Has ChatGPT stopped citing Reddit?

1. What happened? Who noticed the drop in Reddit citations?

1.1 The data and media signals

Several independent trackers and news outlets noted that Reddit’s share of visible citations within ChatGPT responses dropped sharply in recent weeks. According to one summarised data-point: ~2% of ChatGPT answers on 30 September referenced Reddit, versus ~9.7% a month earlier, and earlier peaks had exceeded ~14%. (Seshes.ai)

1.2 Who reported it?

• The AI analytics company Seshes published a post on 1 October 2025 summarising third-party tracker figures: e.g., ~2% on Sep 30 versus ~9.7% a month earlier. (Seshes.ai)

• Media outlets such as Yahoo Finance covered the impact on Reddit’s stock, tying it to the drop in citations. (Yahoo Finance)

SEO & AI commentary pieces (e.g., on AdExpert) linked this drop to changes in how AI retrieval works and the interplay with Google’s indexing. (AdExpert)

1.3 Why does this matter?

From an AI-SEO / GEO perspective:

• Many brands used Reddit posts (especially in community / user-generated content) as a visibility channel inside LLMs.

• A visible drop in Reddit citations can mean reduced referral traffic from ChatGPT (and co) to your website, and/or reduced visibility of your brand inside those models.

• For businesses suffering organic traffic drop (especially as users shift from Google to LLMs), this shift flags a risk: sources of AI citations may shift, affecting strategy.

2. Has anything changed in how ChatGPT (and other LLMs) operate, or in the partnership between OpenAI and Reddit?

2.1 The OpenAI-Reddit partnership

It’s important to note: back in May 2024, OpenAI and Reddit announced a partnership: OpenAI will gain access to Reddit’s Data API (real-time structured content) for integration into ChatGPT and other products. (OpenAI)
Thus: Reddit is formally a recognised source for OpenAI’s models; so why the drop in visible citations?

2.2 Why the drop in visible Reddit citations?

Here are key plausible explanations (and they matter for your brand strategy):

• Google search parameter changes & retrieval impacts: According to commentary by Kevin Indig (via G2), one driver was that Google disabled the num=100 search parameter, limiting tools to top10 or top20 results. Since many Reddit threads rank outside the top20, fewer of them show up in retrieval patterns. (learn.g2.com)

• Selection of “answer-first” sources by LLM retrieval systems: Some data suggest ChatGPT (and other LLMs) are favouring fewer “canonical” sources (like Wikipedia) and de-emphasising broad forums for display citations. (Search Engine Land)

• Measurement artifact vs actual model change: As Seshes emphasised: visible citation =/= actual usage. The model might still draw from Reddit content “internally” but not expose a link. (Seshes.ai)

• Prompt-set and sample variation: Changes in how researchers test ChatGPT (model tier, browsing on/off, free vs paid accounts) will shift the measured share of Reddit citations.

• Licensing / cost / permission-economics: If Reddit wants higher fees for access, or if OpenAI shifts to more closed retrieval, visible link-count could drop even if knowledge remains. The partnership deal noted that Reddit’s content access is still under API terms; the visible drop could reflect cost/efficiency decisions.

2.3 What hasn’t been confirmed

• There’s no public statement from OpenAI that Reddit content is excluded from retrieval.

• There’s no confirmed change in the Reddit-OpenAI contract that states “no more Reddit content for citations”.

• The drop appears rapid and sharp; typically such shifts point to retrieval/engineering changes rather than fundamental source removal.

2.4 Summary for AI SEO: what changed vs what stayed the same

3. What does this mean for brands and for their AI SEO strategy? Should you stop caring about Reddit?

3.1 Key implications

1. Don’t abandon Reddit, but revise how you use it. Because while visible citations dropped, Reddit remains part of the broader knowledge graph and still has value for generative engine optimisation (GEO).

   
   

2. Shift from “forum-mention hoping” to “answer-first authority”. The models are increasingly citing structured, authoritative, answer-oriented sources. So your brand needs to produce content that serves as the answer destination, not just mention in Reddit threads.

