# Reddit Search Scraper - Posts, Communities & Users by Keyword (`zaver.api/reddit-posts-search-scraper`) Actor

Search Reddit by keyword without the Reddit API and export matching posts, communities or users - across all of Reddit or inside chosen subreddits, with sort and date filters. No API key, no login, no start fee. CSV, Excel or JSON.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/zaver.api/reddit-posts-search-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Zaver](https://apify.com/zaver.api) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.99 / 1,000 results

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/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

## Reddit Search Scraper — Find Posts, Communities and Users by Keyword

**Search Reddit by keyword and export the results.** Enter keywords and get every matching post with title, text, score, comment count, author and date, across all of Reddit or inside the communities you choose. No Reddit API key, no login. **Pay per result, no start fee.**

> ⭐ Bulk keywords · search inside chosen subreddits · sort and date filters · Reddit search operators · posts, communities or users · proxies included · API and MCP ready

### What does Reddit Search Scraper do?

Reddit Search Scraper runs Reddit's own search for each of your keywords and returns the results as flat rows. It has three modes:

| Search for | You get |
|---|---|
| **Posts** | Posts matching the keyword, with full text, engagement and media |
| **Communities** | Subreddits matching the keyword, with member counts and descriptions |
| **Users** | Accounts matching the keyword, with karma and account age |

For post searches you can add a list of communities. Each keyword is then searched inside each community, which is the fastest way to cover a niche thoroughly.

### What data does the Reddit Search Scraper extract?

#### Post fields

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `query` | The keyword that found this row |
| `title`, `text` | Post title and full self-text |
| `url`, `id` | Permalink and post ID |
| `subreddit`, `subredditSubscribers` | Community and its member count |
| `author`, `authorId` | Username and account ID |
| `score`, `upvoteRatio`, `numComments` | Engagement |
| `createdAt` | ISO 8601 timestamp (UTC) |
| `flair`, `link`, `domain` | Flair and outbound link |
| `imageUrls`, `videoUrl`, `thumbnail` | Media URLs |
| `isNSFW`, `isSpoiler`, `isLocked`, `isSelf`, `isVideo` | Flags |

#### Community fields

`name`, `title`, `description`, `subscribers`, `activeUsers`, `createdAt`, `communityType`, `language`, `icon`, `url`, `isNSFW`.

#### User fields

`username`, `displayName`, `bio`, `totalKarma`, `postKarma`, `commentKarma`, `createdAt`, `accountAgeDays`, `followers`, `hasVerifiedEmail`, `isModerator`, `avatar`, `url`.

### A Reddit API alternative

Since Reddit changed its API pricing, the official Data API needs a registered app, OAuth credentials and, for commercial use, a paid agreement. Free access is rate limited and listings stop at 1,000 items. PRAW's `subreddit.search()` needs those same credentials and returns the same capped result sets.

This Actor is a **Reddit API alternative** for keyword search. It works **without the Reddit API**: there is no app to register, no client ID or secret, no token refresh and no API pricing to negotiate. You pay per row you export and nothing else.

| | Official Reddit API or PRAW | This Actor |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Register an app, manage OAuth tokens | Paste links or keywords |
| Commercial use | Paid agreement with Reddit | Pay per result |
| Rate limits | Yours to manage | Handled for you |
| Proxies and retries | Not applicable, but you build the pipeline | Included |
| Output | Raw API objects | Flat rows: CSV, Excel, JSON |

### Why use this Reddit keyword scraper

#### Search many keywords and communities in one run

Paste up to 1,000 keywords and up to 200 communities. Results are de-duplicated across keywords, so a post that matches two of them is delivered and billed once.

#### Reddit search operators work

Use `"exact phrase"`, `title:word`, `author:name`, `flair:name`, `self:yes`, `url:domain.com`, and `AND`, `OR`, `NOT`. Whatever works in Reddit's search box works here.

#### Filters that save money

**Minimum post score** and **Time range** drop rows before they are billed. You pay for the posts you keep.

#### No start fee, proxies included

Starting a run is free and residential proxies are part of the price. That makes hourly monitoring runs cheap.

### How to search Reddit by keyword

1. Open the Actor and enter your **Search keywords**, one per line.
2. Choose what to **Search for**: posts, communities or users.
3. Optionally list communities under **Only in these communities**.
4. Set **Sort** and **Time range**. For monitoring, use `New` and `Past 24 hours`.
5. Press **Start**, then export as CSV, Excel or JSON.

