Reddit is ending support for RSS feeds on November 13. The site describes this format as a common surface for large-scale scraping and automated abuse. The company announced these changes alongside updates for moderators and developers on Wednesday.
Reddit stated it will wind down RSS feeds because of the way bots use them. In its announcement, the company acknowledged RSS has been a beloved part of the open web for a long time. It expressed gratitude to everyone who used it to stay connected to Reddit. The announcement also shared a March 2027 shutdown date for its public API.
The business case
This decision arrives as the site’s user-generated content becomes a profitable side business through AI licensing deals. During its second quarter, Reddit reported that its other revenue beyond advertising grew 24% year-over-year to $43 million. The company does not want to give that data away for free.
Alternatives for moderators
Reddit is recommending a shift to the Discord Relay Devvit app for moderators who relied on RSS channels for alerts. The company suggested that moderators and their teams review their setups and migrate their workflows before the November 13 deadline to ensure there is no disruption. Reddit said there is no replacement for the use of RSS feeds that were being used for feeds outside of the moderators’ community.
Moderators have already expressed worry about how this shift would impact their workflow. When Reddit hinted earlier that it was preparing for the end of RSS, many responded by complaining that the site would become unmanageable. Meanwhile, many users stressed that RSS was how they enjoyed accessing Reddit’s content.
Public API closure
Public API access will also end by March 2027. This change will impact any tools that used it for programmatic access to Reddit conversations, including social listening products, those used by researchers, and AI products such as AI assistants. Today, those assistants can use Reddit to answer questions. After closing public API access, they will need to forgo commercial deals with Reddit for its data.
Old Reddit restrictions
Reddit provided an update on its Rules Hub progress and auto-mod changes. It said it was adding safeguards to its classic, text-heavy version of the site known as Old Reddit. Access will be limited to logged-in moderators and recent users. Reddit said these changes were required because of abusive scraping and automated traffic.
The company said in the next few months it will limit access for logged-in users to those who have used Old Reddit in the last 90 days.
Developer registration
Reddit reminded developers building approved third-party apps and bots to register them with the company before January 12, 2027, to avoid disruption. After that date, Reddit will remove API access for any developer that has not registered.
