Reddit will switch off RSS feeds on Nov. 13 and close its public API by March

One of the oldest ways to follow Reddit without visiting Reddit is about to stop working. The company is ending support for RSS feeds and winding down its public Data API, TechRepublic and Decrypt reported, with RSS going dark on November 13 and the remaining public API access ending in March 2027. Reddit said the changes target "scraping and automated abuse." For moderators, bot developers, researchers and people who read Reddit in a feed app, the clock has started.

Reddit RSS feeds and public API: the key dates

According to TechRepublic:

• October 31, 2026: Reddit stops accepting new public API access requests.
• November 13, 2026: RSS feeds stop working.
• January 12, 2027: Reddit starts removing API access for apps and bots that have not registered.
• March 2027: remaining public Data API access ends.

TechRepublic reported that Reddit explained the move in a September 30 infrastructure update, saying that "RSS has become a common route for large-scale scraping and automated abuse." Decrypt quoted the company as saying the changes are meant to "modernize Reddit's infrastructure, build better mod tools, and make it harder for bad actors to scrape Reddit and abuse communities."

TechRepublic also reported a related change: access to Old Reddit, the classic text heavy interface many longtime users prefer, will be limited to logged in users who have used it within the previous six months, with moderators exempt.

What RSS is and why it matters here

RSS is a simple, open format that lets a website publish a list of its latest posts at a fixed address. A feed reader checks that address and shows new items, with no account, algorithm or app required. Reddit has offered RSS for nearly every subreddit, user and search for years, which made it easy to follow a niche community alongside news sites and blogs in one place.

That openness is also why Reddit wants it gone. Anyone can fetch an RSS feed automatically, including companies building large collections of text. A feed has no login, no rate limit tied to an identity, and no contract.

Who is affected

The changes hit several groups:

• Moderators who use RSS to get alerts about new posts, reports or keywords.
• Developers of third party apps and bots built on the public API.
• Researchers who study online communities and collect posts for analysis.
• Readers who follow subreddits in a separate RSS app such as a news reader.

TechRepublic reported there is no official replacement for RSS outside moderated communities. In Reddit's words, there is "no replacement for RSS feeds used outside a community that a person moderates." Moderators can move alerts to Discord Relay, an app on Reddit's own platform.

For an ordinary reader, that means a subreddit you follow in your feed app will simply stop updating after November 13. You will need to visit Reddit directly or use its app.

What developers can do

Reddit is steering developers to its own Developer Platform, called Devvit. Apps built there run inside Reddit's environment under its rules. Decrypt reported a $1 million migration program that pays $1,000 per eligible app that moves over, with applications due by November 30, and said Reddit is offering free hosting on Devvit.

More than 14,000 apps have already registered, according to Decrypt. Both outlets named well known bots such as DeltaBot and RemindMeBot among those that have largely moved.

Registering keeps an app running past January 12, but TechRepublic noted that registration alone does not guarantee permanent access to the old API. Developers should read that as a signal: the public API is going away, and registration buys time rather than a long term home.

If you maintain a tool, the practical checklist looks like this:

1. Register before October 31 if you have not requested access yet, since new requests stop then.
2. Audit what your tool depends on. List every endpoint and feature, then check whether Devvit offers an equivalent.
3. Apply for the migration payment by November 30 if your app is eligible.
4. Plan for the parts that cannot move. Tools that pull Reddit data into outside systems, such as research pipelines or cross platform dashboards, may have no path on Devvit at all.
5. Tell your users. If your app will stop working, a clear notice now is better than a broken tool in January.

The bigger picture

Reddit's posts have become valuable training data for AI companies. Decrypt reported that Reddit licenses its content to Google, in a deal worth about $60 million a year signed in early 2024, and to OpenAI, in a deal confirmed in May 2024. At the same time, Decrypt reported, Reddit has sued companies it accuses of scraping without permission, including Anthropic in June 2025 and Perplexity along with three data scraping firms in October 2025. The defendants dispute the claims.

Closing open feeds gives Reddit more control over who can collect its data, and on what terms. It is a business decision with a clear logic: if text is worth paying for, free pipes to that text undercut the price.

The cost falls on the people who used those pipes for ordinary reasons. We argued in an opinion piece that Reddit ending RSS is another sign the open web is closing, and this timeline makes that shift concrete. It also fits a wider pattern in AI, where data and computing power have become expensive enough that companies are walling off what they own. Bain's estimate that AI needs $6 trillion in new annual revenue by 2031 helps explain why every source of training data now has a price tag.

The same pressure shows up in AI products themselves. Tools that browse the web and act on your behalf, which we explain in our guide to AI agents, depend on being able to read sites like Reddit. As platforms lock down access, those tools will increasingly work only where a licensing deal exists. You can follow these developments in our AI coverage.

What to do now

If you read Reddit through an RSS app, export your list of subreddits before November 13. Most feed readers can export an OPML file, a standard list of your subscriptions, which makes it easy to rebuild your list elsewhere or keep a record of what you followed.

If you run a bot or tool that uses the API, register it and check whether Devvit supports the functions you depend on before January 12. If you moderate a community, set up Discord Relay or another approved alert tool before RSS stops, so you do not miss reports during the switch.

Frequently asked questions

Will Reddit RSS feeds work after November 13?

No. TechRepublic reported that RSS feeds stop working on November 13, 2026, and there is no official replacement for feeds used outside communities you moderate.

Can I still use third party Reddit apps?

Only if they have registered and keep access, or have moved to Devvit. Registration keeps apps running past January 12, but public Data API access ends in March 2027.

Why is Reddit doing this?

Reddit says RSS and the open API had become routes for large scale scraping and automated abuse. The change also gives it more control over data that it licenses to AI companies.

What happens to Old Reddit?

According to TechRepublic, Old Reddit will be limited to logged in users who have used it within the previous six months. Moderators are exempt.