reddit-rss-mcp

A tiny, dependency-free MCP server that reads Reddit through its still-open RSS feeds. No API key, no OAuth, no scraping service.

Why this exists

As of 2025–2026, Reddit blocks anonymous access to its JSON API at the network-security layer. A plain request to www.reddit.com/r/.../hot.json returns a 403 "blocked by network security" page — and this happens from residential IPs, VPNs, and even commercial residential-proxy scrapers. Self-service API key creation also ended (Responsible Builder Policy, pre-approval now required).

But Reddit's RSS feeds and search RSS still return 200. This server uses only those, so it works with zero credentials, even from a blocked IP.

Tools

Each returns clean JSON: title, author, link, subreddit, date, and a text excerpt.

Install

Requires Node.js 18+ (uses the built-in fetch). No npm install needed.

Claude Desktop / Claude Code

Add to your MCP config (claude_desktop_config.json, or ~/.claude/settings.json for Claude Code).

Run directly from GitHub (no install step):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "reddit-rss": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "github:ninjackster/reddit-rss-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Or run from a local clone:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "reddit-rss": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/reddit-rss-mcp/server.js"]
    }
  }
}

Restart the app (quit fully, then relaunch) to load the server.

Usage examples

Search r/technology for "local LLM" sorted by new.

Show me the hot posts in r/selfhosted.

Read the comments on this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/abc123/title/

Limitations (RSS, not the API)

• Comments are flat — no parent/child threading.

• No scores — RSS carries no upvote/downvote counts.

• ~25 results per call — RSS feed cap.

For nested comment trees, scores, and unlimited depth you need Reddit's authenticated API (an approved OAuth app). This server is the no-credentials option that covers search, browse, and comment reading.

How it works

It maps tool calls to Reddit RSS endpoints:

• Browse: https://www.reddit.com/r/<sub>/<sort>.rss

• Search: https://www.reddit.com/search.rss?q=<q> (add restrict_sr=1 for a single subreddit via /r/<sub>/search.rss)

• Comments: <post-permalink>.rss

It parses the Atom XML with no external dependencies and speaks MCP over stdio (JSON-RPC 2.0).

License

MIT