Run claude mcp add reddit --env REDDITAPIS_KEY=YOUR_KEY -- npx -y redditapis-mcp@latest. The double dash separates Claude's flags from the launch command, so everything after it runs untouched. Place at least one flag between --env and the server name, or the CLI reads the name as another key-value pair.
Connect the Reddit MCP to Claude Code
Claude Code wires MCP servers from the terminal. One claude mcp add command gives its agent the redditapis-mcp tools, and a scope flag decides whether it stays local, ships to your team, or follows you across projects.
Written by Emma, developer relations at Redditapis. The server is the published redditapis-mcp package, so every field below is verified against the live package and Claude Code's own docs.
How do you add the Reddit MCP to Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add reddit --env REDDITAPIS_KEY=YOUR_KEY -- npx -y redditapis-mcp@latest. Everything after the double dash is the server launch command, passed through untouched. Add --scope project to write a shared .mcp.json at the project root, or --scope user to enable it in every project. Confirm with claude mcp list, and the agent gets 11 read-only Reddit tools.
Set up the Reddit MCP in Claude Code
Claude Code is CLI-first, so you add the server with a command rather than by hand-editing JSON. The double dash separates Claude's own flags from the command that launches the server.
Method: CLI commandConfig:
.mcp.json (project scope) or ~/.claude.json (local, user)Key: mcpServersThe server (same for every client)
$ npx -y redditapis-mcp@latestAdd the server (terminal)
# local scope (this project only, the default)
claude mcp add reddit \
--env REDDITAPIS_KEY=YOUR_KEY \
-- npx -y redditapis-mcp@latest
# project scope: writes a shared .mcp.json for the team
claude mcp add reddit --scope project \
--env REDDITAPIS_KEY=YOUR_KEY \
-- npx -y redditapis-mcp@latest.mcp.json (project scope, checked into git)
// .mcp.json at the project root
{
"mcpServers": {
"reddit": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "redditapis-mcp@latest"],
"env": { "REDDITAPIS_KEY": "YOUR_KEY" }
}
}
}1
Run claude mcp add
Everything after the double dash is the server command, launched exactly as written. The --env flag sets REDDITAPIS_KEY in the server's environment.
2
Choose a scope
Local (default) keeps it to this project on your machine. --scope project writes .mcp.json for teammates. --scope user enables it in every project you open.
3
Verify the connection
Run claude mcp list to see reddit and its status, and claude mcp get reddit for the full entry, including the resolved command and env keys.
4
Use the tools
In a session, ask Claude Code to pull recent posts from a subreddit; it calls the reddit tools directly instead of you pasting data in.
Confirm it connected
claude mcp list shows reddit as connected. A project-scoped server lives in .mcp.json and prompts each teammate to approve it the first time they run Claude in that folder, so a cloned repo never auto-trusts an unreviewed server.
The 11 Reddit tools Claude Code gets
The published server is read-only, so these tools read Reddit and never write. Votes, comments, and DMs stay REST write endpoints your agent calls directly, kept off the tool surface so a model cannot trigger a write by picking a tool. Your key, REDDITAPIS_KEY, authenticates every call.
reddit_searchreddit_subreddit_postsreddit_subreddit_topreddit_postreddit_post_commentsreddit_search_commentsreddit_search_communitiesreddit_search_mediareddit_search_usersreddit_user_profilereddit_user_commentsSame server, a different client?
The redditapis-mcp server runs the same way everywhere; only the config file and key differ per client. Setup for the others:
- Reddit MCP for Claude Desktop , mcpServers in JSON
- Reddit MCP for Cursor , mcpServers in JSON
- Reddit MCP for VS Code , servers in JSON
- Reddit MCP for Windsurf , mcpServers in JSON
- Reddit MCP for Kilo Code , mcp in JSONC
- Reddit MCP for OpenClaw , mcp.servers in JSON
- Reddit MCP for Hermes , mcp_servers in YAML
- Reddit MCP server overview , the server, tools, and pricing
- Reddit API for AI agents , tool use, MCP, and RAG on Reddit
By the numbers
Reddit MCP access, by the numbers
Every Redditapis figure resolves to our published per-call rates; every external figure is a primary US source.
Redditapis bills reads at $0.002 per call, votes at $0.005, writes at $0.012, and DMs at $0.025, one flat rate for every account with no minimum spend. (Redditapis pricing, 2026)
The published redditapis-mcp server exposes 11 read tools behind one Bearer key, and every new account starts with $0.50 in free credits, enough for roughly 250 reads before any charge. (Redditapis, 2026)
Reddit's own commercial Data API is priced at $0.24 per 1,000 API calls, the rate that ended third-party apps like Apollo in 2023. (The Verge, 2023)
Reddit's free Data API tier is capped at 100 queries per minute per OAuth client, and 10 queries per minute without OAuth, so an MCP client polling at volume needs a managed layer. (Reddit Data API Wiki, 2026)
Reddit signed a reported $60 million-a-year deal to license its data for AI training, a sign of how valuable structured Reddit context has become for models. (Reuters, 2024)
Frequently asked questions
Local scope keeps the server to the current project on your machine and is the default. Project scope writes a .mcp.json at the repo root that you commit so the whole team gets it. User scope enables the server in every project you open. Set it with the --scope flag.
A project-scoped server is written to .mcp.json at your project root, which is designed to be checked into version control. Local and user scoped servers live in ~/.claude.json. You can also add a server by editing .mcp.json directly instead of using the CLI.
No. A project-scoped server from .mcp.json shows as pending approval until you run Claude interactively in that folder and accept the workspace trust dialog. This stops a cloned repository from silently connecting an unreviewed server, which is a deliberate safety default in Claude Code.
It gets the 11 read-only tools from redditapis-mcp, including reddit_search, reddit_subreddit_posts, and reddit_post_comments. The published server is read-only by design. Votes, comments, and DMs are REST write endpoints your agent calls directly, kept off the tool surface.
Keep reading.
Continue exploring related pages.
Reddit API documentation
The complete 2026 reference: auth, all 28 endpoints, and code.
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Reddit API use cases
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Reddit Search API
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Reddit MCP server
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Reddit API cost calculator
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Official Reddit API vs Redditapis
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Affiliate program
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Reddit Data API: REST, no PRAW
REST endpoints for Reddit data with no PRAW and no OAuth dance.
Reddit scraping benchmarks
Real throughput, error rates, and cost benchmarks for Reddit scraping.
Reddit API answers
Direct answers on cost, access, rate limits, endpoints, and auth.
How much the Reddit API costs
Per-call pricing from $0.002 a read, with $0.50 in free credits.
Reddit API in Python
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Reddit shadowban checker
Check if a Reddit account is shadowbanned in seconds, free and no login.
Give Claude Code live Reddit tools.
$0.50 in free credits at signup, no card required. Copy your bearer token, paste it into the config above, and the reddit tools are live the same session.