Reddit Begins Testing Ads in Its Search Results

TL;DR

• Reddit is testing ads in its search results pages with a select group of eligible advertisers
• Ads may appear based on factors including contextual relevance to the search query
• Reddit has not shared markets, pricing, advertiser numbers or how long the test will run

Reddit has started testing ads in its own search results pages. Reddit calls it an initial test with “a select group of eligible advertisers.”

What Reddit Is Testing

Reddit describes its search results pages as having “high purchase and search intent.” The post says ads may appear based on “a range of factors, including contextual relevance to a user’s search query.”

Reddit gives two examples. A search for “espresso station” could surface ads for espresso machines, coffee beans or mugs. A search for “home office setup” could surface ads for monitors, desks or office chairs.

Reddit’s example screens show how that looks in the app for the “home office setup” search. On one screen, the ad sits below a summary block that cites subreddits and above the Posts section. On the other, it appears inside the Posts list, after the first result. Each ad carries an “Ad” label, a photo, a headline and a “Shop Now” button. The post leaves several basics unstated.

What Reddit Hasn’t Shared Yet

The post does not name the markets in the test, the pricing, the number of advertisers or the rules for joining. It gives no end date and no details on how advertisers will see results. It also leaves open whether the test reaches beyond the app. The post names no ad format, though the example screens show a single image ad with a “Shop Now” button. Reddit’s earlier work on search adds some background.

How Reddit Got Here

In February, Reddit began testing shopping carousels in search for a small group of US users, starting with consumer electronics queries. The carousels show prices, images and where-to-buy links, and some products come from advertiser catalogs through Dynamic Product Ads.

On the July 30 earnings call, COO Jen Wong called search “a space that we are eyeing” for ads. She added that Reddit has the infrastructure “already queued up.”

Reddit says it will use the test to “evaluate and understand how users respond to these ads,” then refine the experience over time.