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Reddit says it will shut down RSS feeds on Nov. 13, 2026, and end remaining public API access in March 2027. The company cites large-scale scraping and automated abuse; moderators are being directed toward tools on Reddit’s Devvit platform, while Reddit says it has no replacement for RSS users outside communities they moderate.
Reddit plans to shut down its RSS feeds on Nov. 13, 2026, and end remaining access to its public API in March 2027, according to an update shared with moderators on Sept. 30. The company says the changes respond to large-scale scraping and automated abuse; they will also affect readers and moderators who use outside tools to follow posts, receive alerts or manage communities.
Reddit described RSS as a common surface for large-scale scraping and automated abuse, according to the moderator-channel announcement reported by TechCrunch and covered by Mashable. RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, lets people receive updates from websites in feed-reader apps rather than visiting each site separately. Reddit users have used it to follow subreddit posts and create alerts.
The shutdown will remove that option for ordinary users. Reddit recommended that moderators move common alerts to Discord Relay, an app on the company’s developer platform, Devvit. For people who use RSS to follow feeds outside communities they moderate, Reddit said there is no replacement.
The API changes have several dates. Reddit will stop taking new public API access requests on Oct. 31, 2026. Beginning Jan. 12, 2027, it plans to remove access for apps and users that have not registered or engaged with its outreach; remaining public access is scheduled to end in March. Reddit says community bots can continue on Devvit and reports that more than 14,000 apps and bots have registered. It is offering migration funding and technical support while working on capability gaps.
Readers Lose Feed-Based Reddit Access
For readers, the most immediate effect is the loss of a straightforward way to track Reddit without opening Reddit itself. People who depend on RSS readers, browser extensions or custom alerts may have to check communities manually or find another service, though Reddit has not identified a general-purpose substitute.
Moderators and developers face a separate change: tools built around public API access may need to register, migrate to Devvit or stop working. Reddit’s timeline gives existing developers time to respond, but its statement acknowledges remaining gaps in Devvit’s capabilities. Whether the platform can support every current bot or workflow is not established in the information available.
The distinction Reddit has drawn also matters: it says some community tools can continue through its developer platform, while ending open access routes that can be used to collect content at scale. That creates a different path for approved applications and community moderation than for individual readers relying on RSS. The company’s stated reason is abuse prevention; the practical result is less open access to Reddit’s posts and updates through independent tools.
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Reddit’s Access Changes Take Shape
The Sept. 30 update puts deadlines on a wider shift in how Reddit supports outside applications. In August, Reddit announced that third-party apps would need to move onto Devvit, its developer platform. The new timetable sets out when public API access will close and adds the RSS shutdown.
Reddit has also restricted other routes to its content. In August 2025, it limited the Internet Archive’s ability to archive Reddit posts, comments and profiles. Reddit said at the time that AI companies were collecting its content through the Wayback Machine. The company has separately made content available to Google and OpenAI through partnerships, according to the source report. Those arrangements indicate that access may differ by use and agreement; they do not establish that all AI-related access is ending.
Reddit’s announcement was shared with moderators and reported by TechCrunch; Mashable’s report also included reactions from users who rely on RSS for post notifications and service-status alerts. Those comments show how individual workflows could be affected, but they are user accounts, not a measure of how many people use RSS.
“RSS has become a “common surface for large-scale scraping and automated abuse.””
— Reddit, in its moderator-channel announcement, as reported by Mashable
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Open Questions for RSS Users
Reddit has not provided a replacement for users who follow communities outside their moderator responsibilities. It is also not clear from the announcement whether every RSS endpoint will stop on Nov. 13 or whether any feed-related features will remain available through another approved service.
The company has not detailed which existing applications will qualify to retain or migrate API access, beyond saying it will remove access for apps and users that have not registered or engaged with outreach. It also has not specified which Devvit capability gaps remain or when they will be resolved. The reported figure of more than 14,000 registered apps and bots comes from Reddit; no total number of affected tools or users was provided.
Reddit’s explanation identifies scraping and automated abuse as the reason for the changes, but the source material does not quantify how much RSS or public API access contributes to that activity. The effects on independent developers, moderators and ordinary readers will become clearer as the deadlines approach.
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Deadlines for Feeds and API Access
The first stated deadline is Oct. 31, 2026, when Reddit plans to stop accepting new public API access requests. RSS feeds are scheduled to shut down on Nov. 13, 2026. API access removal for unregistered or unengaged apps and users is due to begin Jan. 12, 2027, followed by the end of remaining public access in March.
In the meantime, Reddit says it will provide migration funding and technical support for developers moving apps and bots to Devvit. Moderators who rely on common alerts have been pointed to Discord Relay. Reddit has not announced a broader RSS replacement, so readers using feeds for personal updates will need to watch for any further company guidance or make their own arrangements before the November shutdown.
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Key Questions
When will Reddit shut down RSS feeds?
Reddit says its RSS feeds will shut down on Nov. 13, 2026.
Why is Reddit ending RSS?
Reddit says RSS has become a common surface for large-scale scraping and automated abuse. The available announcement does not quantify the activity or explain how much came through RSS.
What can moderators use instead?
Reddit recommends Discord Relay, an app on its Devvit developer platform, for common moderation alerts. The company says it is working to address capability gaps for apps and bots moving to Devvit.
Will Reddit’s public API also close?
Yes. Reddit plans to stop taking new access requests on Oct. 31, 2026, start removing access for some unregistered or unengaged apps and users on Jan. 12, 2027, and end remaining public access in March 2027.
Is there a replacement for people who use RSS to follow subreddits?
Reddit said there is no replacement for RSS feeds outside communities a person moderates. The company has not announced a general substitute for individual readers.
Source: fediverse
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