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This page explains how Reddit credentials work today and why you may not have a traditional “API key in five minutes” flow.

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Authentication in Corsair

The Reddit plugin is typed with api_key as the default authType. In the current implementation, requests target Reddit’s public JSON endpoints (reddit.com / old.reddit.com style .json routes) with a User-Agent only — there is no OAuth token or API key attached to those calls in the plugin’s HTTP client. That means you do not need to run pnpm corsair setup --plugin=reddit with a secret for basic read-style usage that relies on those public endpoints, subject to Reddit’s rules and rate limits.

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Reddit’s official API is restricted

Reddit has closed off easy, open access to their official API for most third-party apps:
  • New developer applications and pricing/terms have changed substantially (commercial use, rate limits, and approval requirements).
  • You typically must apply through Reddit’s developer program, accept their terms, and in many cases pay or operate within strict quotas depending on use case and time period.
  • Read Reddit’s current developer documentation before building anything that depends on guaranteed access: https://www.reddit.com/dev/api/ and the linked developer / business pages from Reddit.
If you need OAuth, mod tools, posting as a user, or stable, supported quotas, you must follow Reddit’s official process — there is no generic “paste a key from a dashboard” path that works for everyone anymore.

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What you should do

  1. Decide if you need the official Reddit API (OAuth client ID/secret, approved app, compliance with Reddit’s Developer Terms). If yes, apply and register an app in Reddit’s developer settings and use credentials only as Reddit’s docs allow.
  2. If you only need public reads that the plugin implements today, understand that access is subject to Reddit blocking, rate limiting, or HTML/JSON changes at any time — treat it as best-effort, not a contractually guaranteed feed.
  3. Monitor Reddit’s announcements — policies and endpoints change; “public JSON” behavior is not a stable public API product.

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Summary

TopicDetail
Corsair api_key / setupNot required for the current public-JSON client behavior; check your deployment if you extend the plugin.
Official Reddit APIApply through Reddit; restrictions and pricing apply — see Reddit’s developer docs.
Public endpointsNo OAuth in the default client; respect Reddit’s terms and rate limits.
For general information about how Corsair handles authentication, see Authentication.