Reddit to Kill RSS Feeds and Public API Access

The company justifies the cull by citing large-scale abuse, claiming that RSS has become a primary target for automated data collection. While Reddit suggests moderators transition to the Discord Relay app within its Devvit developer environment, no alternative exists for general users who rely on feed readers to aggregate subreddit updates. This leaves power users and moderation teams scrambling to replace workflows that have functioned for years through browser extensions and custom integrations.

Public API access faces a similarly rigid timeline. New access requests will be blocked starting October 31, with a phased removal of existing connections beginning in January 2027. Community-driven bots may survive the transition by migrating to Devvit, where the company claims over 14,000 apps have already registered. However, the broader strategy suggests an attempt to centralize data flow. By restricting the Internet Archive last year and limiting access to the classic site interface, Reddit is aggressively walling off its content from public scrapers while preserving exclusive, paid data partnerships with AI giants like Google and OpenAI.