Reddit to require logins for old.reddit.com access
Reddit says logged-out Old Reddit pages attract abusive scraping, prompting a login requirement over the next month.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
Reddit plans to make users sign in before viewing old.reddit.com, changing access to the older desktop interface used by many longtime Redditors and moderators. The company says the move is meant to curb scraping and automated traffic that it considers abusive.
A Reddit employee using the name boat-botany announced the change in a ModNews post, saying it will roll out “over the next month.” The employee said Old Reddit’s logged-out pages have become a major source of automated activity that violates Reddit’s rules.
According to boat-botany, requiring accounts gives Reddit more information to determine whether traffic is tied to rule-breaking behavior. The employee said Reddit can then block that traffic or take action against the accounts involved.
In a follow-up comment, boat-botany pointed to Reddit’s rule against activity that disrupts normal use of the platform or uses programs that break its API rules. Reddit’s API policies have been controversial among users and developers, especially after changes that affected third-party apps.
Ars Technica reported that old.reddit.com was still accessible without logging in at the time of its report. Reddit did not say in the announcement exactly when each user would begin seeing the requirement.
Old Reddit remains important to longtime users
Old Reddit is the earlier version of Reddit’s web interface, and it remains popular with users who prefer its denser layout and familiar controls. The login rule may frustrate people who use it to read Reddit without an account session, whether for convenience or privacy.
When asked why New Reddit was not being scraped as often as Old Reddit, boat-botany linked to a comment from Reddit user Nestramutat. That user said malicious traffic changes over time and described the fight against scraping as a continuing “cat and mouse game.”
Nestramutat also said the new rule would not end malicious traffic, but would raise the cost for bad actors by tying requests to account IDs. The user added that account creation happens through New Reddit, which they said has a stronger security system.
The Old Reddit change comes after Reddit recently tested blocking logged-out visits to its mobile website in an effort to push users toward its mobile app, according to Ars Technica. Requiring logins on Old Reddit also gives Reddit more traffic connected to individual accounts, a common goal for ad-supported platforms.
Reddit leaves Old Reddit’s future uncertain
Boat-botany said Old Reddit is not being shut down “right now,” but did not guarantee it will remain available indefinitely. The employee said Reddit CEO Steve Huffman has said the company will keep supporting Old Reddit while people continue using it.
In a May 2025 post, Huffman wrote that Reddit would work around the difficulties and keep Old Reddit online as long as people were using it. Boat-botany said Old Reddit lacks the same modern security technology as reddit.com, which is why Reddit says it needs tighter controls.
Some users responded negatively to the announcement. Reddit user ClarkFable wrote that phasing out Old Reddit would harm their ability to make subscribed subreddits the default way they view the site.
The scale of any drop in Old Reddit use is not known. Many users may already visit while signed in, but the loss of logged-out access changes how one of Reddit’s oldest interfaces can be used.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.