# Reddit Search Comments API (https://www.socialcrawl.dev/platforms/reddit/search-comments)

> Searches Reddit's COMMENT index directly, so a phrase that only ever appears three levels deep inside someone's reply is reachable in one call. Every other comment surface on this API needs a post you have already found; this one does not. Each hit arrives with its parent post inline, because a bare comment body off a search index is unreadable without it: `ext.post_title`, `ext.subreddit`, `ext.subreddit_subscribers`, `ext.post_score`, `ext.post_comment_count`, `ext.post_author`, `ext.post_published_at`, `ext.post_flair`, `ext.post_url` and `ext.content_language`. Reddit's search operators work in `query`, which is where most of the power is: `author:username` returns that account's indexed comments, `subreddit:name terms` scopes the sweep to one community, and quoted phrases tighten a loose match. `comment.parent_id` is null on this lane and that is honest rather than missing — the upstream does not say whether a hit is a top-level comment or a deep reply, and this API does not guess. Up to 25 hits per page; paginate with `cursor`. A query that matches nothing still returns a full page of loosely-related comments rather than an empty list, which is Reddit's own search behaviour on both of this API's Reddit upstreams, so judge relevance on the rows rather than on the count. When the main source is unavailable, the first page is answered by a second source that reads the same comment index: the same hits, but without the parent-post block, so `ext.post_title`, `ext.post_url`, `ext.subreddit_subscribers`, `ext.post_score`, `ext.post_comment_count`, `ext.post_author`, `ext.post_published_at`, `ext.post_flair`, `ext.content_language` and `author.avatar_url` are null on that page, and it carries no next cursor. `ext.subreddit` is still filled. A later page has no second source and returns an error to retry.

TL;DR: `GET /v1/reddit/search/comments` costs 1 credit per call and returns SocialCrawl's unified JSON schema. Single x-api-key auth, 100 free credits on signup.

## Parameters

| Parameter | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `query` | yes | Search phrase. Reddit's operators work here: `author:username` for one account's comments, `subreddit:name terms` to scope to a community, and quotes for an exact phrase. |
| `sort` | no | Sort order for the comment hits. (relevance \| top \| new) |
| `cursor` | no | Cursor to get more results. Get 'cursor' from the previous response. |
| `switch_from` | no | Optional brand. data.switch_receipts lists comments where the author says they personally left that brand, with the verbatim text, the reason, where they went, and a link. There is no percentage. A comment that is not a switch, or that is not confident, is left out. No extra credits. |
| `since` | no | Only rows published on or after this date: YYYY-MM-DD (midnight UTC) or an ISO 8601 timestamp. Rows older than it are left off the page, and the page that reaches one ends the walk: `next_cursor` is not returned and `pagination.stopped_at` is `since`. Sending it sets the newest-first sort shown in this endpoint's sort parameter (any other sort value is a free 400). The page still costs what a page costs, so you pay for the pages you walk and no more. A row with no date is kept. `published_after`, `start_date`, `from_date`, `publish_time` (`yesterday`, `this-week`, `this-month`, `last-3-months`, `last-6-months`) and `max_age_days` are accepted and applied as `since`. |
| `until` | no | Only rows published on or before this date: YYYY-MM-DD (that whole UTC day is included) or an ISO 8601 timestamp. Newer rows are left off each page and the walk does not stop, so older pages follow. A row with no date is kept. `published_before`, `end_date` and `to_date` are accepted and applied as `until`. |

## Code example

```bash
curl -G "https://www.socialcrawl.dev/v1/reddit/search/comments" \
  --data-urlencode "query=best project management software" \
  -H "x-api-key: sc_YOUR_API_KEY"
```

## FAQ

### How do I search Reddit comments rather than posts?

Send a GET request to /v1/reddit/search/comments with your query. It reads Reddit's comment index directly, so a phrase that only appears three levels deep inside a reply is reachable in one call, 25 hits per page.

### Do Reddit search operators work in the query?

Yes, and that is where most of the power is. author:username returns one account's indexed comments, subreddit:name scopes the sweep to one community, and quoted phrases tighten a loose match.

### Do I get the post each comment belongs to?

Yes. A bare comment body off a search index is unreadable without context, so every hit carries its parent post inline: ext.post_title, ext.subreddit, ext.subreddit_subscribers, ext.post_score, ext.post_comment_count, ext.post_author and ext.post_url.

### Is this a Pushshift replacement?

It covers the common Pushshift job of finding comments by keyword, author or subreddit through a maintained endpoint with a stable schema. It reads Reddit's own search index, so it is a current-comment search and not a historical archive dump.

### How much does the Reddit Comments Search API cost?

Each page costs 1 credit on the standard tier, whatever the page holds. New accounts get 100 free credits with no credit card required, which is 100 comment searches.

See the full Reddit API: https://www.socialcrawl.dev/platforms/reddit

## Pricing

- Standard endpoints: 1 credit per call
- Advanced endpoints: 5 credits per call
- Premium endpoints: 10 credits per call
- 100 free credits on signup, no credit card required. Cached responses cost 0 credits. Credit packs never expire.
- Full pricing: https://www.socialcrawl.dev/pricing

## Explore with AI

Questions this API answers, phrased for an AI assistant:

- How do I search Reddit comments rather than posts?
- What replaced Pushshift for searching Reddit comments?
- What does the SocialCrawl Reddit Comments Search API return?