Fix: Reddit search not working

Read Time:4 Minute, 38 Second

Reddit is one of the most used social platforms in the world which has the concept of discussions and topics. It was launched quite recently but has gained tremendous traction in a short period of time. It is based on the concept of threads and sub-threads and you can find information about almost everything in the forum.

Table of Contents

Reddit search not working

However, despite the platform’s use and popularity, we have come across several cases where users have not been able to use Reddit search to search for discussions on all topics. There are several variations of the problem where in some cases partial results are shown while in some no results are shown. In this solution, we will look at all the reasons why this problem occurs and what you can do to fix it.

What causes Reddit Search to fail?

After looking into the problem on our own and combining the results of the users’ cases, we came to the conclusion that this problem has several reasons for occurring. Some of the reasons why Reddit search might not work are not limited to:

The search filter is enabled: Reddit has a default filter that filters all mature content from the results. You have no indication that the filter is enabled, so you may think there is nothing wrong with it while your searches may only return filtered results. The problem at the end of Reddit: We also ran into several cases where the problem was with the Reddit backend. This was officially recognized by Reddit engineers, and a fix was rolled out shortly. Less customization: Reddit search is less customizable and usually returns with limited results.

You may also like to read, discord fatal javascript error. To know more visit our Blog https://techconnectmagazine.com/

Here you can try other searches that allow users to search Reddit forums with multiple parameters. Ad Blocking: Ad blockers are known to conflict with various web applications and modules. There are no exceptions for Reddit Search too; We concluded this by checking numerous reports from users who had diagnosed that the problem was true with adblocking.

Before starting the solutions, make sure you are logged in as an administrator on your computer. Also, you should save all your work and have your credentials handy as you will be prompted to enter them.

Solution 1: Check for backend issues

Before starting with the troubleshooting process, you need to make sure that the problem doesn’t lie in the Reddit backend. There have been multiple instances where Reddit’s search form was down or some Reddit services didn’t work as expected. Here, you can visit the Reddit forums and check if other people are also experiencing the same problem.

You can also navigate to the official Reddit Page and check its status. If a yellow bar appears at the current time, it usually means there is a problem on the backend servers and there is nothing you can do but wait.

Solution 2: disable ad blockers

Ad blockers somehow improve your browsing experience by removing all the ads you see on your computer. They have a built-in mechanism that intercepts all traffic and then passes the filtered version with the ads removed. While extensions like these might improve your experience, there are cases where they cause problems like Reddit Search not working.

To check browser extensions on Chrome, type ” chrome: // extensions ” in the address bar and press Enter. You can disable the ad blocker extension by unchecking the “enable” option. This will automatically disable the extension from making changes to the user interface. Restart your browser and check if the search mechanism is working properly.

Note: Try disabling each extension. This could help fix the problem if a specific application is causing the problem.

Solution 3: disable the search filter

Reddit automatically applies a search filter on your account that deletes Not Safe For Work (NSFW) content. Therefore, whenever you search on Reddit, these posts will automatically be removed from your search results and you may not be able to view them. The funny thing is that this option is hidden in your profile preferences and a regular user might not know that their search is being filtered. Below is the method on how to disable the search filter.

Go to the Reddit website and click on your profile picture present at the top right of the screen and click on User Settings.
When you are inside the settings, click on the Feed settings tab present and select the following option:
You also have the option to blur search results if they are NSFW. Save changes and exit.
Now reload the website and try to search. Check if the problem is resolved.

Solution 4: use an alternative search engine

There are a number of other independent sites that allow users to search Reddit forums using advanced parameters and return more results than the conventional search functionality within forums. The downside is that these sites may sometimes stop working with bizarre issues and if Reddit renews its search algorithm, they also need to be updated. You can use this solution if all other methods don’t work for you.

Note: Apple is not associated with any third-party site. The sites mentioned are for user information only.

Go to Redditsearch.io on your web browser.
Now you can add the search term and also other parameters you want to set (see the image above).
The search results will be populated below with all threads containing the keyword keeping in mind the parameters you entered.