How Reddit user search finds people, and what it leaves out

What is Reddit user search, and how does it work?

Reddit has two built-in ways to run a Reddit user search: the People tab in search results, which finds accounts by name, and the author: filter, which finds the posts one named account submitted. Use the People tab when you know part of someone's name. Use author: when you already know the exact username and want to see what that person has posted.

Reddit's help article How does Reddit search work? lists People as one of five content types you can search, described as "if you want to find a specific user." The same line carries a catch: "this filter is not available if you're searching within a community." Search from the main search bar, not from inside a subreddit, or the People tab will not appear.

Name matching is strict. Reddit's Available search features article says that when searching posts, results only need some of your words, "However, when searching comments or users, results must currently include all of your search words." Type one distinctive word from the username instead of a guess at the full name with extra words attached.

How do you search for a Reddit user by name?

You search for a Reddit user by typing part of the username into the main search bar, running the search, and switching to the People tab. The steps are the same on reddit.com and in the Reddit apps.

1. Open reddit.com or the Reddit app from the home feed, not from a community page.
2. Type one distinctive word from the username into the search bar and run the search.
3. Select the People tab in the results.
4. Open the matching profile to see the posts, comments and communities the account shows.

If you already have the exact name, skip search and open reddit.com/user/ followed by the name. Reddit usernames are fixed for life. The help article Can I change my username? answers "No, once a username is finalized, it can't be changed in any way, including its capitalization." A name you saved last year still points at the same person today, unless the account was deleted.

How do you find posts by a specific Reddit user?

You find posts by one Reddit user with the author: filter, typed with no space between the colon and the username, for example author:reddit. Reddit's help centre defines the field as "The user who submitted the post" and shows the exact form to avoid: author:cats works and author: cats does not.

author: gets useful when you combine it with the other fields Reddit documents. The help centre's own example is author:reddit subreddit:reddit search updates, which returns posts by u/reddit in r/reddit about search updates. The full set of eight documented fields is covered in the guide to Reddit search operators.

What you want	What to type	Where it works
Find an account by name	One word from the name, then the People tab	Main search bar only
Every post one account submitted	author:username	Post search
That account's posts in one subreddit	author:username subreddit:name	Post search
That account's posts on a topic	author:username keyword	Post search
That account's posts linking to a site	author:username site:example.com	Post search

Reddit's help centre lists author: among post fields and documents no author filter for comment search. To read someone's comments, open their profile and use the Comments tab there.

What can a Reddit user hide from their profile?

A Reddit user can hide posts and comments from chosen subreddits, hide NSFW activity and hide their follower count, so a profile is a curated view and not a full history. Reddit's profile settings article describes a Content and activity setting that controls "which subreddits' content is visible on your profile," with options to show all or hide all.

Hiding a subreddit from a profile does not delete anything. The same article says hidden posts and comments "are still available in the original community where they were made, as well as in search results both on and off the platform." If a profile looks thin, the person can still be active in communities the profile does not show.

Moderators see more than you do. When someone posts, comments, edits or sends modmail in a community, that community's mod team gets "access to your full profile content history for 28 days after the interaction," regardless of the person's settings. The rule runs both ways. The moment you comment in a subreddit to answer a prospect, its moderators can read your whole history for the next 28 days, so keep your own profile in a state you would show a moderator.

Why does a Reddit user search come back empty?

A Reddit user search comes back empty for five documented reasons: your query has a word the name lacks, you searched from inside a community, the person blocked you, the account was deleted, or you typed a space after author:. Work through them in that order.

1. Extra words. User results must include all of your search words, so a two-word guess fails if one word is wrong. Search one word.
2. Community scope. The People filter is not available inside a community search. Clear the community pill and search all of Reddit.
3. A block. Reddit's blocking article says blocked accounts "can't access your profile," and their posts and comments look deleted to the blocked person. If a profile you found yesterday is gone today and Reddit shows no message that the account was deleted, you were blocked.
4. A deleted account. When an account is deleted, Reddit removes the profile, and "Even if someone has a direct link to your profile, they'll get a message that says the account has been deleted." The posts stay on Reddit, but "people can't see who they came from."
5. A space after the colon. author: name searches for the word "name". Close the gap.

