How to get a Reddit API key in 2026

If you didn't already have one, you can't any more. Reddit stopped taking new requests for its public API on October 31, 2026, and is closing it to apps that haven't registered, in stages, until March 2027. Below: the dates, what to do if you already have an app, what the API cost, and how to get Reddit posts and comments without a Reddit key.

Updated 2026-11-02

In their own words

Real comments from Reddit, quoted as written. Usernames are left out.

“I need this API right now, and I am prepared to pay for it.”
r/redditdev, Nov 2025

“You're doing a lot of encouraging people to apply to register their apps, yet nearly every third-party app developer I follow seems to suggest that you're ignoring them.”
r/redditdev, Sep 2026

“…linkedin and reddit are troublesome. The json trick doesn't work anymore”
r/webscraping, Oct 2026

What changed, and when

Most "how to get a Reddit API key" tutorials were written before any of this. If one tells you to go to reddit.com/prefs/apps and click "create app", it's out of date.

April 2023: Reddit says it will charge for API access. When the prices start on June 30, several third-party Reddit apps shut down.
By late 2025: Under Reddit's Responsible Builder Policy, a new app needs Reddit's approval before it gets a key. Making one yourself in a few clicks stops working.
September 30, 2026: Reddit announces that its public API and its RSS feeds will close.
October 31, 2026: The last day Reddit accepts requests for new API access.
November 13, 2026: RSS feeds stop. Outside communities you moderate, there's no replacement.
November 30, 2026: Sign-up closes for Reddit's payment to developers who move their apps to its Developer Platform.
January 12, 2027: Reddit starts removing access for apps and users that haven't registered.
March 2027: The public API closes for every app and user still on it.

If you already have a Reddit app

Register it on Reddit's app registration page before January 12, 2027. Registered apps move to Reddit's Developer Platform instead of losing access. Reddit offered $1,000 to eligible apps that move, if they sign up by November 30, 2026.

Moderators who got notifications through RSS are pointed to Discord Relay, an app on Reddit's own platform that sends the mod queue, mod mail and mod log to Discord or Slack.

Teams that use Reddit content in AI products will need a commercial contract with Reddit once the public API closes.

How it used to work

You'll still see these steps in older guides and on Stack Overflow. They're here so you can tell what a tutorial assumes. For a new app, they no longer work.

Create an app at reddit.com/prefs/apps, usually of the "script" type.
Copy the client ID (the string under the app's name) and the secret.
Trade them for an access token at https://www.reddit.com/api/v1/access_token.
Call https://oauth.reddit.com with that token and a User-Agent that names your app and your Reddit username.

What the Reddit API cost

Personal projects, moderator tools and academic research were free, up to 100 requests a minute for each app. Commercial use needed a contract with Reddit.

Reddit never published a price list. The number everyone quotes comes from 2023, when the developer of the Apollo app was quoted $12,000 for 50 million requests. That's about $0.24 per 1,000.

Getting Reddit data without a Reddit key

Most people who search for a Reddit API key want the posts and comments, not an app on Reddit: what people say about a brand, a product or a problem. For that, SocialHz is one key for Reddit and every other platform we cover. You don't register anything with Reddit, and you don't sign in to Reddit.

Search all of Reddit or one subreddit and get posts with their score and number of comments. Send a thread's link and get every comment on it, each with its sentiment. It all comes back as JSON, in the same shape as Instagram, TikTok and the rest.

Comments on one post

GET /api/v1/comments?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2Felectricvehicles%2Fcomments%2F1g9z1k2%2Fcharging_at_home%2F

Search Reddit

GET /api/v1/search?platform=reddit&query=electric+vehicles

Questions people ask

Can I still get a Reddit API key?

Not a new one. Reddit stopped accepting requests for API access on October 31, 2026. If you already have an app, register it before January 12, 2027 to keep access.

Is the Reddit API free?

It was, for personal projects, moderator tools and academic research, up to 100 requests a minute. Commercial use needed a contract. The public API closes to everyone who hasn't registered by March 2027.

How much does the Reddit API cost?

Reddit doesn't publish prices. The figure from 2023 is $12,000 for 50 million requests, about $0.24 per 1,000. Commercial access is agreed with Reddit one company at a time.

What happens to my Reddit bot?

If it isn't registered by January 12, 2027, Reddit starts removing its access, and the public API closes completely in March 2027. Register it on Reddit's app registration page.

Do Reddit RSS feeds still work?

Until November 13, 2026. After that, Reddit stops supporting them.

Do I need a Reddit account to use SocialHz?

No. You use your SocialHz key. Nothing signs in to Reddit as you. You can also try a few comment searches free, without signing up.

Sources

Reddit scraper API · Free Reddit comment search · API reference