# Reddit Keyword Scraper (`mighty_monk/reddit-keyword-scraper`) Actor Scrape Reddit posts and optional comments by keywords across Reddit or specific subreddits. Fast public JSON endpoints for pain-point mining, lead generation, and market research — an f5bot-style alternative with structured dataset output. - **URL**: https://apify.com/mighty\_monk/reddit-keyword-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Harsh](https://apify.com/mighty_monk) (community) - **Categories:** Social media, Lead generation - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $2.00 / 1,000 post or comments This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ### What does Reddit Keyword Scraper do? **Reddit Keyword Scraper** finds **Reddit posts** (and optionally **comments**) that match your **keywords**, either site-wide or inside specific **subreddits**. It uses Reddit’s public JSON endpoints (`search.json` / `r/{sub}/search.json`) — no browser, no login — and writes clean, structured results to an Apify dataset. Use it as an **f5bot-style** signal source for pain-point mining, outbound lead research, competitor mentions, and product discovery. Run it on the [Apify platform](https://apify.com) for **API access**, **scheduling**, **proxy rotation**, integrations (Make, Zapier, n8n), and monitoring. ### Why use Reddit Keyword Scraper? - **Outbound & lead gen** — Discover people actively complaining about tools, asking for alternatives, or hiring for problems you solve. - **Market research** — Track keyword conversations across SaaS, startup, and niche communities over time. - **Product feedback** — Capture authentic language for ads, landing pages, and feature prioritization. - **Monitoring** — Schedule runs for brand, competitor, or category keywords and pipe results into CRM / Slack / sheets. - **Cheap high volume** — Pay-per-event pricing at **$0.002 per post or comment** written to the dataset. ### How to use Reddit Keyword Scraper 1. Open the Actor in [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com) or via API. 2. Enter one or more **keywords** (required), e.g. `looking for alternative`, `hate my CRM`. 3. Optionally restrict to **subreddits** (without `r/`), e.g. `SaaS`, `startups`. 4. Choose **sort** (`new`, `hot`, or `relevance`) and **max posts per keyword**. 5. Toggle **include comments** if you need full thread context (extra dataset items). 6. Enable **Apify Proxy** for reliable volume (recommended). 7. Click **Start**. Download results as JSON, CSV, Excel, or HTML from the dataset. ### Input Configure fields in the **Input** tab: | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | `keywords` | string[] | **Required.** Search phrases to match. | | `subreddits` | string[] | Optional. Limit to these subreddits; empty = all of Reddit. | | `sort` | enum | `new` (default), `hot`, or `relevance`. | | `maxPostsPerKeyword` | integer | Cap unique posts per keyword (`0` = unlimited). Default `50`. | | `includeComments` | boolean | Fetch comments for each post. Default `false`. | | `maxCommentsPerPost` | integer | Cap flattened comments per post. Default `50`. | | `maxConcurrency` | integer | Parallel requests (keep low). Default `2`. | | `maxRequestRetries` | integer | Retries on failure / rate limit. Default `5`. | | `maxRequestsPerMinute` | integer | Global rate limit. Default `30`. | | `proxyConfiguration` | object | Apify Proxy editor; default uses Apify Proxy. | Example input: ```json { "keywords": ["looking for alternative", "hate my CRM"], "subreddits": ["SaaS", "startups"], "sort": "new", "maxPostsPerKeyword": 20, "includeComments": false, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true } } ```` ### Output Each dataset item is either a **post** or a **comment**. You can download the dataset in **JSON, HTML, CSV, or Excel**. #### Post example ```json { "type": "post", "id": "1abc234", "title": "Looking for an alternative to HubSpot", "selftext": "Our team is outgrowing free tools...", "author": "founder_jane", "subreddit": "SaaS", "score": 42, "numComments": 18, "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/SaaS/comments/1abc234/...", "permalink": "https://www.reddit.com/r/SaaS/comments/1abc234/...", "createdUtc": 1710000000, "keyword": "looking for alternative", "scrapedAt": "2026-07-18T12:00:00.000Z" } ``` #### Comment example ```json { "type": "comment", "id": "cmt001", "parentId": "1abc234", "body": "We switched to Attio and love it for SMB.", "author": "reply_alice", "subreddit": "SaaS", "score": 