Reddit Ads

Reddit Ads is how you pay Reddit for reach. Campaigns are built in Reddit Ads Manager, ads run in people's feeds and inside conversation threads, and every ad is marked "Promoted" so readers can tell it from organic content.

How Reddit Ads works

Ad formats

Reddit for Business lists these ad types (October 2026):

• Image ads and video ads (Reddit says videos can run up to 15 minutes).
• Carousel ads with multiple cards.
• Free-form ads, which look like a native text post with mixed media.
• Conversation ads, which appear inside comment threads.
• Specialized options such as dynamic product ads for catalogs, lead gen ads, Max campaigns and takeover placements.

Placements

Ads run in the feed (mobile and desktop) and in conversation placements inside threads, where Reddit says they reach "high-intent users deeper in threads." Advertisers can run both together.

Targeting

Reddit for Business describes four main approaches:

• Community and interest targeting, based on content people interact with.
• Keyword targeting, reaching people who use or engage with conversations containing specific words.
• Custom audiences from the Reddit Pixel, Conversions API, customer lists, retargeting and third-party segments.
• Demographic options such as gender, with reporting segmented by it.

Promoted posts

The simplest entry point is promoting a post you already made: select the rocket icon, create an ads account, choose communities and a daily budget. Reddit Help says these run on a traffic objective, are paid per click, and only use community targeting and feed placement.

Costs

What you pay depends on your bid strategy, objective, targeting and how many other advertisers want the same audience. We keep a separate breakdown with current benchmarks and budgets in Reddit ads cost.

Why it matters for marketers

Ads and organic participation solve different problems.

• Ads buy guaranteed reach, fast, with targeting you control and reporting you can plug into your attribution. Reddit's spam policy even suggests advertising for people whose posts mostly link to their own business.
• Ads stop when the budget stops. They are not part of the thread. A helpful organic comment in a thread that ranks on Google keeps getting read and cited after you stop paying.
• Readers know the difference. Every ad is labeled. Comments under ads can be blunt.

Many teams use both: organic answers where buyers ask questions, ads to retarget people who visited from those threads or to reach a community at scale. For a side-by-side, see BoomReddit vs Reddit Ads. For organic tooling from Reddit itself, see Reddit Pro.

Example

A B2B analytics tool runs keyword-targeted conversation ads on terms like "dashboard for Postgres" while its founder answers organic questions in two data engineering subreddits. Ads drive trial signups at a measurable cost per click; the organic answers keep bringing in visitors who later search the brand directly.

Common mistakes

• Running a polished brand ad as if it were Instagram. Reddit ads that read like a helpful post usually fit better.
• Ignoring ad comments. Unanswered questions under an ad look bad to everyone who scrolls past.
• Using ads to make up for being banned from a community. Ads follow Reddit's ad policy, but readers in that community will remember.

Frequently asked questions

How much do Reddit ads cost?

It depends on bidding, objective and targeting. See our Reddit ads cost guide for current numbers.

Can I target specific subreddits with Reddit ads?

Yes. Community targeting lets you reach people based on the communities they engage with, and promoted posts use community targeting by default.

Are Reddit ads worth it compared with organic posting?

They are complementary. Ads give controllable, immediate reach; organic comments build credibility and keep working after you stop spending.

Sources

1. Reddit for Business: Ad types
2. Reddit for Business: Targeting
3. Reddit Help: Promote your post