   
   

3. Focus on first-party ownership and diversified citation pathways. If you relied solely on Reddit posts to get referenced inside ChatGPT, you’re at risk. You need your own owned assets (articles, FAQs, data) optimised for AI retrieval + citation.

   
   

4. Measure differently. Instead of tracking just Google organic traffic, track AI referrals and citation opportunities: Are you being «seen» inside LLM answers? Are you being presented as a source? Consider tools and proxies (LLM citation trackers, branded query analysis).

   
   

5. Bridge traditional SEO + AI SEO (GEO). For example: Reddit may be less visible in ChatGPT, but still very visible in Google organic. So a hybrid strategy is smart: maintain your footing for Google while optimising for LLMs.

3.2 What your AI SEO-strategy should include

• Create answer-first content on your domain that clearly addresses questions people will ask in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, etc. (E.g., “How to do X”, “Why Y happens”, “What is Z for businesses”).

• Monitor whether your brand is queried and cited by LLMs: use tools such as Seshes’ “Citation Index” or other LLM visibility dashboards. (Seshes.ai)

• Build content that is rich in structured data, clearly authored, up-to-date and trustworthy; this increases your chance of getting cited by AI systems as a ‘go-to’ source.

• If you continue to use Reddit as part of your pipeline:

  • Monitor which subreddits and threads still show up in model citations (if any).

  • Use Reddit engagement to identify insights, pain-points, questions, then own the answer on your site.

  • Avoid relying purely on “we’ll appear because we’re mentioned in Reddit thread #123”; that’s becoming low-confidence.

• Recover traffic lost to AI by looking at referral decline trends: you may still be showing up in Google but losing ground in “ask-AI” scenarios. For this, the service of indexLab (AI Visibility Audits) becomes very relevant.

3.3 Should Reddit be deprioritised?

No, not fully. But yes, the role of Reddit in your AI SEO ecosystem should be reconsidered.

Yes, in the sense that:

• The broker role of Reddit (thread-mentions leading to AI citations) is less reliable than before.

• You cannot treat “appear on Reddit → get referenced by ChatGPT” as a predictable channel.

No, in the sense that:

• Reddit remains a major repository of user-generated questions, problems, discussions, an invaluable input for content ideation, even if the output citation decreases.

• Reddit may still play a role in your broader digital-ecosystem (traditional SEO, brand awareness, community engagement, AI model training).

• Because the LLM ecosystem is still evolving: today’s drop in visible citations may shift back, or other models (e.g., Gemini, Perplexity) may still cite Reddit heavily.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. If Reddit citations dropped, does that mean I should stop working on Reddit as a channel?

Not at all. Reddit is still a valuable channel for community listening, content ideation, and engagement. Just don’t rely on it alone to generate AI citations. Focus on your own domain as the ‘answer hub’.

2. Will this drop apply to other models (e.g., Google Gemini, Perplexity) too?

Possibly, yes. Some data suggest Reddit remains highly cited on Perplexity (and in Google AI Overviews) even when ChatGPT shows a drop. But models differ in how they surface citations, so you’ll need to track model-by-model.

3. How does this affect my traditional Google SEO?

For the most part: less impact. Reddit continues to rank strongly in Google organic searches for many queries. The drop in visible AI citations does not imply a drop in Google visibility; but fading AI visibility might reduce overall traffic growth.

Conclusion

Has ChatGPT stopped citing Reddit? No, but the way it cites Reddit has changed significantly. The visible share of Reddit citations dropped sharply in late September/early October 2025, according to multiple trackers. But Reddit remains contractually integrated into the LLM ecosystem via the OpenAI-Reddit agreement.

For brands and marketers dealing with the era of AI search, this means you should not abandon Reddit, but you should adapt your AI SEO approach; moving from forum-mentions to owning answer-first, structured, trusted content, while still mining Reddit for questions and insights.

👉 Book your AI Visibility Audit with IndexLab today and make sure your brand isn’t invisible in the age of AI search