Reddit is closing some of the doors people used to read it without an account. RSS feeds are ending, new access to its public API has stopped, and a login rule is coming. Here is what is happening, in plain words.
What Is Happening?
Reddit is changing how people get its content in three ways. First, it will test a logged-in-only version of the site in select countries outside the US this quarter. Reddit announced this on October 29, and it has not named the countries. Second, RSS feed support ends on Friday, November 13, 2026. Third, Reddit stopped taking new requests for public API access on October 31. The rest of the public API closes in phases, and it is gone by March 2027.
How Does It Work?
RSS is a tool that lets you follow a website in a feed reader. An API is a way for apps and bots to ask a site for data. Reddit says RSS has become a common way to do large-scale scraping, which means using a program to copy huge amounts of content.
Reddit wants app makers to move to its own Developer Platform, called Devvit. More than 14,000 apps and bots have already registered to move. Reddit has not said how much of a thread a logged-out visitor will still be able to read.
Why Is Reddit Doing This?
CEO Steve Huffman gave three reasons in the company’s shareholder letter. Logged-in people find more relevant communities. They give Reddit more signals for ads. And a login rule protects what he calls Reddit’s very valuable pile of data. That last point is about AI.
The numbers show the pressure. One report says Google search visits to Reddit have fallen by more than a million a week. Reddit has about 76.8 million logged-out daily users, compared with 53.5 million logged-in ones. Another report says logged-in and app users bring in more than 80% of Reddit’s money.
What Breaks on November 13?
Any feed you follow in an RSS reader will stop updating. Reddit says there is no replacement for RSS feeds outside communities you moderate. Moderators can use an app called Discord Relay for their alerts.
To help developers, Reddit has a $1 million App Migration Program. It pays $1,000 for each eligible app that moves to Devvit, and it offers free hosting. Applications are due November 30.
What Are the Challenges?
Critics point out a contradiction. Reddit says it wants to stop AI scrapers, but it also licenses its content to AI companies. Companies with data deals, like Google and OpenAI, keep their access.
A login rule can also push people away. One advertising executive said it creates “another barrier to engagement, particularly for casual users.” Reddit’s stock also fell about 18% after hours when it announced the plan, according to Reuters.
What Happens Next?
Reddit will use the test results to design a version for everyone. It has not set a date for that. For now, RSS ends on November 13, and the public API is gone by March 2027.
