Reddit is a large social network that uses the concept of threads and topics. It was introduced quite recently, but quickly gained popularity. It is built on the idea of threads and sub-threads and can often be used to find information on almost any topic.
Users can create and comment on articles on any topic on Reddit, central news aggregation, and discussion sites. Each case is divided into subreddits, and the most common topics of the day are displayed on the main page. This company was founded in 2005 and is now worth over $3 billion.
Despite the platform’s popularity and ubiquity, we’ve come across numerous instances where users were unable to use Reddit’s search to find threads on any topic. In addition, the problem has various variations: in some contexts, preliminary findings are displayed, while in others, results are not displayed. In this article, we will look at all the causes of this problem and how to solve it.
We came to the conclusion that this problem has numerous manifestations by studying it independently and combining the results of user cases.
Below are some of the cases where Reddit search could not work:
Content:
Search filter enabled
By default, Reddit has a filter that removes all adult content from the results. However, since there is no indication that a filter is enabled, you can assume that everything is fine if your searches return only filtered results.
Problem with Reddit back end
We also came across a few instances where the issue was with the Reddit backend. The Reddit developers officially acknowledged the issue and a fix was released shortly after.
Minor tweak
Reddit search is less flexible and results are usually limited. Other search terms that allow users to search Reddit forums with more options can be found here.
Ad blockers
Some online programs and modules are reported to interfere with ad blockers. For example, there are no exceptions for Reddit Search; we have come to this conclusion after reviewing several reports from users who have determined that the problem is caused by an ad blocker.
Run your computer as an administrator before running the solutions. You should also save all your work and have your credentials handy because you will be prompted to enter them.
Ways to Fix Reddit Search Not Working
Checking for Internal Issues
Before we start debugging, deal with issues that are not caused by the Reddit backend. There have been several instances where the Reddit search module was not available or where parts of the Reddit services were not working properly. You can use this link to go to the Reddit boards to see if anyone has similar issues.
You can also head over to the official Reddit page to see how things are going. If a yellow bar appears on the current date, this usually indicates a problem with the internal servers. Besides, there’s nothing you can do but wait.
Disabling ad blockers
Ad blockers usually make your web server experience useful because ads always cover content; they seemed to provide a built-in mechanism that intercepts all traffic and then transmits a filtered version, removing ads; an extension like this can improve performance, although there have been instances where it has caused problems when it comes to searching Reddit.
Type “chrome:/extensions”in the address bar of Chrome browser and press Enter to check your browser extensions in Chrome browser. Unchecking the “enable”option will disable the ad blocker plugin. This will prevent the extension from making any changes to your user interface. Then restart your browser to check if the search function is working properly.
Note. Try disabling each extension one by one. This can help determine if a particular application is causing the problem.
Disabling the search filter
Reddit automatically applies a search filter that removes your NSFW (Not Safe For Work) account content. As a result, every time you search on Reddit, these posts will be removed from your search results and you may not be able to see them. The odd thing is that this option is hidden in your profile settings, so the average user won’t know that their search has been filtered. The way to disable the search filter is described below.
Step 1: Go to the Reddit website and click on your profile picture in the top right corner of the page, then “User Settings”.
Step 2: Once you are in the settings, go to the “Channel Settings”tab and check the following box:
If the search results are inappropriate, you can also blur them. Finally, exit and save your changes.
Retry the search after reloading the page. Investigate the situation to make sure the issue is resolved.
Using an alternative search engine
Many other websites allow users to search Reddit boards using complex options, and they return more results than the standard forum search tool. The downside is that these sites can stop working from time to time due to weird bugs and will need to be updated if Reddit changes its search methodology. However, if none of the other methods work, you can try this one.
Step 1: Open a web browser and go to Redditsearch.io.
Step 2: Now you can enter your search phrase as well as any other options you want.
The search results will appear below with all topics that contain the keyword, based on the options you provide.
You will solve the problem of Reddit search not working by following the described methods.