| name | reddit-fetch |
| description | Fetch content from Reddit via its JSON API using a browser session (DuckDuckGo-hop unlock). Use when accessing Reddit URLs, researching topics on Reddit, or when Reddit returns 403/blocked errors. |
Reddit Fetch
Reddit's public JSON API works by appending .json to any Reddit URL — but Reddit now hard-blocks automated access. curl 403s essentially every time (host AND container, regardless of User-Agent), and even a cold Playwright navigation to reddit.com hits a "You've been blocked by network security" challenge page. The reliable method is to arrive at Reddit through a DuckDuckGo result redirect: that sets a Reddit session cookie which unlocks direct .json access for the rest of the browser session.
Primary method: the DuckDuckGo-hop unlock
Step 1 - the DDG hop. Do this once per session before any .json fetch.
mcp__playwright__browser_navigate to https://html.duckduckgo.com/html/?q=site:reddit.com/r/SUBREDDIT+YOUR+QUERY
- Grab the first result's full href - it's a DDG redirect that includes a
rut token (https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=...&rut=...). The token is required; navigating to the bare /l/?uddg= without it 400s.
() => document.querySelector('.result__a')?.href
browser_navigate to that full redirect href. It lands on a real www.reddit.com page (title = the post/subreddit title, not "Blocked") and sets the session cookie. The result doesn't have to be the exact thread you want - landing on real Reddit page sets the cookie.