How to Download Your Reddit Data
Short answer: Submit a data request at reddit.com/settings/data-request and choose your full time on Reddit. Reddit asks you to allow up to 30 days to process the request, though some people get their export within hours. Request it first, but you don't have to wait for it to run a report on your other platforms. Download it as soon as it arrives, since the link expires after 30 days.
Step by step
- Go to reddit.com/settings/data-request while logged in. Your username fills in automatically.
- Under What type of request is it?, choose GDPR if you live in the EU or UK, CCPA / CPRA if you live in California, or Other for anywhere else.
- Under What’s the range of data you’d like to request?, choose I want data from my full time at Reddit. Don’t pick a date range, it would leave out older posts.
- Click Submit. Reddit sends a message to your Reddit account with the download link.
Reddit asks you to allow up to 30 days to process the request, though some people get theirs within hours. Request this one first, and make sure you choose your full time at Reddit. You don’t have to wait for it. Run your report with your other platforms now and add Reddit in a later run. Download it as soon as Reddit’s message arrives, because the download link expires after 30 days.
Why download it before a job search
Reddit comments are public by default and tied to your username. If that username can be connected to your real name, they're part of your searchable history.
Some screening vendors publicly describe social media lookbacks of up to seven years, so PruneSocial uses a seven-year review window for eligible dated activity. Actual employer and screening-provider practices can vary. Your own export is the most complete way to see what's there. See the sources and methodology.
What's in the file that matters
You don't need to unzip anything or dig through folders. The scan reads: posts.csv and comments.csv. Everything else in the export, including photos and messages, stays on your computer.
Can’t find the ZIP on your phone, or the scanner can’t read it? See fixes for common export problems.
Check your Reddit history when your export arrives
Not requested yet? Start with the export checklist. Drop the ZIP into PruneSocial and your posts and comments from the last seven years are scored against published screening categories, with a recommended fix for anything flagged.