Reddit Is Ending RSS Feeds and Its Public API: Key Dates

Reddit is shutting down RSS feeds on November 13, 2026 and closing public API access by March 2027. The company announced both changes on September 30, 2026 in posts on r/modnews and r/redditdev, blaming large-scale scraping and automated abuse. If you follow subreddits in a feed reader, run a bot, or browse Old Reddit without logging in, something you rely on is about to stop working.

Key Takeaways

• Reddit RSS feeds end on November 13, 2026
• New requests for public API access close on October 31, 2026
• Unregistered apps and bots start getting cut off on January 12, 2027, and public API access ends for everyone else in March 2027
• Old Reddit will require a login, with further limits for accounts that have not visited in 90 days
• Licensed data partners such as Google and OpenAI keep their access

Reddit shutdown timeline

Date	What happens
October 31, 2026	Reddit stops accepting new requests for public API access
November 13, 2026	RSS feed support ends across Reddit
November 30, 2026	Registration closes for the App Migration Program funding
January 12, 2027	Reddit begins cutting off apps and users that have not registered
March 2027	Public API access ends for all remaining apps and users

Dates are as reported by MediaNama and Dataconomy.

Why is Reddit killing RSS?

Reddit's stated reason is abuse. The company called RSS a "common surface for large-scale scraping and automated abuse," and pointed to "abusive scraping and automated traffic" hitting Old Reddit as well.

It acknowledged what it is removing: "We know RSS has been a beloved part of the open web for a long time, and we're grateful to everyone who used it to stay connected to Reddit."

There is also a business reason that Reddit did not put in the headline. Reddit's posts are valuable AI training data, and the company sells access to it. Its "other revenue" line, which includes data licensing, rose 24% year over year to $43 million in the second quarter of 2026. The Google licensing deal signed in February 2024 was reported at about $60 million a year. Free, anonymous feeds and an open API undercut a product that paying partners are buying.

Who is affected?

People who read Reddit in a feed reader

If you added a subreddit, a user or a search to an RSS reader, those feeds stop updating on November 13, 2026. Reddit has not announced a replacement for regular readers.

Developers, bots and third-party tools

Anything that reads Reddit programmatically is affected: social listening products, research tools, AI assistants and hobby bots. After March 2027, pulling Reddit data through the API will require either an approved, registered app or a commercial agreement with Reddit.

Old Reddit users

Old Reddit will no longer work for logged-out visitors. Access is being limited to logged-in moderators and recently active users, and Reddit plans further restrictions for logged-in accounts that have not visited in the last 90 days.

Moderators

Moderators who used RSS for alerts are being pointed to Discord Relay, an app built on Reddit's Devvit developer platform. Moderators are exempt from the Old Reddit login restriction.

What to do before November 13

If you use RSS:

1. Open your feed reader and list every Reddit feed you follow
2. Join those communities with a Reddit account and build custom feeds to group them
3. Turn on notifications in the Reddit app for the communities you cannot miss

If you run an app or bot:

1. Request public API access before October 31, 2026 if you do not have it yet
2. Register your approved app or bot before January 12, 2027
3. Look at migrating to Devvit, which Reddit says more than 14,000 apps and bots are moving to. Reddit's $1 million App Migration Program pays $1,000 per eligible app, and registration closes on November 30, 2026

If you use Reddit data for research or a product: Start the conversation with Reddit now. Reporting so far leaves open questions, including whether academic researchers get a non-commercial path and what registering or "engaging" with Reddit actually requires.

You will need an account for more of Reddit

The quiet effect of these changes is that reading Reddit without an account keeps getting harder. RSS was the last simple way to follow a community anonymously, and Old Reddit was the last lightweight way to browse logged out.

Signing up means giving Reddit an email address that gets tied to your activity. If you want an account without linking your main inbox, our guide to using temp mail for Reddit explains what works and what to expect. A disposable address from FastTempMail handles the verification email; for an account you plan to keep for years, use an address you can still reach for password resets.

Has Reddit done this before?

Yes. In 2023 Reddit introduced API pricing that led popular third-party clients, including Apollo, to shut down. That change targeted commercial apps and left free and low-volume access in place. This one removes the free public tier altogether and takes RSS with it.

FAQ

When do Reddit RSS feeds stop working? Reddit RSS feeds end on November 13, 2026. After that date, subreddit, user and search feeds will no longer update in feed readers. Reddit has not announced a replacement for regular readers; moderators are being directed to the Discord Relay app for alerts.

Is the Reddit API shutting down completely? No. Public API access ends by March 2027, but approved apps and bots that register before January 12, 2027 keep access, as do tools built on Reddit's Devvit platform and companies with commercial data agreements, such as Google and OpenAI.

Can I still use Old Reddit? Only while logged in. Reddit is restricting Old Reddit to logged-in moderators and recently active users, and it plans more limits for accounts that have not visited in 90 days. Logged-out visitors will lose access.

Why is Reddit ending RSS and the public API? Reddit says RSS and Old Reddit became a "common surface for large-scale scraping and automated abuse," much of it tied to AI data collection. Reddit also sells data licenses, and its non-advertising revenue reached $43 million in the second quarter of 2026.

Will third-party Reddit apps stop working? Apps that are approved and registered before January 12, 2027 can continue. Apps and bots that do not register will be cut off starting on that date, and all remaining unregistered access ends in March 2027.