AI comes to Reddit's main search bar – who needs Google now?

It’s getting a little easier to use Reddit as a search engine.

Last year, Reddit rolled out a new feature called Reddit Answers. Since so many people use Reddit as a Google replacement to tap into the community’s immense knowledge, the site introduced AI-curated answers related to the topic you were looking for.

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At the time, you had to specifically head to a Reddit Answers tab to use the feature, but now it’s coming to the main search bar.

In the company’s first-quarter earnings call yesterday, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said that the site was “working to integrate it [Reddit Answers] into Reddit’s core search experience to further streamline the path from question to answer on Reddit.”

How Reddit Answers work

Instead of adding “reddit” to a Google search — say, “chicken pasta recipes reddit” — you can head straight to Reddit and search. Instead of the usual results you’ll have to wade through, you’ll now get a curated response with a list of different answers. Each answer has a link to the source and an additional tip or two that other users have added.

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Huffman said the feature should help new users opening the app for the first time find their way around and help visitors coming to Reddit through an external search. The goal, he said, is to upgrade Reddit search and integrate it throughout the site.

People come to Reddit, he added, with intent. They’re not just scrolling; they come looking for real opinions from real people. This feature makes finding those opinions easier. When you search for something online, it’s hard to make sure the answer you find isn’t just a generic one. With Reddit Answers, he explained, you’re getting lived experience and personal recommendations.

Huffman said he wanted Reddit’s content to be easily found, noting that it’s one of the last major online platforms that doesn’t require an account login.

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