Use Reddit Subreddit Post Filter & Moderation Scraper with Python
Scrape public subreddit listings and filter posts by keyword, score, comments, upvote ratio, age, flair, type, author, domain, NSFW or stickied status. Returns media, gallery, video, poll and crosspost fields. No login or API key.
1. Choose the data you need
Review the published README for supported collection modes, examples, and limits. The recipe below uses the current published input definition.
2. Prepare a source-based input
This JSON contains published prefills and required-field defaults. Review every value for your task before running it; it is not a promise of successful collection.
{
"authorAllowlist": [],
"authorBlocklist": [],
"domainAllowlist": [],
"domainBlocklist": [],
"excludeKeywords": [],
"excludeNsfw": false,
"excludeStickied": false,
"flairAllowlist": [],
"includeKeywords": [],
"includeSubredditInfo": false,
"keywordMatch": "any",
"maxItems": 10,
"maxPosts": 3,
"postType": "all",
"searchIn": "title-and-body",
"sort": "new",
"subreddits": [
"python"
],
"timeFilter": "day"
}
Download input.example.json and save your reviewed copy as input.json.
| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
subreddits | array | required | Public subreddits to scrape. Accepts names, r/ names or full Reddit URLs. |
sort | string | optional | How to order posts in each subreddit. Top and controversial use the time filter. |
timeFilter | string | optional | Time window used when Sort is Top or Controversial. Ignored for other sorts. |
maxPosts | integer | optional | Stop after this many posts pass your filters. The actor keeps paging until it finds them or reaches Reddit's listing limit. |
maxItems | integer | optional | Overall cap across all subreddits. |
includeKeywords | array | optional | Keep posts containing at least one of these words or phrases. Matching is case-insensitive. |
excludeKeywords | array | optional | Drop posts containing any of these words or phrases. |
keywordMatch | string | optional | Any keyword, all keywords, or the exact phrase formed by joining the include keywords. |
searchIn | string | optional | Search the title, the body, or both. |
minScore | integer | optional | Drop posts with a lower score. Leave empty for no minimum. |
maxScore | integer | optional | Drop posts with a higher score. Leave empty for no maximum. |
minComments | integer | optional | Drop posts with fewer comments. Leave empty for no minimum. |
maxComments | integer | optional | Drop posts with more comments. Leave empty for no maximum. |
minUpvoteRatio | number | optional | Keep posts with at least this upvote ratio, from 0 to 1. Leave empty for no minimum. |
postedAfter | string | optional | ISO date (2026-10-01) or a relative value such as 7 days or 24 hours. Leave empty for no lower bound. |
postedBefore | string | optional | ISO date or a relative value such as 7 days. Leave empty for no upper bound. |
maxAgeDays | integer | optional | Shortcut for keeping only recent posts. Posted after can also be used. |
flairAllowlist | array | optional | Case-insensitive exact flair names. Leave empty for any flair. |
postType | string | optional | Keep one post type or all types. |
excludeStickied | boolean | optional | Drop pinned moderator/announcement posts. |
excludeNsfw | boolean | optional | Drop posts marked NSFW. NSFW-only communities are hidden anonymously, so this is a per-post filter. |
authorAllowlist | array | optional | Case-insensitive usernames. Leave empty for any author. |
authorBlocklist | array | optional | Case-insensitive usernames to drop. |
domainAllowlist | array | optional | Keep posts linking to these domains. Self-posts always pass. Accepts bare domains or URLs. |
domainBlocklist | array | optional | Drop posts linking to these domains. Self-posts always pass. |
includeSubredditInfo | boolean | optional | Emit one extra record per subreddit with its description, weekly active users and weekly contributions. Adds one request per subreddit. |
3. Start an Actor run
Set APIFY_TOKEN in your environment. Python 3.10 or newer is sufficient; this recipe uses no third-party packages.
Execution may incur charges. Review current pricing on Apify. The request asks for a 120-second timeout and a charge limit; these settings are subject to Apify’s pricing and do not guarantee an all-inclusive spending cap.
import json
import os
import urllib.request
# Save the schema-derived example as input.json; review and edit it first.
with open("input.json", encoding="utf-8") as stream:
actor_input = json.load(stream)
token = os.environ["APIFY_TOKEN"]
request = urllib.request.Request(
"https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/BDohv5moYWUVpwVMB/runs?timeout=120&maxTotalChargeUsd=0.50",
data=json.dumps(actor_input).encode("utf-8"),
headers={"Authorization": "Bearer " + token, "Content-Type": "application/json"},
method="POST",
)
# This starts a potentially billable run. Do not automatically retry this POST.
with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=40) as response:
run = json.load(response)["data"]
print("Run ID:", run["id"])
print("Status:", run["status"])
# Inspect and download results in Apify Console once the run succeeds.
4. Inspect the actual results
Open the run in Apify Console and wait for a successful completion. Use the published output schema to locate results and the dataset schema to understand declared views. Missing or optional record fields must not be treated as guaranteed values.
One record per post that passes your filters. Error and status records explain blocked, private, empty or no-match subreddits. Optional subreddit records add community metadata.
Questions before you run
Which inputs are required?
The published required fields are subreddits
What does this guide verify?
The fields, prefills, and schema links are rendered from the published build. This is a usage recipe, not a paid live extraction test. Source availability and collection results can vary.
What if the run request times out?
Check Apify Console before retrying. The first request may already have created a run. Do not automatically repeat a run-creation POST.
Generated from source build BLjZQoaYOw4cv3DKH and its README and schemas. Source changes regenerate this guide; no third-party editorial claims are inferred.