> 💡 Reddit search returns at most about 250 posts per query. To collect more on a broad topic, add keyword variants, restrict to several communities, or run the same keyword with different sorts and time ranges.

### Input example

```json
{
  "queries": [
    "best crm for small business",
    "\"hubspot alternative\""
  ],
  "searchType": "posts",
  "subreddits": [
    "smallbusiness",
    "sales"
  ],
  "sort": "new",
  "time": "month",
  "maxResultsPerQuery": 100
}
```

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `queries` | array | **Required.** Keywords or phrases, one per line. Reddit search operators work: `"exact phrase"`, `title:word`, `author:name`, `self:yes`, `flair:name`, `url:domain.com`, `AND` / `OR` / `NOT`. |
| `searchType` | string | What to return. Default `"posts"`. |
| `subreddits` | array | Optional. Restrict post searches to these communities (`smallbusiness` or `r/smallbusiness`). Each keyword is searched in each community. Leave empty to search all of Reddit. |
| `sort` | string | Result order. Default `"relevance"`. |
| `time` | string | Only posts from this period. Default `"all"`. |
| `maxResultsPerQuery` | integer | Maximum rows per keyword (per community when communities are set). Reddit search itself returns at most about 250 posts per query - use several keywords, sorts or time ranges to go wider. Default `100`. |
| `minScore` | integer | Skip posts with fewer upvotes than this. Skipped posts are not billed. Default `0`. |
| `includeNSFW` | boolean | Include posts, comments and communities marked 18+. Off by default. Default `false`. |
| `maxItems` | integer | Hard cap on billable rows for the whole run. 0 means no cap. Default `0`. |

### Output example

```json
{
  "type": "post",
  "query": "best crm for small business",
  "id": "1wab3cd",
  "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/smallbusiness/comments/1wab3cd/best_crm_for_a_5_person_team/",
  "title": "Best CRM for a 5 person team?",
  "text": "We have outgrown spreadsheets. Budget is around $50 per user ...",
  "subreddit": "smallbusiness",
  "subredditSubscribers": 2140000,
  "author": "growing_shop",
  "score": 57,
  "upvoteRatio": 0.94,
  "numComments": 88,
  "createdAt": "2026-09-21T09:14:50Z",
  "isSelf": true,
  "isNSFW": false,
  "source": "search:best crm for small business in r/smallbusiness"
}
```

### Pricing

Pay per result. **No start fee, no monthly rental, no minimum.**

| Event | Charged for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| `result-scraped` | each post, community or user row delivered | **$1.99 / 1,000** |

| You export | You pay |
|---|---|
| 1,000 results | **$1.99** |
| 10,000 results | **$19.90** |
| 100,000 results | **$199.00** |

You are charged right after each batch lands in your dataset, so a run you stop early costs only what it delivered. Targets that fail, are private, or return nothing are free. Proxies are included in the price - there is nothing else to pay for.

### Use cases

#### Brand monitoring

Search your brand name, product names and common misspellings every hour. New posts land in your dataset and can trigger a Slack or email alert.

#### Competitor tracking

Search competitor names and phrases such as `"competitor alternative"`. See which communities discuss them and what people say is missing.

#### Keyword and content research

Find the questions people ask about your topic, sorted by top for the year. High-score posts show which angles earn attention.

#### Community discovery

Switch **Search for** to communities to list every subreddit about your niche, with member counts, before you plan outreach or advertising.

#### Trend and topic datasets

Collect all posts about a topic over time for dashboards, research or AI pipelines. Every row carries the `query` that found it.

### FAQ

**Do I need a Reddit account or API key?**
No. It works without the Reddit API. The Actor uses Reddit's public search without logging in.

**Is scraping Reddit legal?**
This is general information, not legal advice. The Actor collects only what any logged-out visitor can see, and never touches private communities, private messages or login-protected pages. Whether your use is lawful depends on where you are, what you collect and what you do with it. Usernames and posts can be personal data under laws such as GDPR and CCPA, and Reddit's User Agreement restricts automated collection and some commercial uses of its content. Collect only what you need, do not republish personal data, honour deletion requests, and ask a lawyer before building a commercial product on the data.

**Can it search comments?**
Reddit's public search returns posts, communities and users. To find keyword mentions inside comments, use the [Reddit Lead Finder](https://apify.com/zaver.api/reddit-lead-finder), which scans the comments of matching posts, or collect comments with the [Reddit Comments Scraper](https://apify.com/zaver.api/reddit-comments-scraper) and filter them.

