If you use Reddit, you may be wondering how you can request the data Reddit holds on you. According to the GDPR and CPPA & CPRA, you have the right to do so. Reddit’s Privacy Policy reflects it, and this step-by-step article will outline the steps you can follow to make a Reddit export request to retrieve the copy of your data.
Table of Contents
Short Answer
You can easily request your data by logging into your Reddit account, opening the data request page, and submitting a request form. The direct link to the data request page isn’t available within Reddit interface, but can be found inside a dedicated Reddit Help article.
Step-by-step Guide
1. Log In To Your Reddit Account
To begin the process, open Reddit inside your browser and log in to the Reddit account you wish to export at the top right corner of the screen. If you have multiple accounts, repeat the process from the beginning after logging out of one account and logging into a different one.
2. Submit The Request
Reddit doesn’t provide an accessible way for you to request your data from within your account’s settings. Instead, you have to open Reddit Help and find the link inside their “How do I request a copy of my Reddit data and information?” support page.
Alternatively, you can visit the data request page directly:
https://www.reddit.com/settings/data-request
2.1 Choose The Request Type
Reddit provides three options for the type of your data extraction request:
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
- California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) / California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)
- Other
These options do not affect the data you receive. In our testing, the type didn’t matter, as choosing any of the three options resulted in receiving the same number of files in the archive. You can safely select “Other” or choose the option that reflects the data protection law of your country.
If you’re unsure, select the GDPR option if you’re a citizen of the European Union, the CCPA & CPRA option if you live in the U.S. state of California, or “Other” if you’re outside the mentioned regions.
2.2. Select The Date Range
We strongly recommend selecting “full time” rather than a specific date range, unless you have a specific case where you need to download only a certain date range. This is because you can only submit a data retrieval request once per 30 days.
After making your decision, press “Submit” to make your request reach Reddit.
3. Download Your Data
Once Reddit processes your request, you’ll receive a notification that your request has been processed and you can download a copy of your data. The notification will contain a link for you to follow to download the archived copy. Press it, and your browser will prompt you to save it to your device.
Keep in mind that the link is only active for 30 days. After this period, if you still wish to retrieve a copy of your data, you’ll have to submit another request.
How Long Does The Process Take?
In our tests, the processing time ranged between 20 and 30 minutes. There appears to be no relation between the amount of posts and comments you’ve made and the time it takes for Reddit to prepare a copy of your data. It took roughly the same time for an active account to receive a link as it did for a brand new account.
How To View Your Reddit Export Data
The data you receive will contain CSV (Comma Separated Values) files. While you can view these files using the default text processor (i.e. Notepad), the data will be difficult to read. For the best experience, consider:
- Importing the data into Microsoft Excel or other spreadsheet application
- Uploading a CSV file to Google Drive and double-clicking to preview it
Although some websites allow you to preview your exported Reddit data, we recommend exercising caution and using only reputable software due to the sensitive nature of operating your personal data.
Can I Export My Data Using Mobile Clients?
Unfortunately, Reddit doesn’t provide a way to request your data from within the official mobile (Android, iOS) clients. But you can still request your data without a PC by following the steps above in your mobile browser, such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Safari, or any other modern web browser.
Keep in mind that you may still need a computer to open and backup the downloaded copy of your data.
Which Data is Included?
Your export will contain everything Reddit has associated with your account, including your gender, purchase history, advertisement preferences, and many more sensitive data. The ones you might find the most useful:
comments.csvcontains your complete comment history.posts.csvcontains the posts you’ve made, including the ones delisted by moderators.chat_history.csvcontains the private conversations you had with other Reddit members.
Keep the exported files secure and don’t upload them publicly to ensure your personal data remains private.