Reddit Comment Scraper

Reddit Comment Scraper

Reddit Comment Scraper is a production-ready Apify actor that helps you scrape Reddit comments from public post threads at scale — a fast, reliable Reddit comment extractor for marketers, developers, analysts, and researchers. It solves the manual copy/paste problem by collecting comment text, authors, upvotes, permalinks, parent-child relationships, and nested replies in structured JSON so you can easily scrape Reddit comments and export Reddit comments to CSV. Built as a Python-based Reddit comment scraping tool, it enables repeatable, analytics-ready collection for social listening, sentiment analysis, and market research at scale. 🚀

What data / output can you get?

Below are the exact fields this Reddit comment scraping tool produces in the Apify dataset. Each row is a single comment, with the originating post URL included.

Data field	Description	Example value
url	The Reddit post URL the comment belongs to	https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1epeshq/these_are_all_ai/
comment_id	Unique Reddit comment identifier	lhk1f7n
post_id	Reddit post identifier (thing ID, prefixed t3_)	t3_1epeshq
author	Comment author username (or “[deleted]”)	AutoModerator
userUrl	Link to the author’s Reddit profile (empty if deleted)	https://www.reddit.com/user/AutoModerator/
permalink	Direct link to the comment	https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1epeshq/these_are_all_ai/lhk1f7n/
upvotes	Comment score (upvotes)	42
content_type	Content type indicator	text
parent_id	Parent thing ID, normalized (null if top-level)	t3_1epeshq
contentText	Flattened comment text (newlines removed)	Comment text here...
author_avatar	Placeholder for avatar URL (may be empty)
created_time	Timestamp placeholder (may be empty)
replies	Array of nested replies (subset controlled by replyLimit)	[ { ...reply object... } ]

Notes:

• Results are pushed to the Apify Dataset for easy export (JSON, CSV, Excel).
• A grouped view is also saved to the Key-Value Store (key: OUTPUT) as a mapping from post URL to an array of comment objects.
• Nested replies are included in the replies array (limited by replyLimit) while all comments are still flattened into individual dataset items.
• Fields like author_avatar and created_time may be empty if not present in Reddit’s JSON.

Key features

• ⚡️ Bold thread coverage
  Extract complete Reddit thread comments (top-level + replies), including authors, upvotes, permalinks, and parent-child links — ideal when you need a Reddit thread comment scraper for sentiment and discussion mapping.

• 📦 Batch URL processing
  Add multiple Reddit post URLs and process them in one run — perfect to scrape Reddit comments across many threads for teams and analysts.

• 🔄 Automatic proxy fallback
  Built-in resilience: the actor tries a direct connection first, then falls back to Apify datacenter proxy, and finally to residential proxies with retries to maximize success on strict threads.

• 💾 Structured outputs & easy exports
  Clean, schema-consistent records ready for analysis. Export Reddit comments to CSV, JSON, or Excel from the Dataset, or pull structured data via Apify’s storage APIs.

• 🧪 Developer-friendly, Python-based
  Implemented in Python with aiohttp and the Apify SDK — a reliable Reddit comment API scraper without OAuth complexity. Great for “Reddit comment scraper Python” workflows and data pipelines.

• 📈 Real-time progress logging
  Live progress updates (e.g., “Collected X comments so far”) plus an end-of-run summary help monitor scale runs and tune limits.

• 🛡️ No login required
  Collects publicly available discussion data from Reddit’s JSON endpoints — no cookies or session needed.

• 🏗️ Production-ready infrastructure
  Runs on Apify’s cloud with managed storage, retries, and proxy management — a dependable Reddit comment scraping tool for recurring jobs.

How to use Reddit Comment Scraper - step by step

1. Create or log in to your Apify account.
2. Open the Reddit Comment Scraper actor in the Apify Console.
3. Paste one or more Reddit post URLs into startUrls (string list).
4. Configure limits:
   • maxComments controls how many comments to collect per URL (1–10,000).
   • replyLimit caps how many nested replies are stored per comment in the replies field (0 = unlimited).
5. (Optional) Set proxyConfiguration if you want to specify Apify Proxy behavior; otherwise, the actor will handle fallback automatically.
6. Click Run to start. Watch real-time logs and periodic progress updates.
7. Review results:
   • Dataset tab: Each item is a single comment (best for export to JSON/CSV/Excel).
   • Key-Value Store: OUTPUT key contains comments grouped by post URL.
8. Export your data to CSV/JSON for analysis or downstream tools.

Pro tip: Use Apify’s API and integrations to schedule runs and pipe dataset exports into BI tools or warehouses for continuous social listening and market research.

Use cases

Use case	Description
Market research + topic analysis	Aggregate and analyze discussions to quantify themes, objections, and pain points before product decisions.
Social listening for brands	Track conversations in target communities and export Reddit comments into dashboards for sentiment and trend monitoring.
Competitive intelligence	Compare feedback across competitor announcement threads to identify feature gaps and opportunities.
Content research for creators	Mine high-signal comments to fuel content ideas, FAQs, and audience-driven narratives.
Academic & NLP research	Build labeled datasets from public threads for stance detection, toxicity analysis, or discourse studies.
Data pipeline ingestion (API)	Automate collection via Apify storages and export to JSON/CSV for ETL into warehouses and analytics stacks.

Why choose Reddit Comment Scraper?

Built for precision and reliability, this actor collects structured Reddit comment data at scale without manual overhead.

