Glossary · Platform APIs
How do Reddit API keys work?
Short answer
A Reddit API key is an OAuth client ID and secret that identifies your app to Reddit. Every request must use it. Under Reddit’s Responsible Builder Policy, apps need Reddit’s approval before they can access data, and commercial use needs a separate agreement.
Register an app
A client ID and a client secret.
Get approval
Reddit must approve an app before it can access data.
Swap for a token
A short-lived OAuth token goes with every request.
Stay under the limit
Free tier, per OAuth client ID.
100 queries a minuteX-Ratelimit-Remaining
01
What the key is
Reddit calls it an app: a client ID and a client secret. Your code swaps them for a short-lived OAuth access token, then sends that token with each request. Requests without OAuth are blocked.
You also need a descriptive User-Agent that names your app and a contact, as Reddit asks in its API rules.
02
Approval and the Responsible Builder Policy
For years anyone could create a key in their account preferences in a minute. That changed in late 2025: Reddit now requires explicit approval before an app can access Reddit data, and self-service key creation was closed to new apps. Existing approved credentials keep working.
The policy also forbids commercialising Reddit data or using it to train AI models without Reddit’s written permission, and forbids hiding what your app does or working around rate limits.
03
Rate limits once you have a key
- 01
100 queries per minute
Per OAuth client ID on the free tier, averaged over a 10-minute window.
- 02
Usage is reported in
X-Ratelimit-Used,X-Ratelimit-RemainingandX-Ratelimit-Reset(seconds until the window ends). - 03
Higher volume and any commercial use need a contract with Reddit. Reddit does not publish a price list; the widely quoted figure from 2023 is $0.24 per 1,000 calls.
04
Choosing an approach
Build a Reddit app or bot that acts for users
- Route
- Apply for official access and follow the Responsible Builder Policy.
Do non-commercial research
- Route
- Apply for official access and state the research use.
Read public posts and comments in a commercial product
- Route
- Get a commercial agreement with Reddit, or use a data API that reads public Reddit pages.
In Monocrawl
Public Reddit data in Monocrawl
Search Reddit without managing OAuth apps.
Monocrawl returns public Reddit posts, comments, subreddits and user histories on your Monocrawl key, with no Reddit app to register or tokens to refresh.
- 01
reddit/searchFor posts across Reddit with sort and time filters.
- 02
reddit/search-commentsFor comments that mention a term.
- 03
reddit/post/commentsFor the comment tree under a post.
- 04
reddit/subredditFor a community’s hot, new, top or rising posts.
- 05
reddit/omni-searchFor threads, top comments and communities for one keyword in a single call.
You can also watch Reddit for new mentions of a brand or keyword with a Monitor.
Questions
Common questions
Is the Reddit API free?
The free tier allows 100 queries per minute per approved app for non-commercial use. Commercial use needs an agreement with Reddit.
Can I still create a Reddit API key?
New apps now need Reddit’s approval before they can access data. The old instant self-service route was closed in late 2025.
What User-Agent should I send to Reddit?
A unique, descriptive one, such as platform:app-id:version (by /u/yourname). Generic browser strings are more likely to be limited.
Sources
Try it on real data
One key for public data.
Social, search and web.
Start with 150 free credits. No card required.