Could Reddit Become the Next Big Search Engine?

Reddit is rapidly evolving, with its leadership determined to make the platform far more than just a discussion board. Recent actions by the company indicate that it is aiming to become the next major search engine.

Users have long added “Reddit” to Google searches to find answers rooted in real experiences, but Reddit’s new direction may remove that extra step. CEO Steve Huffman and the Reddit team are now working to make native Reddit search a starting point for seeking knowledge, advice, and community-driven responses.

Building a Unified Search Experience

Reddit’s transformation centers on merging its traditional site-wide search with Reddit Answers, a growing AI-powered Q&A tool. This single, streamlined search interface aims to present crowdsourced insights alongside curated, AI-summarized answers, leveraging the platform’s massive data archive. The change will make the search box far more prominent, front and center, for every user.

Together, Reddit search and Reddit Answers now reach well over 76 million weekly users. The company plans to expand these features globally and integrate them even further, so both new and returning users will have instant access to information sourced directly from Reddit’s active communities.

Did you know?
Over 70 million people already use Reddit’s search every week, and Reddit Answers, its AI-powered Q&A tool, has grown fivefold to 6 million weekly active users in less than a year.

Why Reddit Wants to Be a Search Engine

As people grow weary of generic, AI-generated, or SEO-gamed search results elsewhere, Reddit is betting on the value of lived experience. The prompt for this shift is clear: users want answers from other humans, not just algorithmic summaries. Reddit’s data shows that 80% of surveyed users trust human replies, especially for nuanced or complex questions.

CEO Steve Huffman envisions Reddit as a hub for searchers frustrated with traditional search platforms: “Our communities are the world’s most valuable database of human experience. We’re simply building the infrastructure to make that wisdom more accessible and searchable.”

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AI-Powered Growth

Reddit Answers, launched in late 2023, uses AI to surface relevant responses from across the site. Its rapid user growth from 1 million to 6 million weekly users in a few months demonstrates appetite for direct, context-rich answers. Reddit has also signed high-profile partnerships with Google and OpenAI, further increasing the platform’s prominence and content reach.

To support these ambitions, Reddit is investing in specialized search engineering teams and expanding its AI tools. These steps aim to improve result quality, integrate search into onboarding for new users, and drive long-term revenue from search-focused advertising and insights.

The Competitive Challenge

As Google, Bing, and new AI rivals experiment with direct answers and AI-powered results, Reddit stands out by foregrounding the authentic, sometimes messy conversations that millions rely on for buying advice, tech troubleshooting, health research, or just honest opinions.

Its success as a search engine will hinge on its ability to filter, synthesize, and present this knowledge, balancing the speed and efficiency of AI with the value of genuine discussion. In a world where users crave both trust and speed, Reddit could become the primary destination for the kind of real-world search that’s difficult to automate.

For now, Reddit is already challenging the traditional model. Whether it unseats Google at the top remains to be seen, but for millions seeking real answers, that search may soon begin on Reddit itself.