Reddit to test login‑only experience in markets

Reddit is moving to a logged-in-only experience, a change that the company says will give users a more personalized feed and help advertisers target better. CEO Steve Huffman said the move would protect the platform's data from AI scraping. Huffman also said logged-in users provide more signals that can be used for ads, and that engagement is higher when people sign in. The change is part of a wider effort to adapt to the shift away from search traffic.

Testing and private browsing

The new login-only experience will first be tested in selected markets outside the United States, with no hard login prompt announced yet. Reddit will still offer an incognito mode that lets users read content without leaving a trace, but posting and commenting will be blocked in that mode. The company said the sign-up flow will stay the same, requiring only the information needed to create an account. The aim is to keep the front page of Reddit open to anonymous visitors while moving the rest of the site behind a login.

Search traffic has fallen sharply. Referrals from search dropped by more than one million per week in October, according to the company. Reddit's global daily active users held flat at 130.3 million in Q3, but U.S. daily active users slipped from 53.2 million in Q2 to 50.7 million, a 2% year-over-year decline. The company warned that if the trend continues, daily active users could drop by a low double-digit percentage next quarter.

Despite the traffic decline, revenue rose 53% year-over-year to $895 million. Advertising revenue grew 54% to $847 million, and non-advertising revenue, which includes AI data licensing, rose 35% to $48 million. Reddit says logged-in users are typically worth more to advertisers, so the shift could push average revenue per daily active user higher still. Logged-in users also give more data for targeting ads and personalizing content.

Huffman said the change would not happen overnight. The company plans to run tests in select overseas markets in the fourth quarter, and it has not set a global rollout date. He emphasized that users will still be able to browse anonymously through a rebuilt incognito mode, and that the login requirement does not mean users must give up anonymity. Huffman added that this is a big evolution for Reddit and the right next step for the platform and its business.