"What’s the best way to build a reddit scraper without getting banned?"
Hey y'all, I’m trying to scrape some Reddit data for a project but *really* don’t wanna get slapped with a ban.
Anyone got tips on how to do this without pissing off the admins? Like, should I use delays? Rotate user agents? Or just pray to the API gods?
Also, is it better to use the official API (even with its limits) or risk a custom reddit scraper? Seen mixed opinions.
Pls share your experiences—especially if you’ve done this recently. Don’t wanna waste time on something that’ll get nuked in a week lol.
Thanks in advance!
If you're worried about bans, the official API is your safest bet, even with rate limits.
For a custom reddit scraper, you *gotta* respect the rules—use delays (like 2-3 sec between requests), rotate user agents, and avoid scraping too much at once.
Tools like Scrapy + rotating proxies can help, but it’s a gamble.
Also, check out PRAW (Python Reddit API Wrapper)—it’s way cleaner than raw scraping.
Honestly, just use the API. Yeah, it’s limited, but you won’t get banned.
If you *must* scrape, keep it slow and steady.
Seen too many folks get IP-blocked for going ham with a reddit scraper.
I’ve been using Pushshift for Reddit data—way better than scraping directly.
It’s an archive, so less risk of bans.
But if you’re set on a reddit scraper, proxies + delays are non-negotiable.
Proxies. Proxies. Proxies.
And don’t be greedy—space out your requests.
Tools like Bright Data or ScraperAPI can help automate this without you getting nuked.
The API’s annoying but reliable.
If you’re scraping, mimic human behavior—random delays, headers, etc.
Or just use a pre-built reddit scraper like Apify’s Reddit Scraper.
Praying to the API gods might work, but delays + proxies are a safer bet lol.
Also, avoid scraping user profiles—admins *hate* that.
Recent experience: got banned in 2 days with a naive scraper.
Switched to API + occasional scraping with 5-sec delays. No issues since.
Moral? Don’t poke the bear.
Check out Reddit’s robots.txt before scraping.
Some paths are off-limits, and ignoring them is a fast track to a ban.
Thanks for all the tips, y’all!
Decided to go with the API + Pushshift combo after reading these.
Still tempted to try a custom reddit scraper later, but gonna play it safe for now.
Quick Q: Anyone know if Pushshift has post *comments* or just submissions?
