app/controllers/reactions_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/reactions_controller.rb
@@ -55,55 +55,13 @@ class ReactionsController < ApplicationController
   def create
     remove_count_cache_key
 
-    if params[:reactable_type] == "Article" && params[:category].in?(Reaction::PRIVILEGED_CATEGORIES)
-      clear_moderator_reactions(
-        params[:reactable_id],
-        params[:reactable_type],
-        current_user,
-        params[:category],
-      )
-    end
+    result = ReactionToggle.toggle(params, current_user: current_user)
 
-    category = params[:category] || "like"
-
-    reaction = Reaction.where(
-      user_id: current_user.id,
-      reactable_id: params[:reactable_id],
-      reactable_type: params[:reactable_type],
-      category: category,
-    ).first
-
-    # if the reaction already exists, destroy it
-    if reaction
-      result = handle_existing_reaction(reaction)
+    if result.success?
+      render json: { result: result.action, category: result.category }
     else
-      reaction = build_reaction(category)
-
-      if reaction.save
-        rate_limiter.track_limit_by_action(:reaction_creation)
-        Moderator::SinkArticles.call(reaction.reactable_id) if reaction.vomit_on_user?
-
-        Notification.send_reaction_notification(reaction, reaction.target_user)
-        if reaction.reaction_on_organization_article?
-          Notification.send_reaction_notification(reaction,
-                                                  reaction.reactable.organization)
-        end
-
-        result = "create"
-
-        if category == "readinglist" && current_user.setting.experience_level
-          rate_article(reaction)
-        end
-
-        if current_user.auditable?
-          Audit::Logger.log(:moderator, current_user, params.dup)
-        end
-      else
-        render json: { error: reaction.errors_as_sentence, status: 422 }, status: :unprocessable_entity
-        return
-      end
+      render json: { error: result.errors_as_sentence, status: 422 }, status: :unprocessable_entity
     end
-    render json: { result: result, category: category }
   end
 
   def cached_user_public_comment_reactions(user, comment_ids)
@@ -118,67 +76,6 @@ class ReactionsController < ApplicationController
 
   private
 
-  def build_reaction(category)
-    create_params = {
-      user_id: current_user.id,
-      reactable_id: params[:reactable_id],
-      reactable_type: params[:reactable_type],
-      category: category
-    }
-    if (current_user&.any_admin? || current_user&.super_moderator?) &&
-        Reaction::NEGATIVE_PRIVILEGED_CATEGORIES.include?(category)
-      create_params[:status] = "confirmed"
-    end
-    Reaction.new(create_params)
-  end
-
-  def destroy_reaction(reaction)
-    reaction.destroy
-    Moderator::SinkArticles.call(reaction.reactable_id) if reaction.vomit_on_user?
-    Notification.send_reaction_notification_without_delay(reaction, reaction.target_user)
-    if reaction.reaction_on_organization_article?
-      Notification.send_reaction_notification_without_delay(reaction,
-                                                            reaction.reactable.organization)
-    end
-    "destroy"
-  end
-
-  def rate_article(reaction)
-    user_experience_level = current_user.setting.experience_level
-    return unless user_experience_level
-
-    RatingVote.create(article_id: reaction.reactable_id,
-                      group: "experience_level",
-                      user_id: current_user.id,
-                      context: "readinglist_reaction",
-                      rating: user_experience_level)
-  end
-
-  def clear_moderator_reactions(id, type, mod, category)
-    reactions = if category == "thumbsup"
-                  Reaction.where(reactable_id: id, reactable_type: type, user: mod,
-                                 category: Reaction::NEGATIVE_PRIVILEGED_CATEGORIES)
-                elsif category.in?(Reaction::NEGATIVE_PRIVILEGED_CATEGORIES)
-                  Reaction.where(reactable_id: id, reactable_type: type, user: mod, category: "thumbsup")
-                end
-
-    return if reactions.blank?
-
-    reactions.find_each { |reaction| destroy_reaction(reaction) }
-  end
-
-  def handle_existing_reaction(reaction)
-    result = destroy_reaction(reaction)
-
-    if reaction.negative? && current_user.auditable?
-      updated_params = params.dup
-      updated_params[:action] = "destroy"
-      Audit::Logger.log(:moderator, current_user, updated_params)
-    end
-
-    result
-  end
-
   def check_limit
     rate_limit!(:reaction_creation)
   end
@@ -190,6 +87,7 @@ class ReactionsController < ApplicationController
     authorize(Reaction, policy_query)
   end
 
