Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said that AI chatbots are not a major traffic source for the platform, even as companies like OpenAI and Google make progress in integrating AI into search. During Reddit’s Q3 2025 earnings call, Huffman emphasized that Google search and direct access remain Reddit’s biggest traffic drivers.
“[Chatbots are] not a traffic driver today,” Huffman told analysts. “Our relationships with the companies we work with directly are healthy, and we’ve both learned a lot over the last couple of years about the value of Reddit’s data and how we can help each other. But they’re not a major traffic driver today.”
When asked if roughly half of Reddit’s traffic comes from Google and half from direct access, Huffman said those numbers are “approximate, but pretty close.”
Reddit’s relationship with large language model (LLM) companies has been complex. In May 2024, it restricted data access, requiring commercial users to obtain a license. Despite this, Reddit signed a deal with OpenAI to allow its data to be used for model training, and it also has a partnership with Google. Meanwhile, Reddit is involved in legal disputes with AI companies Anthropic and Perplexity over data use.
Financially, Reddit reported a strong quarter, earning $585 million in revenue, up 68% year-over-year. The platform saw 116 million daily active unique users and 444 million weekly active users, with 20% annual growth. International daily users grew 31% year-over-year, and over 190 million Americans visit Reddit weekly.
Huffman noted that Reddit continues to focus on improving search, with AI-powered Answers now handling 20% of all searches. About 75 million people use Reddit’s search function weekly. He added that the company is working to unify AI and core search, expected to roll out in the next few quarters.
Related: Reddit Expands AI Search to More Languages
Reddit is also testing a simplified onboarding flow to help new users quickly discover relevant content. “We want them to see in their first session that Reddit is amazing and has content for them,” Huffman said.
