Reddit tests ads in search results as AI search cuts referral traffic

Reddit tests search ads after traffic warning

The test lets advertisers reach users during searches. Users look for products, recommendations and other information on the platform.

Reddit said ads may appear based on a range of factors, including contextual relevance to a user's search query. Only a select group of eligible advertisers is taking part for now. A search for "espresso station" might show ads for espresso machines, coffee or mugs, while "home office setup" could surface monitors, desks and office chairs. Reddit did not say how often ads may appear, but screenshots it shared showed placements near the top of search results.

For media executives and advertisers, the test marks a change in tactics. Platforms that lose Google referrals will compete harder for search-intent ad money, and push more content behind logins. Readers should expect more ads mixed into results, and fewer pages readable without an account.

The test lands days after Reddit warned investors about declining search traffic and a weaker-than-expected revenue forecast. Fourth-quarter guidance predicted sales of $1 billion to $1.03 billion, below expectations of $1.05 billion. U.S. daily active users fell. They went from 53.2 million in the second quarter to 50.7 million.

AI search is cutting the referrals publishers rely on

Reddit tied the decline in referrals to Google's move to an AI-powered search experience. Features such as AI Mode answer questions directly on the results page. That reduces clicks to other sites.

The pattern shows up across publishing. Chartbeat's third-quarter 2026 audience report found search engines accounted for 12 percent of pageviews among North American publishers, down from 21 percent a year earlier. Northern Europe fell from 19 percent to 13 percent, Southern Europe from 33 percent to 25 percent, and Central and Eastern Europe from 27 percent to 19 percent. Africa moved the other way, with search rising to 46 percent of publisher pageviews from 41 percent. Chartbeat measures share of pageviews, not absolute volumes, so a smaller share does not by itself prove fewer search visits.

Older Chartbeat figures point the same way. Pageviews from Google Search across its publisher network fell 34 percent between December 2024 and December 2025, and Google Discover referrals fell 16 percent.

ChatGPT referrals grew by more than 200 percent year on year. AI chatbots still accounted for less than 1 percent of total pageviews across Chartbeat's network.

What Reddit changes next

Reddit announced during earnings that it will shift to a logged-in experience. The company will phase in the change gradually, starting in markets outside the U.S.

Reddit says restricting its content to logged-in users does two things. It protects the site from unauthorized AI scraping. It also raises the value of its ad inventory, because signed-in users give advertisers more signals about their interests and behavior. CEO Steve Huffman said on the earnings call that the logged-in model would help the company improve ad targeting. "At this point, we're the only platform that doesn't do this," Huffman said.

What is still unknown

Reddit said it will evaluate how users respond to the search ads during the test. It will refine the experience for users and advertisers over time.