An account that posts but never draws replies has a different problem, which the Reddit shadowban guide covers.

Is Reddit user search useful for finding leads?

Reddit user search is useful for vetting a lead you already found, and useless for finding one, because it needs a name you do not have yet. Buyers do not announce themselves by username. They show up as a post that asks "what should I use for..." in a subreddit you were not watching, and you find that post by searching for the words, as the Reddit search guide shows.

Once a promising thread appears, user search earns its place. Before you reply, open the poster's profile and check three things:

• Are they a real buyer? A history of questions in the same niche points to someone with the problem. A profile full of posts about your competitor's product points to someone who works there.
• Where else do they post? The communities on their profile show where people like them gather, which is your next list of subreddits to watch.
• Have they asked this before? author:username with your topic word shows whether the question is new or the third time they have asked it, and what answers they rejected last time.

Do not turn that research into a cold message. A pitch sent to someone whose profile you read without ever talking to them reads as spam, and reddiquette asks you to contribute far more than you promote. Answer in the thread, where the person asked.

From thread to reply

A thread asks what to use

Open the poster's profile

Check niche history and other communities

Run author:username with your topic word

Reply in the thread

How does RedReplier fit with Reddit user search?

RedReplier works on the step before user search: it finds the threads, and you look up the people in them. RedReplier watches every public subreddit on Reddit for the keywords you target, and you can narrow it to specific communities. It ranks each match by buyer intent, and matches land on your RedReplier dashboard within minutes of a post or comment going live. Email alerts go out as digests on a cadence you set per keyword, from hourly to daily. RedReplier drafts a reply, and you review, edit and post it yourself, so the profile check above happens before anything goes out. The Reddit lead generation page shows the workflow.

Frequently asked questions

How do I search for a user on Reddit?

Type one word from the username into the main search bar, run the search and pick the People tab. Search from the home feed, because the People tab is not available when you search inside a community. If you know the exact name, open reddit.com/user/ followed by it.

How do I see all posts by one Reddit user?

Search author:username with no space after the colon. Reddit defines the field as "The user who submitted the post." Add subreddit: or a keyword to narrow the results to one community or topic.

Can I search a Reddit user's comments?

Reddit's help centre documents author: as a post field and lists no author filter for comment search. Open the person's profile and use the Comments tab instead. Comments from subreddits the person hid from their profile will not show there.

Why can't I find a Reddit user who I know exists?

People search only returns accounts that contain every word you typed, so cut your query to one word. Check that you are not searching inside a community. If the profile opened before and now does not, the person blocked you or deleted the account.

Can a Reddit user hide their post history?

A Reddit user can hide posts and comments from chosen subreddits on their profile, along with NSFW activity and their follower count. Reddit says hidden content stays available in the original community and in search results. Moderators of a community the person interacts with see the full history for 28 days regardless.

Can I change my Reddit username to make myself easier to find?

No. Reddit's help centre says a finalized username "can't be changed in any way, including its capitalization." You can create a new account with a different name, but the old one keeps its own history.

Why does the People tab not show up on Reddit?

The People tab is not available when you search inside a community. Clear the community pill, or search from the home feed, and run the search again. The tab then appears next to the other result types.

How can I tell if a Reddit user blocked me?

A blocked account can't access the profile of the person who blocked it, and that person's posts and comments look deleted to you. A profile you opened yesterday that is gone today points to a block. A deleted account fails differently, because Reddit shows a message saying the account has been deleted.

What happens to a Reddit user's posts when the account is deleted?

Reddit removes the profile, and anyone with a direct link sees a message saying the account has been deleted. The posts stay on Reddit, but people can't see who they came from. That leaves no profile to check.

Should I message a Reddit user I found through search?

Answer in the thread where the person asked instead. A pitch sent to someone whose profile you read without ever talking to them reads as spam, and reddiquette asks you to contribute far more than you promote. Use the profile to check the person, then reply in public.