Pushshift Access: Moderator Guide

In accordance with Reddit’s Criteria:

In order to gain access to the Pushshift API, please submit a request to r/Pushshiftrequest using this link. Please include the following details in your request:

• Which communities do you intend to use Pushshift for?
• What types of moderation activities do you require Pushshift access for?

You should receive a message in your inbox from r/pushshiftrequest within one week after your request has been submitted. The message will indicate whether your application has been approved or denied. If approved, your moderator username will be shared with Pushshift for verification.

Eligibility Criteria

• Reddit will prioritize requests from mods of reasonably sizable communities with consistent, rule-abiding engagement.
• Moderators or communities with a history of Content Policy or Code of Conduct violations can impact eligibility.

Note: Live Reddit link will be coming soon

This manual provides detailed, step-by-step instructions to guide you through accessing and utilizing the Pushshift Reddit Search Tool.

1. Go to api.pushshift.io/signup for initial sign up

   After you have carefully reviewed and understood the Terms and Conditions, press “accept”

   

2. Once accepted, you will be redirected to Reddit sign in page if not already signed into Reddit

   You'll be prompted to provide your Reddit account credentials. To proceed, please select the 'Allow' option [You will see your username in the place of ‘Pushshift-Support’]

   

3. Now that you are authenticated, you will be redirected to the Pushshift Search Tool shown below:

   

4. After authenticating once, you can access the search tool directly at search-tool.pushshift.io without reauthenticating.

This section is for moderators that require Pushshift access for automated scripting.

1. Go to https://auth.pushshift.io/authorize for initial sign up.

   All terms and conditions for the search tool also apply to scripted access.

2. Now, you will be redirected to Reddit sign in page if not already signed into Reddit

   You'll be prompted to provide your Reddit account credentials. To proceed, please select the 'Allow' option [You will see your username in the place of ‘Pushshift-Support’]

   

3. From this, you will be given an access token in json format. Please copy this token.

   With the acquisition of your access token, you now have the privilege to interact with the API.

4. This token will expire in 24 hours. However, you can retrieve a new token from Pushshift without redoing the authentication process.

   To do so, use a POST request to https://auth.pushshift.io/refresh using the access_token parameter and the expired token.

   This will provide a new access token to continue performing queries with the Pushshift API.

   Note that some conditions, such as revoking app access or having your approval rescinded, will cause refreshing to fail.

Q1 - Where should I go to ask Pushshift questions?

• Please review the questions already posted and if you require additional information please post your question to the r/pushshift subcommunity.

Q2 - Where should I go to ask Reddit questions?

• Please post your question to the r/pushshiftrequest subcommunity.

Q3 - Are there any changes to the data I can access on Pushshift?

• No, Once you have access to Pushshift you will have access to the full dataset you had before.

Q4 - Are there any changes to the functions I can access on Pushshift?

• No, once you have gained access, you will be able to use the API as before. In addition, a search tool has been made available at search-tool.pushshift.io.

Q5 - If I don't know how to use cURL can I still access the API?

• Yes, the API can be accessed through command line, browser, or our new search-tool.pushshift.io tool. For more information on command line functionality please reference Pushshift API Docs and the guide above. For browser use, postman would be a solution that allows the inclusion of an auth header.

Q6 - How many tokens can I generate?

• Currently, Pushshift can only support one active token at once as retrieving a new token will revoke previously issued tokens. We are currently working to improve this to allow concurrent usage of both user scripting and the search tool.

Q7 - I’ve gone through the signup process and allowed the sharing of my Reddit info but I am receiving this error
{"auth": "The user is not an approved moderator on Reddit."}

• Unfortunately, the username has not been added to the approved moderator list. Please reach out to Reddit if you have already requested approval or request approval at r/pushshiftrequest

Q8 - I’ve gone through the signup process and allowed the sharing of my Reddit info but I am receiving this error
{"auth": "Failed to validate the reddit user as an approved moderator."}

• An error occurred trying to validate the username. Please wait a minute and try again. If this issue persists please make a post on pushshift’s subreddit and we will get back to you.

Q9 - I am querying the API and receiving a 403 error code. What is happening?

• Your token has either expired or is invalid. If your token has expired, follow the Instructions for External Scripts above to retrieve a new token by refreshing. Otherwise, reinitiate the authorization flow and generate a new token.

Q10 - Where do I go to report a bug?

• Please DM pushshift-support to make a bug report. Thank you!

Pushshift is a data collection and analysis platform that specializes in archiving and indexing social media data for research purposes. It is particularly known for its extensive collection of Reddit data. The Pushshift API provides a powerful interface for querying and retrieving this Reddit data in a structured format.

Suggestions for Pushshift? Post on r/Pushshift! We will respond within 24 hours.