+  # TODO: should this move to toggle service? refactor?
   def remove_count_cache_key
     return unless params[:reactable_type] == "Article"
 
diff --git a/app/services/reaction_toggle.rb b/app/services/reaction_toggle.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d2afc1604
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/services/reaction_toggle.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+class ReactionToggle
+  class Result
+    attr_accessor :action, :category, :reaction
+
+    delegate :errors_as_sentence, to: :reaction
+
+    def initialize(reaction: nil, action: nil, category: nil)
+      @reaction = reaction
+      @category = category
+      @action = action
+    end
+
+    def success?
+      reaction.errors.none?
+    end
+  end
+
+  def self.toggle(params, current_user:)
+    new(params, current_user: current_user).toggle
+  end
+
+  def initialize(params, current_user:)
+    @params = params
+    @current_user = current_user
+    @category = params[:category] || "like"
+  end
+
+  attr_reader :category, :params, :current_user
+
+  delegate :rate_limiter, to: :current_user
+
+  def toggle
+    if params[:reactable_type] == "Article" && params[:category].in?(Reaction::PRIVILEGED_CATEGORIES)
+      clear_moderator_reactions(
+        params[:reactable_id],
+        params[:reactable_type],
+        current_user,
+        params[:category],
+      )
+    end
+
+    reaction = Reaction.where(
+      user_id: current_user.id,
+      reactable_id: params[:reactable_id],
+      reactable_type: params[:reactable_type],
+      category: category,
+    ).first
+
+    # if the reaction already exists, destroy it
+    return handle_existing_reaction(reaction) if reaction
+
+    reaction = build_reaction(category)
+    result = Result.new reaction: reaction, category: category
+
+    if reaction.save
+      rate_limiter.track_limit_by_action(:reaction_creation)
+      Moderator::SinkArticles.call(reaction.reactable_id) if reaction.vomit_on_user?
+
+      Notification.send_reaction_notification(reaction, reaction.target_user)
+      if reaction.reaction_on_organization_article?
+        Notification.send_reaction_notification(reaction,
+                                                reaction.reactable.organization)
+      end
+
+      result.action = "create"
+
+      if category == "readinglist" && current_user.setting.experience_level
+        rate_article(reaction)
+      end
+
+      if current_user.auditable?
+        Audit::Logger.log(:moderator, current_user, params.dup)
+      end
+    end
+
+    result
+  end
+
+  private
+
+  def clear_moderator_reactions(id, type, mod, category)
+    reactions = if category == "thumbsup"
+                  Reaction.where(reactable_id: id, reactable_type: type, user: mod,
+                                 category: Reaction::NEGATIVE_PRIVILEGED_CATEGORIES)
+                elsif category.in?(Reaction::NEGATIVE_PRIVILEGED_CATEGORIES)
+                  Reaction.where(reactable_id: id, reactable_type: type, user: mod, category: "thumbsup")
+                end
+
+    return if reactions.blank?
+
+    reactions.find_each { |reaction| destroy_reaction(reaction) }
+  end
+
+  def handle_existing_reaction(reaction)
+    destroy_reaction(reaction)
+
+    if reaction.negative? && current_user.auditable?
+      updated_params = params.dup
+      updated_params[:action] = "destroy"
+      Audit::Logger.log(:moderator, current_user, updated_params)
+    end
+
+    Result.new category: category, reaction: reaction, action: "destroy"
+  end
+
+  def build_reaction(category)
+    create_params = {
+      user_id: current_user.id,
+      reactable_id: params[:reactable_id],
+      reactable_type: params[:reactable_type],
+      category: category
+    }
+    if (current_user&.any_admin? || current_user&.super_moderator?) &&
+        Reaction::NEGATIVE_PRIVILEGED_CATEGORIES.include?(category)
+      create_params[:status] = "confirmed"
+    end
+    Reaction.new(create_params)
+  end
+
+  def destroy_reaction(reaction)
+    reaction.destroy
+    Moderator::SinkArticles.call(reaction.reactable_id) if reaction.vomit_on_user?
+    Notification.send_reaction_notification_without_delay(reaction, reaction.target_user)
+    if reaction.reaction_on_organization_article?
+      Notification.send_reaction_notification_without_delay(reaction,
+                                                            reaction.reactable.organization)
+    end
+    "destroy"
+  end
+
+  def rate_article(reaction)
+    user_experience_level = current_user.setting.experience_level
+    return unless user_experience_level
+
+    RatingVote.create(article_id: reaction.reactable_id,
+                      group: "experience_level",
+                      user_id: current_user.id,
+                      context: "readinglist_reaction",
+                      rating: user_experience_level)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/requests/reactions_spec.rb b/spec/requests/reactions_spec.rb
index cbc2aaf88..702af8813 100644
--- a/spec/requests/reactions_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/reactions_spec.rb
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ RSpec.describe "Reactions", type: :request do
         allow(rate_limiter).to receive(:limit_by_action).and_return(true)
         post "/reactions", params: article_params
 
