Reddit is discontinuing support for RSS feeds and ending public API access, citing the need to curb large-scale scraping and automated abuse driven by AI bots. The changes mark a significant tightening of the platform’s data availability, impacting moderators, researchers, and AI developers who have relied on open access to the site’s user-generated content.
What Happened
In a series of updates announced Wednesday, Reddit stated that RSS support will cease on November 13. The company described RSS as having become a "common surface for large-scale scraping and automated abuse." Additionally, public API access is scheduled to end by March 2027. This move will affect tools that use programmatic access for social listening, research, and AI products, including AI assistants that currently use Reddit data to answer user questions.
For moderators who use RSS for alerts, Reddit recommends migrating to the Discord Relay Devvit app before the November 13 deadline. However, the company noted there is no replacement for RSS feeds used outside of moderator communities. Reddit also announced safeguards for "Old Reddit," the platform's text-heavy interface, which will limit access to logged-in moderators and users who have visited the site within the last 90 days. These restrictions are also attributed to abusive scraping and automated traffic. Developers of approved third-party apps and bots must register with Reddit by January 12, 2027, to avoid losing API access.
Why It Matters
The closure of these open access channels reflects Reddit's shifting business model, where its trove of user-generated content has become a profitable asset through AI licensing deals. In the second quarter, Reddit reported that "other revenue" beyond advertising grew 24% year-over-year to $43 million, largely driven by these data partnerships. By ending free public API access, Reddit ensures that AI assistants and other commercial entities must enter into paid agreements to utilize its data.
The changes also signal a broader trend of platforms restricting open web standards to control data flow. The end of RSS on a major social platform removes a key tool for independent news readers and researchers. Moderators have expressed concern that the loss of RSS and API access will make community management more difficult, while users have lamented the loss of a preferred method for consuming content. For the AI industry, the move increases the cost of training and inference data, as developers can no longer freely scrape or access Reddit's conversational archives without commercial contracts.
The Bottom Line
Reddit is closing its open data channels to AI bots, ending RSS support in November 2026 and public API access in March 2027. The company attributes these decisions to the need to combat automated abuse and protect its growing data licensing revenue, forcing AI developers to negotiate commercial deals for platform access.