# How do I get the comment thread of a Reddit post?

Reddit. Checked September 2026.

Call `GET /v1/reddit/posts/{id}/comments`. The response is the comment tree as Reddit shows it: each comment carries its `depth`, its `parentId`, and a `replies` array with the comments under it. Pick `sort=confidence` for Reddit’s default order, or `top`, `new`, `controversial`, `old`, or `qa`.

The post ID is the `t3_` value from a subreddit listing or a search result. If you start from a URL, pass it to the fetch endpoint first and read `id` from the post it returns.

## GET /v1/reddit/posts/{id}/comments?sort=top

```bash
curl "https://api.openhandle.dev/v1/reddit/posts/synthetic/comments?sort=top" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $OPENHANDLE_API_KEY"
```

```ts
import { OpenHandle } from '@openhandle/sdk';

const openhandle = new OpenHandle({ apiKey: process.env.OPENHANDLE_API_KEY! });
const page = await openhandle.reddit.post('synthetic').comments.list({ sort: 'top' });

const walk = (comments: typeof page.data, indent = '') => {
    for (const comment of comments) {
        console.log(indent + comment.author?.handle, comment.metrics.score, comment.text);
        walk(comment.replies, indent + '  ');
    }
};
walk(page.data);
```

200 OK:

```json
{
  "platform": "reddit",
  "resource": "comment",
  "capturedAt": "2026-09-19T09:20:31Z",
  "source": "live",
  "data": [
    {
      "id": "t1_reddit1",
      "postId": "t3_reddit1",
      "parentId": "t3_reddit1",
      "depth": 0,
      "text": "Synthetic comment",
      "author": { "id": "t2_syn0001", "handle": "synthetic_reddit" },
      "metrics": { "score": 0 },
      "replies": []
    }
  ],
  "meta": { "cursors": { "next": null } }
}
```

Trimmed to one top-level comment. Replies nest inside `replies`, each with its own `depth`. The example is a Test post, so you can run it on a free Test key.

## Sort orders and what they mean

| sort | What Reddit shows |
|---|---|
| `confidence` | Reddit’s default "best". Weighs score against vote count so a new comment with two upvotes can beat an old one with ten upvotes and eight downvotes. |
| `top` | Highest score first. The usual pick for "what did the room agree with". |
| `new` | Newest first. The pick for monitoring a thread as it grows. |
| `controversial` | Comments with many votes both ways. |
| `old` | Oldest first. Reads the thread in the order it happened. |
| `qa` | Q&A mode. Replies from the post author are lifted, as in an AMA. |

## Trees, depth, and limits

- **It is a tree, not a list.** Walk `replies` recursively. `depth` starts at 0 for a top-level comment. `parentId` is the post for top-level comments and the parent comment below that.
- **Reddit caps the tree.** A huge thread is not returned whole. Pass `depth` to limit how deep the tree goes and `limit` to cap comments per level. Reddit itself collapses long threads behind "load more" for the same reason.
- **Deleted and removed.** A comment the author deleted or a moderator removed shows with no text and no author, as Reddit shows it. The tree keeps its shape so replies under it still make sense.

## Let a thread settle

Comments keep arriving for a day or two after a post. Scores keep moving for longer. For a report, read the thread once after 48 hours with `sort=top`. For monitoring, read with `sort=new` on a schedule, store each comment `id`, and skip the ones you have. Store `capturedAt` with every read. Reddit endpoints are in beta.

## When this does not work

These answers are definitive. Store them, do not retry them.

| Situation | Status | Code |
|---|---|---|
| The post was deleted or removed | 404 | `POST_NOT_FOUND` |
| The subreddit is private, quarantined, or banned | 403 | `PROFILE_PRIVATE` |
| The identifier is malformed | 400 | `INVALID_IDENTIFIER` |

```json
{
  "error": {
    "code": "POST_NOT_FOUND",
    "message": "This post was not found.",
    "requestId": "req_01j8…",
    "retryable": false
  }
}
```

A locked or archived post still returns its comments. It just cannot get new ones. Every new workspace starts with 100 free live requests, no card needed.

## Related

- [How do I track brand mentions across subreddits?](https://openhandle.dev/questions/how-do-i-track-brand-mentions-across-subreddits): Find the posts whose threads you want to read.
- [Is the Reddit API free?](https://openhandle.dev/questions/is-the-reddit-api-free): What the official API costs and who needs approval.
- [Reddit API](https://openhandle.dev/apis/reddit): Every Reddit endpoint with examples.