Reddit is discontinuing its RSS feeds on November 13 and will end public API access by March 2027. The company cited large-scale scraping and automated abuse, particularly by AI bots, as the reasons for these changes. This move will impact tools that rely on programmatic access to Reddit data, including AI assistants and social listening products.
Reddit's decision to end RSS feeds and public API access will limit the ability of third-party applications, researchers, and AI models to freely access and process its user-generated content, potentially impacting the development of AI assistants and the open web's data ecosystem. This move also signals a shift towards monetizing its data through direct licensing deals.
Reddit is phasing out its RSS feeds on November 13 and will discontinue public API access by March 2027. The social media platform stated that these changes are necessary due to "large-scale scraping and automated abuse," particularly from AI bots, which have exploited these features.
While acknowledging that RSS has been a valued part of the open web, Reddit indicated that its decision was driven by the need to curb automated abuse. The company is recommending that moderators who have relied on RSS channels for alerts migrate to the Discord Relay Devvit app before the November 13 shutdown to avoid workflow disruptions. However, Reddit noted there is no direct replacement for RSS feeds used for external community feeds.
The move comes as Reddit's vast repository of user-generated content has become a significant revenue stream through AI licensing deals. The company reported that its 'other revenue,' excluding advertising, increased by 24% year-over-year to $43 million in the second quarter, underscoring the value of its data.
The termination of public API access in March 2027 will affect a wide range of tools, including social listening products, research applications, and AI assistants that currently use Reddit data to answer questions. After this date, these services will need to secure commercial data deals with Reddit directly.
In addition to these changes, Reddit is implementing safeguards for its "Old Reddit" version, limiting access to logged-in moderators and recent users to combat abusive scraping and automated traffic. Developers of approved third-party apps and bots must register with Reddit by January 12, 2027, to retain API access.
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