Reddit has a form where you can request a copy of your data. The process can take up to 30 days, after which you will get a private message on your Reddit account with a download link. The data comes in the form of CSV files that you can open using Microsoft Excel or any text editor.
If you’d rather not wait for Reddit to deliver your data, or would prefer to keep your data in a searchable archive, you can use Brownman’s tool, reddit-user-to-sqlite. This command line application can download the complete public archive of any Reddit user and compile it in an SQLite database file. Just keep in mind that this method will stop working on July 1, 2023, when the API change occurs (because you don’t actually own that content you created on Reddit?).
See https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-download-your-reddit-data/
#technology #deletereddit #Reddit
I’ve heard other similar tools only grab the first 1000 comments/posts does this grab everything? Or does it have a similar limitation?
If you are requesting directly from Reddit, it will be everything. Just keep in mind they are going to be flooded with responses right now so 30 days is probably optimistic.
Theoretically, they are required by the GDPR to respond within one calendar month from the day they receive the request. Let’s see if they can keep up.
This is the official GDPR data request form, so it includes everything. Here’s the link for convenience: https://www.reddit.com/settings/data-request
Thank you for the direct link.
I tested the tool out. Looks like I only got back 1000 comments but there are ways to get the full data. https://github.com/xavdid/reddit-user-to-sqlite
I had a 3 prong approach to getting my stuff.
The python tool mentioned in the wired article, the reddit is fun newly added export feature, and redditmanager.com
Between those 3, I was able to get my public stuff (comments and posts), my stared/saved stuff, and all my rif clicked links (quite shocking/surprising the amount of data, but not that large mb wise)
I used my clicked links from the rif export to help build my RSS feed list
1000 comments and a separate 1000 posts for the python tool
The linked article states “can download the complete public archive”
Thanks for sharing. I put a request in and I’ll see how comprehensive the data is.
I have 17 years of posts and comments and have been active, i don’t have much trust in those kinds of tools specially given that the API has hard limits to what it can reach, still will check
Edit: Welp, from starters we have issues, it requires the absolute latest Python version, as a sysadmin i hate when things demand the latest and greatest just to be installed, i’m in a version still with full support…
Oh well, we’ll see…
The official GDPR data request form returns “everything” (assuming you can trust Reddit to provide everything). But there’s no hard limit on amount of comments/posts.
Yeah, that one they’re legally bound to comply, i was wondering on the mentioned tool or other similar ones
I just put in my request. It’s a little annoying that I have to wait 30 days to overwrite my posts and comments to stick it to 'em before deleting my account, but hey, you do what you can.