# Reddit Scraper - Real Vote Scores, Posts, Comments & Search (`valev-lab/reddit-scraper`) Actor

Scrape Reddit posts, comments, search & users with real score + upvoteRatio — not fake zeros. No login or API key. Brand monitoring & AI/RAG ready.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/valev-lab/reddit-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Daniel Valev](https://apify.com/valev-lab) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, AI, Lead generation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.65 / 1,000 post scrapeds

This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
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.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## 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.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

### What does Reddit Scraper do?

**Reddit Scraper** is a **Reddit API alternative** that extracts **public** [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/) **posts, comments, search results, and user submissions** — **without a Reddit account, OAuth, or official API key**.

**The difference that matters:** many Store scrapers rely on RSS / recovery paths and return **`score: 0`** even when the thread is huge. This Actor renders live pages and returns **real vote data** — `score`, `upvoteRatio`, and comment scores when Reddit exposes them.

Flat, spreadsheet-ready rows. Export JSON, CSV, or Excel. Schedule brand watches, feed RAG pipelines, or call it from Make / Zapier / n8n / Apify MCP.

[Try it free](https://console.apify.com) with the default `r/technology` sample (5 posts) — no input required.

### Who is this Reddit scraper for?

**Brand & PR teams**

- Monitor product and brand mentions across subreddits and search
- Rank threads by **real engagement**, not placeholder zeros
- Catch rising posts early with `sort: "new"` + date filters

**Marketing & social listening**

- Track competitor keywords and community sentiment
- Find high-upvote discussions for content and GEO research
- Export comment threads for qualitative analysis

**Researchers, agencies & journalists**

- Build clean datasets of public discussions
- Filter by subreddit, keywords, NSFW, and date window
- Reproducible runs you can schedule and audit

**AI / ML / RAG builders**

- Optional `jsonl-finetune` and `rag-markdown` outputs
- Training and retrieval corpora with honest ranking signals
- Wire via Apify API, webhooks, or MCP — no Reddit developer app

### Why use this Reddit scraper?

- **Real votes** — `score` + `upvoteRatio` from rendered pages (never invent `0`)
- **Four modes** — subreddit listings, search, user submissions, post + comments
- **No Reddit login** — public data only; no cookies or CAPTCHA solving
- **Search that works** — RSS discovery + browser enrichment for scores
- **AI-ready formats** — one charged post record; comments bundled free in AI modes
- **Honest failures** — blocked targets become uncharged `target-status` rows
- **Apify native** — schedules, datasets, proxy, API, Make/Zapier/MCP

#### How it compares

| | This Actor | Typical RSS / “recovery” scrapers |
|---|---|---|
| Vote fields | **Real `score` + `upvoteRatio` when visible** | Often **`0` / fake / missing** |
| Modes | Listing + search + user + comments | Often listing or search only |
| AI exports | JSONL fine-tune + RAG markdown | Rare |
| Failures | Explicit `target-status` (uncharged) | Silent empty datasets |
| Auth | No Reddit API key | Same, but weaker vote fidelity |

If you rank, filter, or train on engagement — **zeros destroy your model**. Use real votes.

### Which mode should I use?

| Mode | Best for | First-run tip |
|---|---|---|
| Subreddit URL / `r/name` | Hot / new / top community feeds | `maxPostsPerSource: 25` |
| `searchQuery` | Brand / topic discovery | Start with one keyword + `timeFilter: "week"` |
| `searchSubreddit` + query | In-community search | e.g. `programming` + `typescript` |
| User URL / `u/name` | Author timelines | `/user/{name}/submitted/` |
| Post URL + `includeComments` | Thread deep-dives | `maxCommentsPerPost: 50`, depth 2–3 |

### What data can you extract?

| Category | Fields |
|---|---|
| Post | `id`, `title`, `author`, `subreddit`, `createdAt`, `permalink`, `selfText`, `link`, `domain` |
| Votes | **`score`**, **`upvoteRatio`**, `numComments` |
| Flags | `isSelf`, `isVideo`, `isNSFW`, `isSpoiler`, `isStickied`, `linkFlairText` |
| Comment | `id`, `postId`, `parentId`, `author`, `body`, **`score`**, `depth`, `permalink` |
| Provenance | `source`, `scrapedAt` |
| Status | `type: "target-status"` when blocked / empty / private |

Missing values stay **`null`**. This Actor **never fakes** a hidden score as `0`.

