# Reddit Pain Point Finder for SaaS Ideas (`rodrgds/reddit-pain-point-finder`) Actor Find Reddit complaints, alternatives, recommendation requests, and buying-intent threads for SaaS validation, product research, ICP research, and social listening. - **URL**: https://apify.com/rodrgds/reddit-pain-point-finder.md - **Developed by:** [Rodrigo Dias](https://apify.com/rodrgds) (community) - **Categories:** Social media, Lead generation, AI - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $5.00 / 1,000 reddit threads 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.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.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/platform/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 ## Reddit Pain Point Finder Find Reddit threads where people complain, compare tools, ask for recommendations, or show buying intent around your keywords. Use it for SaaS idea validation, product research, ICP research, social listening, competitor monitoring, and voice-of-customer datasets. Give it keywords like `alternative to intercom`, `best crm for freelancers`, or `stripe fees`, and it returns ranked Reddit posts with complaint/recommendation/buying-intent signals. ### What it extracts - Reddit posts matching your keywords, optionally limited to specific subreddits - Top-level comments from each post - Complaint, recommendation request, question, and buying intent signals - Engagement metrics such as score, upvote ratio, and comment count - A simple opportunity score so the most useful threads rise to the top ### Common workflows #### Validate a SaaS idea Search the category before building. Look for repeated complaints, pricing frustration, migration pain, and people asking for alternatives. Example queries: ```json [ "alternative to intercom", "stripe fees too high", "best crm for freelancers" ] ```` #### Find buyer-intent threads Monitor keywords where people are already looking for a tool, comparing competitors, or asking for recommendations. #### Build voice-of-customer datasets Export raw customer language from Reddit into a dataset for positioning, landing pages, support docs, or LLM/RAG workflows. ### Output fields Each dataset item includes: - `query`, `subreddit`, `postId`, `title`, `text` - `url`, `redditUrl`, `author`, `createdAt` - `score`, `upvoteRatio`, `numComments`, `flair` - `isQuestion`, `isComplaint`, `isRecommendationRequest`, `isBuyingIntent` - `matchedSignals`, `topComments`, `opportunityScore` Top comments include `id`, `author`, `body`, `score`, `createdAt`, and `permalink`. ### Input example ```json { "searchQueries": [ "alternatives to apollo", "best crm for freelancers", "stripe fees" ], "subreddits": [ "SaaS", "Entrepreneur", "smallbusiness" ], "sort": "relevance", "time": "month", "maxPostsPerQuery": 50, "includeComments": true, "maxCommentsPerPost": 5, "userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; PublicRedditResearch/1.0)", "useApifyProxy": true } ``` Leave `subreddits` empty to search Reddit globally. ### Sample output A typical item looks like this: ```json { "query": "alternative to intercom", "subreddit": "SaaS", "title": "Looking for an Intercom alternative that does not get expensive so quickly", "redditUrl": "https://www.reddit.com/r/SaaS/...", "score": 42, "numComments": 18, "isComplaint": true, "isRecommendationRequest": true, "isBuyingIntent": true, "matchedSignals": ["alternative", "too expensive", "recommendation"], "opportunityScore": 87 } ``` Use the raw URLs and exact wording for customer research, positioning, landing page copy, or outreach prompts. ### Pricing Pay per Reddit thread found. Start with a narrow query, review the matches, then scale up. Comments and proxy requests increase runtime, but benchmark runs stay cheap enough for platform usage to be included in the per-thread price. ### Notes This Actor uses public Reddit endpoints without login, browser automation, or paywall bypassing. Reddit often blocks datacenter IPs, so Apify Proxy is enabled by default for reliability. Keep requests targeted; broad searches across many subreddits will naturally run longer. # Actor input Schema ## `searchQueries` (type: `array`): Keywords, competitor names, categories, or problem phrases to search for on Reddit. ## `subreddits` (type: `array`): Optional subreddit names to search. Leave empty to search all public Reddit results. ## `sort` (type: `string`): How Reddit should sort matching posts before scoring them. ## `time` (type: `string`): Time range used by Reddit search for relevant sorts. ## `maxPostsPerQuery` (type: `integer`): Maximum Reddit posts to fetch for each query and subreddit combination. ## `includeComments` (type: `boolean`): Fetch top-level comments for each matching Reddit post. ## `maxCommentsPerPost` (type: `integer`): Maximum top-level comments to keep for each post. ## `userAgent` (type: `string`): User-Agent header sent to Reddit endpoints. ## `useApifyProxy` (type: `boolean`): Use Apify Proxy for Reddit requests. Recommended because Reddit blocks many datacenter IPs. ## Actor input object example ```json { "searchQueries": [ "alternatives to apollo", "best crm for freelancers", "stripe fees" ], "subreddits": [ "SaaS", "Entrepreneur", "smallbusiness" ], "sort": "relevance", "time": "month", "maxPostsPerQuery": 50, "includeComments": true, "maxCommentsPerPost": 5, "userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; PublicRedditResearch/1.0)", "useApifyProxy": true } ``` # 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 = { "searchQueries": [ "alternatives to apollo", "best crm for freelancers", "stripe fees" ], "subreddits": [ "SaaS", "Entrepreneur", "smallbusiness" ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("rodrgds/reddit-pain-point-finder").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 = { "searchQueries": [ "alternatives to apollo", "best crm for freelancers", "stripe fees", ], "subreddits": [ "SaaS", "Entrepreneur", "smallbusiness", ], } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("rodrgds/reddit-pain-point-finder").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 '{ "searchQueries": [ "alternatives to apollo", "best crm for freelancers", "stripe fees" ], "subreddits": [ "SaaS", "Entrepreneur", "smallbusiness" ] }' | apify call rodrgds/reddit-pain-point-finder --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=rodrgds/reddit-pain-point-finder", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Reddit Pain Point Finder for SaaS Ideas", "description": "Find Reddit complaints, alternatives, recommendation requests, and buying-intent threads for SaaS validation, product research, ICP research, and social listening.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "E4btBhJMKGl6IfRVV" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/rodrgds~reddit-pain-point-finder/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-rodrgds-reddit-pain-point-finder", "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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/rodrgds~reddit-pain-point-finder/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-rodrgds-reddit-pain-point-finder", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/rodrgds~reddit-pain-point-finder/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-rodrgds-reddit-pain-point-finder", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": [ "searchQueries" ], "properties": { "searchQueries": { "title": "Search queries", "type": "array", "description": "Keywords, competitor names, categories, or problem phrases to search for on Reddit.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "subreddits": { "title": "Subreddits", "type": "array", "description": "Optional subreddit names to search. Leave empty to search all public Reddit results.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "sort": { "title": "Sort", "enum": [ "relevance", "hot", "top", "new", "comments" ], "type": "string", "description": "How Reddit should sort matching posts before scoring them.", "default": "relevance" }, "time": { "title": "Time range", "enum": [ "hour", "day", "week", "month", "year", "all" ], "type": "string", "description": "Time range used by Reddit search for relevant sorts.", "default": "month" }, "maxPostsPerQuery": { "title": "Max posts per query", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 500, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum Reddit posts to fetch for each query and subreddit combination.", "default": 50 }, "includeComments": { "title": "Include top comments", "type": "boolean", "description": "Fetch top-level comments for each matching Reddit post.", "default": true }, "maxCommentsPerPost": { "title": "Max comments per post", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 50, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum top-level comments to keep for each post.", "default": 5 }, "userAgent": { "title": "User agent", "type": "string", "description": "User-Agent header sent to Reddit endpoints.", "default": "Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; PublicRedditResearch/1.0)" }, "useApifyProxy": { "title": "Use Apify Proxy", "type": "boolean", "description": "Use Apify Proxy for Reddit requests. Recommended because Reddit blocks many datacenter IPs.", "default": true } } }, "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 } } } } } } } } } } ```