Reddit says AI chatbots aren’t moving the needle on traffic—at least not yet. Despite the surge in people using AI tools for search, CEO Steve Huffman told analysts during the company’s Q3 2025 earnings call that Google search and direct visits remain the platform’s dominant traffic sources. Asked if the split was roughly half from Google and half direct, Huffman said those figures are approximate but pretty close.
Chatbots aren’t a traffic driver today, he said, adding that Reddit’s direct relationships with AI companies have helped both sides understand the value of Reddit’s data and how each product can evolve. While Reddit continues to engage with partners, Huffman emphasized that chatbots aren’t a major source of clicks right now.
Reddit’s stance on data access has been a defining thread over the past year. In May 2024, the company tightened its policies, requiring licenses for any commercial use of Reddit data. It has since signed a deal that allows OpenAI to use Reddit content for model training and maintains a partnership with Google. At the same time, Reddit is in legal disputes with Anthropic and Perplexity over AI-related issues, underscoring the complicated balance between collaboration and protection of its content.
The business results were strong. Reddit reported $585 million in revenue for the quarter, up 68% year over year. User engagement continues to climb, with 116 million daily active unique users and 444 million weekly active unique users, both up 20% year over year. International growth is accelerating as well, with daily users outside the U.S. rising 31% from a year ago. In the U.S., more than 190 million people now visit Reddit every week.
Search is central to Reddit’s product strategy. Huffman said the company is handling about 20% of search queries through its AI-powered Answers and the core search box, and 75 million people searched on Reddit each week during the quarter. Reddit has been working to bring AI and traditional search together into a unified experience, with that integration expected to roll out in the next few quarters.
To keep new users engaged from day one, Reddit is also testing a streamlined onboarding flow designed to deliver relevant content immediately. The goal, Huffman said, is to ensure that first-time visitors quickly see why Reddit is compelling and tailored to their interests.
Bottom line: Reddit’s traffic still flows primarily from Google search and direct visits, not chatbots. But the company is monetizing momentum with rapid revenue growth, rising user numbers, and a sharper focus on AI-enhanced search and simpler onboarding—setting the stage for broader engagement in the quarters ahead.