#### Output example

```json
{
  "type": "post",
  "id": "1wv1j68",
  "title": "NYC is now the first city in America that bans sketchy subscriptions",
  "author": "MarvelsGrantMan136",
  "subreddit": "technology",
  "score": 13599,
  "upvoteRatio": 0.982,
  "numComments": 420,
  "createdAt": "2026-10-01T14:53:16.572Z",
  "permalink": "https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1wv1j68/…/",
  "link": "https://www.theverge.com/…",
  "domain": "theverge.com",
  "isSelf": false,
  "isNSFW": false,
  "scrapedAt": "2026-10-01T22:30:00.000Z",
  "source": "https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/"
}
```

You can download the dataset as **JSON, CSV, Excel, or HTML**.

### How to scrape Reddit (no API key)

1. Open **Reddit Scraper** in [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com).
2. Add URLs (`r/technology`, post links, `u/name`) **or** a `searchQuery`.
3. Keep **Apify RESIDENTIAL** proxy (US recommended) and **≥1024 MB** memory.
4. Set `maxPostsPerSource` to 5–25 for a cheap trial.
5. Click **Start** → open **Dataset** → export.

Automate with Schedules, the **API** tab, webhooks, Make/Zapier, or Apify MCP.

### How much does it cost to scrape Reddit?

**Pay-per-event + usage** — you pay for scraped posts/comments (+ Actor start), **and** for Apify compute / residential proxy separately. Set a **max total charge** on large jobs.

PPE headline: from about **$0.65–$1.25 per 1,000 posts** depending on your Apify plan tier (events only; CU + residential proxy are extra).

| Event | FREE | BRONZE | SILVER | GOLD |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Actor start (`apify-actor-start`) | $0.005 | $0.005 | $0.005 | $0.005 |
| Post scraped | $0.00125 | $0.00108 | $0.00085 | $0.00065 |
| Comment scraped | $0.00063 | $0.00054 | $0.00042 | $0.00032 |

Per 1,000 posts (PPE only): **$1.25 / $1.08 / $0.85 / $0.65** (FREE → GOLD).

**Worked examples (FREE PPE only — proxy/CU not included):**

| Job | Approx. PPE |
|---|---:|
| 1,000 posts | ~$1.25 + start |
| 200 posts + 20 comments each | ~$1.51 + start |
| AI format, 500 posts (comments bundled) | ~$0.63 + start |

`target-status` rows and empty invalid runs are **not** charged.

Default health-check (5 hot posts from r/technology) typically finishes in **~30 seconds** on 1024 MB — far under Apify’s 300s ceiling.

### Input examples

See the **Input** tab for every field. Patterns that convert well:

#### Subreddit listing

```json
{
  "urls": ["https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/"],
  "sort": "hot",
  "maxPostsPerSource": 25
}
```

Aliases: `"r/technology"`, `"technology"`.

#### Brand / topic search

```json
{
  "searchQuery": "your brand name",
  "sort": "new",
  "timeFilter": "week",
  "maxPostsPerSource": 50
}
```

#### Post + comments

```json
{
  "urls": ["https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/abc123/title/"],
  "includeComments": true,
  "maxCommentsPerPost": 50,
  "commentDepth": 3
}
```

#### Time-sliced monitoring

Use `sort: "new"` with `dateFrom` / `dateTo` (ISO or `YYYY-MM-DD`). Pagination stops once posts fall before `dateFrom` — ideal for daily schedules.

#### AI / RAG export

```json
{
  "urls": ["r/MachineLearning"],
  "maxPostsPerSource": 100,
  "includeComments": true,
  "outputFormat": "rag-markdown"
}
```

### Tips for better results (and lower cost)

- **Always RESIDENTIAL** — datacenter / no-proxy paths hit login walls or empty shells.
- Start small (`maxPostsPerSource: 5–25`), then scale once the shape looks right.
- Prefer `sort: "new"` + date bounds for monitors instead of re-scraping “hot” forever.
- Fresh posts may show `score: null` until Reddit reveals votes — filter by age if needed.
- Schedule `research/canary-input.json` daily to catch breakage early.

### Honest limitations

- Public listing depth is on the order of Reddit’s feed (~1,000).
- Comment trees are page-visible / capped (`maxCommentsPerPost` ≤ 500).
- Some comments omit `score`, `permalink`, or `createdAt` when Reddit’s public UI does not expose them; missing values stay `null` (never faked).
- Best-effort under blocks — logged + `target-status`, never silent “success” with empty truth.
- Not for private / authenticated Reddit data.

### FAQ

#### Can I scrape Reddit without the official API?

Yes. This Actor scrapes **public** pages. No Reddit developer app, token, or login.