• ✅ Accurate, analytics-ready fields with parent-child relationships
• 🔄 Resilient proxy fallback (direct → datacenter → residential) for high success rates
• 📦 Handles multiple post URLs per run for batch workflows
• 🧪 Developer-ready (Python actor, Apify storages, API-friendly outputs)
• 🔒 Public data only — aligned with ethical use and platform guidelines
• 🕒 120-minute trial window to validate results before subscribing
• 💾 Easy exports and integrations (JSON/CSV/Excel from Dataset)

In short: a reliable Reddit comment crawler vs. brittle browser extensions — designed for repeatable, production-grade results.

Is it legal / ethical to use Reddit Comment Scraper?

Yes — when used responsibly. This actor collects publicly available data from Reddit post threads and does not access private or password-protected content.

Guidelines for compliant use:

• Scrape only public posts and comments; avoid private or gated content.
• Respect Reddit’s terms of service and fair-use principles.
• Ensure compliance with applicable data protection laws (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).
• Use collected data responsibly (e.g., analysis, research), not for spam or harassment.
• Consult your legal team for edge cases or jurisdiction-specific requirements.

Input parameters & output format

Example JSON input

{
  "startUrls": [
    "https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1epeshq/these_are_all_ai/",
    "https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/xxxxxx/example_thread/"
  ],
  "maxComments": 500,
  "replyLimit": 0,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}

Input parameter details

• startUrls (array, required)
  Description: List one or more Reddit post URLs (e.g., https://www.reddit.com/r/subreddit/comments/post_id/title/).
  Default: none

• maxComments (integer, optional)
  Description: Maximum number of comments to fetch per URL.
  Range: 1–10,000
  Default: 1000

• replyLimit (integer, optional)
  Description: Maximum number of replies to store per comment in the nested replies field. Set to 0 for unlimited. (All replies are still collected in the flattened output.)
  Range: 0–100
  Default: 0

• proxyConfiguration (object, optional)
  Description: Choose which proxies to use. By default, no proxy is used. If Reddit rejects or blocks the request, it will fallback to datacenter proxy, then residential proxy with retries.
  Default: none (prefill uses {"useApifyProxy": false})

Example dataset item (single comment row)

{
  "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1epeshq/these_are_all_ai/",
  "comment_id": "lhk1f7n",
  "post_id": "t3_1epeshq",
  "author": "AutoModerator",
  "permalink": "https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1epeshq/these_are_all_ai/lhk1f7n/",
  "upvotes": 1,
  "content_type": "text",
  "parent_id": "t3_1epeshq",
  "author_avatar": "",
  "userUrl": "https://www.reddit.com/user/AutoModerator/",
  "contentText": "Comment text here...",
  "created_time": "",
  "replies": []
}

Grouped comments (saved to Key-Value Store under key "OUTPUT")

{
  "https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1epeshq/these_are_all_ai/": [
    {
      "comment_id": "lhk1f7n",
      "post_id": "t3_1epeshq",
      "author": "AutoModerator",
      "permalink": "https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1epeshq/these_are_all_ai/lhk1f7n/",
      "upvotes": 1,
      "content_type": "text",
      "parent_id": "t3_1epeshq",
      "author_avatar": "",
      "userUrl": "https://www.reddit.com/user/AutoModerator/",
      "contentText": "Comment text here...",
      "created_time": "",
      "replies": []
    }
  ]
}

Notes:

• created_time and author_avatar may be empty depending on Reddit’s JSON response.
• The replies array is a nested preview; all comments (including replies) are still present as individual dataset items for analysis and export.

FAQ

Is there a free trial for this Reddit comment scraping tool?

Yes. This actor includes a 120-minute trial window, giving you time to validate results and performance before subscribing.

Do I need to log in to scrape Reddit comments?

No. The actor collects publicly available data without login. It uses Reddit’s public JSON endpoints and handles access via automatic proxy fallback if needed.

Can I scrape multiple Reddit threads in one run?

Yes. Provide multiple post URLs in startUrls to download Reddit comments across threads in a single job — ideal for batch analysis and reporting.

How many comments can I collect per post?

You control this with maxComments. Set any value from 1 to 10,000 per URL to fit your scope and budget.

Does it capture nested replies?

Yes. All comments and replies are flattened into individual dataset items. The replies array on each comment stores a limited preview, controlled by replyLimit (0 for unlimited).

What formats can I export?

You can export from the Apify Dataset to JSON, CSV, or Excel. This supports downstream BI tools, enrichment, and “Reddit comments to CSV” workflows.

Is this a Reddit comment API scraper and PRAW/Pushshift alternative?

Yes. It operates as a Reddit comment API scraper by leveraging Reddit’s public JSON endpoints — a reliable alternative to browser extensions or OAuth-heavy PRAW/Pushshift setups for many use cases.

Can I choose the sort order of comments?

The actor uses Reddit’s public sorting internally and focuses on reliable collection. Sort configuration isn’t exposed as an input parameter in this version.

Closing thoughts

Reddit Comment Scraper is built to reliably scrape Reddit comments at scale for research, analytics, and monitoring. You get structured, analytics-ready outputs, resilient proxy fallback, and easy exports to CSV/JSON. It’s ideal for marketers, data analysts, developers, and researchers who need a dependable Reddit comment extractor in production. Developers can integrate results via Apify’s storages and API into Python-based pipelines. Start extracting smarter insights from Reddit discussions — and turn public conversations into actionable intelligence.