Reddit Search Operators
Search operators to find posts, comments, and communities on Reddit.
34 operators across 7 categories
Tips & Notes
- Reddit search works best within a specific subreddit rather than site-wide.
- Use site:reddit.com in Google for often better results than native search.
- Combine operators for precise filtering.
- Search indexes titles and self-text, but comment search is limited.
- Third-party tools like Pushshift archives offer more comprehensive search.
- Flair search syntax varies by subreddit configuration.
Subreddit & Author
| Operator | Description | Example | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
subreddit: | Search within a specific subreddit | subreddit:programming python | |
author: | Find posts by a specific user | author:spez announcement | |
site: | Find posts linking to a domain | site:github.com subreddit:webdev | |
url: | Search for posts with specific URL text | url:youtube.com subreddit:videos |
Title & Content
| Operator | Description | Example | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
title: | Search only in post titles | title:help subreddit:techsupport | |
selftext: | Search in self-post body text | selftext:tutorial subreddit:learnpython | |
"exact phrase" | Search for an exact phrase | "best practices" subreddit:programming | |
OR | Match either term | react OR vue subreddit:webdev | |
NOT or - | Exclude a term | javascript NOT typescript | |
AND | Both terms required (often implicit) | python AND tutorial |
Flair & Type
| Operator | Description | Example | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
flair: | Search by post flair | flair:Discussion subreddit:gaming | |
flair_name: | Search by exact flair name | flair_name:"Question" subreddit:askreddit | |
self:yes | Find only self/text posts | self:yes subreddit:askreddit | |
self:no | Find only link posts | self:no subreddit:pics | |
nsfw:yes | Find NSFW posts | nsfw:yes subreddit:name | |
nsfw:no | Exclude NSFW posts | nsfw:no keyword |
Time & Sort
| Operator | Description | Example | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
Sort: New | Sort by newest posts | Use sort dropdown → New | |
Sort: Top (All Time) | Find highest-scored posts ever | Use sort dropdown → Top → All Time | |
Sort: Top (This Year) | Find top posts from this year | Use sort dropdown → Top → This Year | |
Sort: Top (This Month) | Find top posts from this month | Use sort dropdown → Top → This Month | |
Sort: Top (This Week) | Find top posts from this week | Use sort dropdown → Top → This Week | |
Sort: Comments | Sort by number of comments | Use sort dropdown → Comments |
URL Parameters
| Operator | Description | Example | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
?sort=new | Sort by new in URL | reddit.com/r/subreddit/search?q=keyword&sort=new | |
?sort=top&t=all | Top all time in URL | reddit.com/r/subreddit/search?q=keyword&sort=top&t=all | |
?sort=top&t=year | Top this year in URL | reddit.com/r/subreddit/search?q=keyword&sort=top&t=year | |
?sort=top&t=month | Top this month in URL | reddit.com/r/subreddit/search?q=keyword&sort=top&t=month | |
?sort=comments | Most discussed posts | reddit.com/r/subreddit/search?q=keyword&sort=comments | |
&restrict_sr=1 | Restrict search to current subreddit | &restrict_sr=1 |
Google Site Search
| Operator | Description | Example | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
site:reddit.com | Search Reddit via Google (often more effective) | site:reddit.com python tutorial | |
site:reddit.com/r/subreddit | Search specific subreddit via Google | site:reddit.com/r/programming best IDE | |
site:reddit.com inurl:comments | Find Reddit threads with discussions | site:reddit.com inurl:comments typescript |
Community Discovery
| Operator | Description | Example | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
Search Communities | Find subreddits by topic | Use the Communities tab in search | |
r/findareddit | Ask community for subreddit recommendations | Post on r/findareddit | |
subreddit: in search | Autocomplete shows related subreddits | Type "subreddit:prog" for suggestions |