Reddit: 13% Drop in Traffic as Google AI Affects User Engagement

Key Takeaways

1Reddit has lost 13% of visits in a year according to Similarweb

2Reddit claims a 16% increase in weekly active users in October

3Steve Huffman attributes the traffic decline to Google’s AI summaries

4Reddit is now prioritizing logged-in accounts

Why it matters : Google’s shift towards AI summaries is changing the visibility of platforms like Reddit, which is adapting its strategy to preserve its audience and value.

Similarweb reports a 13% decline in Reddit visits year-over-year, while Steve Huffman attributes this drop to AI summaries on Google. Reddit is now prioritizing logged-in accounts and announced a 16% increase in weekly active users in October.

A shift towards logged-in accounts may further reduce traffic

Reddit plans to restrict access to its content more for logged-in users, targeting the segment of web traffic considered the most profitable, which has decreased. Once this measure is implemented, web traffic could decline further, as some users will no longer be able to access the site without logging in. This change follows the decision to adopt a model primarily focused on logged-in users.

Decline in visits and divergence in metrics between Reddit and Similarweb

Similarweb indicates that Reddit experienced a 13% decrease in overall visits between October 2025 and October 2026. Reddit highlights another statistic, reporting a 16% increase in unique weekly active users in October compared to the previous year. A spokesperson clarified that Reddit measures unique daily and weekly active users, while Similarweb relies on the total number of visits.

Le brief IA que lisent les pros

Le brief IA que les pros lisent chaque soir

Les 7 actus IA du jour, décryptées en 5 min. Gratuit.

Inclus dès l'inscription : notre sélection des meilleurs guides & comparatifs IA.

Choisissez votre rythme

Gratuit · Pas de spam · Désabonnement en 1 clic

Google and chatbots redirect user attention

Steve Huffman argues that AI-generated summaries from Google do not drive traffic to Reddit and have played a role in the decline of search traffic on the platform. In a letter to investors, he noted a significant drop in traffic coming from Google, stating that if this trend continues, it could result in a double-digit decrease in unique visitors. The rise in the use of chatbots for information retrieval, along with the replacement of link lists with AI summaries, are also among the factors mentioned as coinciding with the traffic decline.

From the boom of 2023-2024 to the agreement with Google, then refocusing

According to Similarweb, Reddit saw its visits increase by 39% between May 2023 and May 2024, a period during which a licensing agreement with Google for AI training was established. Steve Huffman asserts that search trends do not determine Reddit's relevance or future, and that the focus is on logged-in users and app users. This week, Reddit announced the launch of Reddit Reviews, a service aimed at organizing product recommendations from members. Reddit is thus continuing its refocus on what is presented as most useful for its users.