#### Why do other scrapers show score 0?

RSS and some recovery paths **omit** vote fields. Many Actors fill `0`. We leave hidden scores as `null` and return live scores when present.

#### Do I need coding skills?

No. Paste URLs or a search query in Console. Developers can use the API / MCP when ready.

#### Can I export to Google Sheets, Slack, or Notion?

Yes — via Apify integrations, Make, Zapier, webhooks, or MCP connectors after the dataset is filled.

#### Is residential proxy required?

**Strongly recommended (default).** Without it, Reddit often serves login walls or JS shells with no posts.

### Compliance

You are responsible for complying with applicable law and Reddit’s terms. Scrape public content for legitimate purposes. Do not collect personal data without a lawful basis. Prefer ethical brand monitoring, research, and public-community analysis.

### Changelog

See [CHANGELOG.md](./CHANGELOG.md).

# Changelog

This Actor's version history is a separate document: https://apify.com/valev-lab/reddit-scraper/changelog.md

# Actor input Schema

## `urls` (type: `array`):

Subreddit, post, user, or search URLs. Also accepts r/name, bare subreddit name, u/name, and redd.it/{id}.

## `url` (type: `string`):

Compatibility alias for a single Reddit URL. Normalized into urls. Array form is also accepted via API/MCP even if not shown here.

## `searchQuery` (type: `string`):

Site-wide Reddit search. Use searchSubreddit to restrict to one community.

## `searchSubreddit` (type: `string`):

When set with searchQuery, search only this subreddit (with or without r/).

## `sort` (type: `string`):

Listing/search sort. Valid values depend on the target: hot, new, top, rising, relevance, comments.

## `timeFilter` (type: `string`):

Time window for top/relevance-style sorts.

## `dateFrom` (type: `string`):

Keep posts at or after this time (ISO or YYYY-MM-DD, UTC). Prefer sort=new; pagination stops once past this bound.

## `dateTo` (type: `string`):

Keep posts at or before this time (ISO or YYYY-MM-DD, UTC).

## `maxPostsPerSource` (type: `integer`):

Maximum posts per URL/search. 0 means continue until Reddit’s practical listing cap (~1000).

## `includeComments` (type: `boolean`):

Also open each post and collect comments (extra browser work).

## `maxCommentsPerPost` (type: `integer`):

Hard cap on comments stored per post (browser page typically exposes far fewer than Reddit’s full tree).

## `commentDepth` (type: `integer`):

Maximum reply nesting depth to keep (1–10).

## `filterKeywords` (type: `array`):

Case-insensitive. Keep posts whose title or body matches any keyword. Empty keeps all.

## `includeNsfw` (type: `boolean`):

When false, skip posts marked NSFW.

## `outputFormat` (type: `string`):

default = post/comment records. jsonl-finetune and rag-markdown emit one AI-oriented record per post (comments bundled, not charged separately).

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Use Apify RESIDENTIAL (US recommended). Datacenter proxies and no-proxy runs hit Reddit blocks or empty shells.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "urls": [
    "https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/"
  ],
  "sort": "hot",
  "timeFilter": "week",
  "maxPostsPerSource": 5,
  "includeComments": false,
  "maxCommentsPerPost": 20,
  "commentDepth": 3,
  "filterKeywords": [],
  "includeNsfw": false,
  "outputFormat": "default",
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ],
    "apifyProxyCountry": "US"
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `dataset` (type: `string`):

No description

## `runSummary` (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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "urls": [
        "https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/"
    ],
    "sort": "hot",
    "timeFilter": "week",
    "maxPostsPerSource": 5,
    "includeComments": false,
    "maxCommentsPerPost": 20,
    "commentDepth": 3,
    "includeNsfw": false,
    "outputFormat": "default"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("valev-lab/reddit-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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "urls": ["https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/"],
    "sort": "hot",
    "timeFilter": "week",
    "maxPostsPerSource": 5,
    "includeComments": False,
    "maxCommentsPerPost": 20,
    "commentDepth": 3,
    "includeNsfw": False,
    "outputFormat": "default",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("valev-lab/reddit-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "urls": [
    "https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/"
  ],
  "sort": "hot",
  "timeFilter": "week",
  "maxPostsPerSource": 5,
  "includeComments": false,
  "maxCommentsPerPost": 20,
  "commentDepth": 3,
  "includeNsfw": false,
  "outputFormat": "default"
}' |
apify call valev-lab/reddit-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,valev-lab/reddit-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/hbyOagVa3vv01L6Te/builds/GbuNHOkhTmeJEkNCV/openapi.json