Reddit lead generation with an API
People ask Reddit what to buy, in public, in their own words. This walkthrough finds those posts while they are fresh, ranks them, and hands a short list to a person who can answer well.
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Search for intent, not for your name
| Signal | Example query | Why it converts |
|---|---|---|
| Asking for a recommendation | recommend "time tracking" | They have a need and no solution yet |
| Leaving a competitor | "alternative to" harvest | They are already paying someone |
| Describing the pain | "spending hours" invoices | The problem is costing them now |
| Comparing options | toggl vs clockify | They are close to deciding |
Run these inside the subreddits where your buyers are. A query scoped to five relevant communities beats one across all of Reddit.
Collect, filter and rank
QUERIES = ['recommend "time tracking"', '"alternative to" harvest', 'toggl vs clockify']
SUBS = ["freelance", "smallbusiness", "agency", "consulting"]
def leads():
for sub in SUBS:
for q in QUERIES:
r = requests.get(f"{BASE}/r/{sub}/search",
params={"q": q, "sort": "new", "timeRange": "week", "limit": 10},
headers=AUTH, timeout=30)
if r.ok:
yield from r.json()["data"]["posts"]
def score(post):
text = post["title"].lower()
points = post.get("score", 0)
points += 20 if "?" in text else 0 # a question
points += 15 if "recommend" in text or "alternative" in text else 0
return points
shortlist = sorted({p["id"]: p for p in leads()}.values(), key=score, reverse=True)[:20]
Deduplicating by id matters, because the same post often matches several queries.
The monthly budget
| Coverage | Requests per month | Cost per month |
|---|---|---|
| 5 queries, hourly | 3,600 | $2.52 |
| 20 queries, every 15 minutes | 57,600 | $40 |
| 12 queries across 4 subreddits, every 15 minutes | 138,240 | $97 |
| Plus the full thread for 20 shortlisted posts a day | 600 | $0.42 |
What the API will not do for you
It will not post, and it should not. Reddit communities punish drive-by promotion, and most have written rules about it. Use the list to find conversations where you can give a useful answer, read the subreddit's rules, say who you are, and let a person write the reply.
Lead generation questions
What counts as a lead on Reddit?
A post where someone describes a problem you solve, asks for a recommendation in your category, or says they are leaving a competitor.
Which queries find buying intent?
Phrases people use when choosing: "alternative to", "recommend", "looking for", "best tool for", "switching from", combined with your category or a competitor name.
Can the API reply to those posts for me?
No. Apixstar is read-only. It finds the conversations. A person should write the reply, and most subreddits have rules about self-promotion.
How many requests does this take?
Twenty queries checked every 15 minutes is 57,600 requests a month, which costs $40.
How do I keep the list relevant?
Filter on our side with minScore and maxAgeHours, restrict to subreddits where your buyers are, and drop authors you know are bots with excludeAuthors.
Build your first shortlist
$0.50 of free credit is enough to test your queries.
$0.50 free credit · Google sign-in · No card required