-        expect(response.status).to eq(429)
+        expect(response).to have_http_status(:too_many_requests)
       end
     end
 
@@ -205,6 +205,11 @@ RSpec.describe "Reactions", type: :request do
           post "/reactions", params: article_params
         end.to change(Reaction, :count).by(-1)
       end
+
+      it "has success http status" do
+        post "/reactions", params: article_params
+        expect(response).to be_successful
+      end
     end
 
     context "when creating readinglist" do
@@ -247,6 +252,15 @@ RSpec.describe "Reactions", type: :request do
 
         expect(RatingVote).not_to have_received(:create)
       end
+
+      it "has success http status" do
+        post "/reactions", params: {
+          reactable_id: article.id,
+          reactable_type: "Article",
+          category: "readinglist"
+        }
+        expect(response).to be_successful
+      end
     end
 
     context "when attempting to create thumbsup as regular user" do
@@ -284,6 +298,15 @@ RSpec.describe "Reactions", type: :request do
         expect(Reaction.where(category: "thumbsdown").count).to eq(0)
         expect(Reaction.where(category: "like").count).to eq(1)
       end
+
+      it "has success http status" do
+        post "/reactions", params: {
+          reactable_id: article.id,
+          reactable_type: "Article",
+          category: "thumbsup"
+        }
+        expect(response).to be_successful
+      end
     end
 
     context "when creating thumbsdown" do
@@ -306,6 +329,15 @@ RSpec.describe "Reactions", type: :request do
         expect(Reaction.where(category: "like").size).to be 1
         expect(Reaction.where(category: "vomit").size).to be 1
       end
+
+      it "has success http status" do
+        post "/reactions", params: {
+          reactable_id: article.id,
+          reactable_type: "Article",
+          category: "thumbsdown"
+        }
+        expect(response).to be_successful
+      end
     end
 
     context "when vomiting on a user" do
@@ -325,6 +357,11 @@ RSpec.describe "Reactions", type: :request do
           post "/reactions", params: user_params
         end.to change(Reaction, :count).by(-1)
       end
+
+      it "has success http status" do
+        post "/reactions", params: user_params
+        expect(response).to be_successful
+      end
     end
 
     context "when signed in as admin" do
@@ -357,6 +394,11 @@ RSpec.describe "Reactions", type: :request do
         expect(reaction.category).to eq("like")
         expect(reaction.status).to eq("valid")
       end
+
+      it "has success http status" do
+        post "/reactions", params: article_params
+        expect(response).to be_successful
+      end
     end
 
     context "when signed out" do