**How many results can I get per keyword?**
Reddit returns up to about 250 posts per query. Widen coverage with keyword variants, community restrictions, and different sorts and time ranges.

**Why was my keyword searched with AND between the words?**
When a site-wide search is sorted by anything other than relevance, Reddit matches posts containing any one word of a multi-word keyword, which returns unrelated posts. To keep your chosen sort and still return relevant posts, the Actor requires all words. The run log and the run summary show a notice with the exact query used. Put a phrase in quotes for an exact match, or sort by relevance to use Reddit's own ranking. Searches inside a community are not affected.

**Are duplicates removed?**
Yes. A post found by several keywords or in several scopes is delivered once.

**Can I get the comments of the posts I find?**
Pass the post URLs to the [Reddit Comments Scraper](https://apify.com/zaver.api/reddit-comments-scraper), or use the [Reddit Scraper](https://apify.com/zaver.api/reddit-scraper) with **Include comments** on.

**Does it return NSFW results?**
Only when **Include NSFW content** is on.

**Can I run it on a schedule?**
Yes. Pair `New` with `Past hour` or `Past 24 hours` for monitoring.

### Integrations

- **Apify API** - start runs and fetch datasets from Python, Node.js, cURL or any HTTP client.
- **MCP server** - call this Actor as a tool from Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT agents and any MCP client.
- **No-code** - Make, Zapier, n8n, Pipedream, Google Sheets, Airtable, Slack, webhooks.
- **Schedules** - run hourly, daily or weekly and append to the same dataset for monitoring.
- **Exports** - JSON, JSONL, CSV, Excel (XLSX), XML, HTML table, RSS.

### Related Reddit scrapers

- [Reddit Scraper](https://apify.com/zaver.api/reddit-scraper) - posts, comments, search, users and communities in one Actor
- [Reddit Comments Scraper](https://apify.com/zaver.api/reddit-comments-scraper) - every comment and nested reply from any post
- [Reddit Lead Finder](https://apify.com/zaver.api/reddit-lead-finder) - people asking for what you sell, scored by buying intent

***

*Not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Reddit, Inc. This Actor reads only publicly available pages, does not log in and does not access private communities, private messages or deleted content. You are responsible for using the data in line with applicable laws, Reddit's terms and the privacy rights of the people whose public posts you collect.*

# Actor input Schema

## `queries` (type: `array`):

Keywords or phrases, one per line. Reddit search operators work: <code>"exact phrase"</code>, <code>title:word</code>, <code>author:name</code>, <code>self:yes</code>, <code>flair:name</code>, <code>url:domain.com</code>, <code>AND</code> / <code>OR</code> / <code>NOT</code>.

## `searchType` (type: `string`):

What to return.

## `subreddits` (type: `array`):

Optional. Restrict post searches to these communities (<code>smallbusiness</code> or <code>r/smallbusiness</code>). Each keyword is searched in each community. Leave empty to search all of Reddit.

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

Result order.

## `time` (type: `string`):

Only posts from this period.

## `maxResultsPerQuery` (type: `integer`):

Maximum rows per keyword (per community when communities are set). Reddit search itself returns at most about 250 posts per query - use several keywords, sorts or time ranges to go wider.

## `minScore` (type: `integer`):

Skip posts with fewer upvotes than this. Skipped posts are not billed.

## `includeNSFW` (type: `boolean`):

Include posts, comments and communities marked 18+. Off by default.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Hard cap on billable rows for the whole run. 0 means no cap.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "queries": [
    "best crm for small business"
  ],
  "searchType": "posts",
  "sort": "relevance",
  "time": "all",
  "maxResultsPerQuery": 100,
  "minScore": 0,
  "includeNSFW": false,
  "maxItems": 0
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

All dataset items.

## `resultsCsv` (type: `string`):

CSV download.

## `runSummary` (type: `string`):

Counts for the run.

# 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 = {
    "queries": [
        "best crm for small business"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("zaver.api/reddit-posts-search-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 = { "queries": ["best crm for small business"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("zaver.api/reddit-posts-search-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 '{
  "queries": [
    "best crm for small business"
  ]
}' |
apify call zaver.api/reddit-posts-search-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,zaver.api/reddit-posts-search-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/ksXyOJ3C0li9pEG1Z/builds/4TwnAmfwyOf7sWoqM/openapi.json