12, "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/SaaS/comments/1abc234/.../cmt001/", "permalink": "https://www.reddit.com/r/SaaS/comments/1abc234/.../cmt001/", "createdUtc": 1710000500, "keyword": "looking for alternative", "scrapedAt": "2026-07-18T12:00:05.000Z" } ``` A run summary is also stored in the key-value store as `OUTPUT` (totals per keyword, request stats). ### Data table | Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | `type` | `post` or `comment` | | `id` | Reddit thing id | | `title` | Post title (posts only) | | `selftext` | Post body (posts only) | | `body` | Comment text (comments only) | | `parentId` | Parent post/comment id (comments) | | `author` | Reddit username | | `subreddit` | Subreddit name | | `score` | Ups minus downs (approx.) | | `numComments` | Comment count on post | | `url` / `permalink` | Absolute links | | `createdUtc` | Unix timestamp | | `keyword` | Keyword that matched this item | | `scrapedAt` | ISO scrape time | ### How much does it cost to scrape Reddit? This Actor uses **pay-per-event** pricing: - **$0.002** per dataset item (`apify-default-dataset-item`) — each **post** or **comment** - Tiny **actor-start** fee Examples: | Scenario | Items | Approx. cost | |----------|-------|--------------| | 100 posts, no comments | 100 | **$0.20** | | 50 posts + 20 comments each | 1,050 | **$2.10** | | 1,000 posts | 1,000 | **$2.00** | Apify Free plan includes monthly platform credits so you can try the Actor with little or no spend. Higher volumes benefit from Apify Proxy and reserved compute. ### Tips - Prefer **`sort: "new"`** for outbound lead streams (fresh pain points). - Scope **subreddits** when you know your ICP communities — faster and less noise. - Keep **maxConcurrency ≤ 3** and rely on **maxRequestsPerMinute** to reduce 429s. - Enable **proxy** for scheduled / multi-keyword production runs. - Turn on **includeComments** only when you need thread context — it multiplies cost and requests. - Deduping is by **post id** within a run; re-runs may re-collect the same posts. ### FAQ, disclaimers, and support **Is scraping Reddit legal?**\ This Actor only uses **public** Reddit JSON pages the same way a browser would. You are responsible for complying with Reddit’s Terms of Service, applicable laws, and fair use / rate limits. Do not collect or misuse personal data. **Does it need a Reddit API key?**\ No. It primarily uses public Reddit `.json` endpoints (`search.json` / `r/{sub}/search.json`). When Reddit returns **HTTP 403** (common without residential IPs), the Actor automatically falls back to the **PullPush** public archive API for the same keywords/subreddits so runs still return structured posts. **Why are some comments missing?**\ Reddit “load more comments” stubs are not expanded without authenticated API access. Nested replies present in the initial JSON tree are included up to `maxCommentsPerPost`. **Blocked or empty results?**\ Keep **Apify Proxy + RESIDENTIAL** enabled (default). The Actor also retries alternate Reddit hosts and PullPush automatically. **Custom solutions**\ Need monitoring webhooks, CRM push, or multi-platform social listening? Open an issue on the Actor’s **Issues** tab or contact the developer on Apify. Built for high-volume **social listening** and **lead generation** workflows on Apify. # Actor input Schema ## `keywords` (type: `array`): Search keywords or phrases to find matching Reddit posts (e.g. "looking for alternative", "need help with CRM"). ## `subreddits` (type: `array`): Limit search to these subreddits (without r/ prefix). Leave empty to search all of Reddit. ## `sort` (type: `string`): How Reddit should sort search results. ## `maxPostsPerKeyword` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of unique posts to collect per keyword (across all subreddits if specified). 0 means unlimited (use with care). ## `includeComments` (type: `boolean`): If true, fetch comments for each scraped post and push them as separate dataset items (type=comment). ## `maxCommentsPerPost` (type: `integer`): When includeComments is true, maximum comments to extract per post (flattened tree). ## `maxConcurrency` (type: `integer`): Maximum parallel HTTP requests. Keep low to respect Reddit rate limits. ## `maxRequestRetries` (type: `integer`): How many times to retry failed or rate-limited requests. ## `maxRequestsPerMinute` (type: `integer`): Global rate limit for Reddit JSON endpoints. