← Catalog · Historical posts how-to · Reddit RAG pack
How do I get historical Reddit data for a date range now that Pushshift is closed?
Updated 28 Oct 2026 · benthepythondev
Use an archive, not Reddit's API. Reddit's official API shows about the latest 1,000 items of a listing and has no date-range search. Public archives (Arctic Shift, PullPush, static dumps) hold older posts. Our Reddit Archive Scraper queries them by subreddit, keyword and UTC dates and returns JSON. Verified: r/Python back to 2008-01-25.
The options side by side
| Option | Date range | Reach and limits | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reddit official API | No date-range search | Free tier: 100 queries a minute, 1,000-item listing cap, no historical search on any tier. | xpoz.ai summary |
| Pushshift | Closed | Public access revoked in May 2023; moderators only. | xpoz.ai summary |
| Per-subreddit dumps on Academic Torrents | You filter files yourself | Static snapshots that end on a fixed month. An older torrent is titled 2005-06 to 2024-12; the same summary describes a newer one to 2025-12. Check the torrent page for the current end date and whether it is still offered. | xpoz.ai summary |
| Arctic Shift (API and monthly dumps) | Yes: after and before | Search returns 1 to 100 rows per call (default 25). New items carry placeholder scores for about 36 hours. "No uptime or performance guarantees." Heavy use: take the dumps. | API README |
| Reddit Archive API (ours) | Yes: UTC afterDate and beforeDate, oldest or newest first | Reads PullPush and Arctic Shift and picks a healthy one. r/Python back to 2008-01-25 (cloud run, 25 Oct 2026). Smaller or newer subreddits start later. Name at least one subreddit. | Actor README |
One call, one date window
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/benthepythondev~reddit-archive-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"subreddits":["Python"],"afterDate":"2008-01-01","beforeDate":"2008-03-01","sortOrder":"oldest","maxPosts":10}'It returns a JSON array of post rows (id, title, selftext, author, score, created_iso, permalink). Set includeComments to add archived comments. Field list and real output: the how-to page.
Where to call it
- Apify listing: pay per result, $0.003 per post on the Free tier before plan discounts.
- API.market listing: the same data behind one API key. It has a free trial plan and paid plans.
Limits
- Archive coverage and freshness depend on third-party services. Run a small dated sample before a large backfill.
- Archived scores and comment counts on recent posts can be placeholders, as Arctic Shift documents.
- No search across all of Reddit: you name the subreddits.
Affiliate if you still need an Apify account: apify.com/?fpr=qolupv. I may earn a commission; the price you pay does not change.