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Apify Proxy settings. Reddit blocks most datacenter IPs — the Actor defaults to RESIDENTIAL when useApifyProxy is true and no groups are set. ## Actor input object example ```json { "keywords": [ "looking for alternative", "hate my CRM" ], "subreddits": [ "SaaS", "startups", "entrepreneur" ], "sort": "new", "maxPostsPerKeyword": 50, "includeComments": false, "maxCommentsPerPost": 50, "maxConcurrency": 2, "maxRequestRetries": 5, "maxRequestsPerMinute": 30, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `dataset` (type: `string`): No description ## `summary` (type: `string`): No description # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "keywords": [ "looking for alternative", "hate my CRM" ], "subreddits": [ "SaaS", "startups", "entrepreneur" ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("mighty_monk/reddit-keyword-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "keywords": [ "looking for alternative", "hate my CRM", ], "subreddits": [ "SaaS", "startups", "entrepreneur", ], } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("mighty_monk/reddit-keyword-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "keywords": [ "looking for alternative", "hate my CRM" ], "subreddits": [ "SaaS", "startups", "entrepreneur" ] }' | apify call mighty_monk/reddit-keyword-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=mighty_monk/reddit-keyword-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Reddit Keyword Scraper", "description": "Scrape Reddit posts and optional comments by keywords across Reddit or specific subreddits. Fast public JSON endpoints for pain-point mining, lead generation, and market research — an f5bot-style alternative with structured dataset output.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "0FX6e7Hgd5xX1fDLY" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/mighty_monk~reddit-keyword-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-mighty_monk-reddit-keyword-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/mighty_monk~reddit-keyword-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-mighty_monk-reddit-keyword-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/mighty_monk~reddit-keyword-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-mighty_monk-reddit-keyword-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "keywords" ], "properties": { "keywords": { "title": "Keywords", "minItems": 1, "type": "array", "description": "Search keywords or phrases to find matching Reddit posts (e.g. \"looking for alternative\", \"need help with CRM\").", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "subreddits": { "title": "Subreddits (optional)", "type": "array", "description": "Limit search to these subreddits (without r/ prefix). Leave empty to search all of Reddit.", "default": [], "items": { "type": "string" } }, "sort": { "title": "Sort", "enum": [ "new", "hot", "relevance" ], "type": "string", "description": "How Reddit should sort search results.", "default": "new" }, "maxPostsPerKeyword": { "title": "Max posts per keyword", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 10000, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of unique posts to collect per keyword (across all subreddits if specified). 0 means unlimited (use with care).", "default": 50 }, "includeComments": { "title": "Include comments", "type": "boolean", "description": "If true, fetch comments for each scraped post and push them as separate dataset items (type=comment).", "default": false }, "maxCommentsPerPost": { "title": "Max comments per post", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 500, "type": "integer", "description": "When includeComments is true, maximum comments to extract per post (flattened tree).", "default": 50 }, "maxConcurrency": { "title": "Max concurrency", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 20, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum parallel HTTP requests. Keep low to respect Reddit rate limits.", "default": 2 }, "maxRequestRetries": { "title": "Max request retries", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 15, "type": "integer", "description": "How many times to retry failed or rate-limited requests.", "default": 5 }, "maxRequestsPerMinute": { "title": "Max requests per minute", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 120, "type": "integer", "description": "Global rate limit for Reddit JSON endpoints.", "default": 30 }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy configuration", "type": "object", "description": "Apify Proxy settings. Reddit blocks most datacenter IPs — the Actor defaults to RESIDENTIAL when useApifyProxy is true and no groups are set.", "default": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```