Reddit Insights MCP

Semantic search across millions of Reddit posts. Unlike keyword search, this understands intent and meaning.

Ecommerce Seller Research Workflow (Deliverable)

Goal: produce a market research / pain-point opportunity report for ecommerce sellers.

1) Define scope

• - Category seed(s): category / niche / use case (e.g., "under desk treadmill", "portable blender", "pet grooming")
• Target persona: who is buying/using (e.g., new parents, renters, office workers)
• Price band: low/mid/high (optional)
• Geography / constraints: US/EU, small apartment, travel, etc. (optional)

2) Tool decision flow

• - If you already know what to search:

- Use reddit_search

• - If you need communities first:

- Use reddit_list_subreddits → pick 3-10 relevant subs - Then reddit_get_subreddit on 2-3 key subs to understand what’s being discussed

• - If you need what’s hot right now:

- Use reddit_get_trends → convert trends into reddit_search queries

3) Execute searches (batch)

• - Run 6-15 reddit_search queries covering:

- complaints / failures / returns - comparisons / alternatives - “best” / recommendations - “worth it” / regret / buyer’s remorse - gifts / seasonal intent

4) Filter + cluster

• - Keep results where relevance >= 0.60 (0.55-0.59 only as supporting context)
• Prioritize evidence with engagement signals:

- Upvotes and/or comments are non-trivial (relative to the subreddit)

• - Cluster posts into themes:

- complaints about quality/durability - usability/friction - missing features/accessories - sizing/fit/compatibility - shipping/packaging/returns - safety/health concerns

5) Produce the output document

• - Use the formats below.
• Requirement:

- “原句” uses English with Chinese in parentheses. - All other fields are Chinese.

Output Document Formats

机会点（Pain-point Opportunities）

| 场景+抱怨 | 设计机会点 | 原句（英文（中文）） | 帖子链接 |
|---|---|---|---|

Rules:

• - “场景+抱怨” should be concrete (who/where/when + what went wrong).
• “设计机会点” should translate the complaint into a solution direction (not a full product spec).
• “原句” should be verbatim from the post/comment when possible.

趋势产品（Trending Products）

| 产品名称 | 说明（卖点） | 证据原句（英文（中文）） | 帖子链接 |
|---|---|---|---|

Rules:

• - “产品名称” should be the common name used by users (include brand if repeatedly mentioned).
• “说明（卖点）” should be based on what users praise (time-saving, compact, durable, etc.).
• “证据原句” should be verbatim from the post/comment when possible, and should support the stated selling point.
• If a product has multiple evidence posts, put multiple links in the same “帖子链接” cell using line breaks (e.g., link1<br>link2<br>link3).

Ecommerce Query Playbook

Use natural-language queries a real shopper would write.

Category opportunity (complaints / gaps)

• - "I hate my [product] because it keeps breaking"
• "[product] is so frustrating to use"
• "what do you wish [product] had"
• "returned my [product] because"
• "[product] alternatives that actually work"
• "problems with [product] for small apartment"

Buyer intent (recommendations / comparisons)

• - "best [product] under $[X]"
• "[brand A] vs [brand B] which should I buy"
• "is [product] worth it"
• "buy it for my [persona]" (e.g., baby, dog, elderly parent)

Trend discovery (what’s being adopted)

• - "what did you buy recently that you love"
• "products that actually improved my [routine]"
• "gift ideas for [persona] that people actually use"

Notes for Ecommerce Sellers

• - Reddit evidence is strongest for:

- comparisons, switching stories, and candid complaints

• - Be careful with:

- regulated categories (health claims, safety) - one-off viral posts (validate across multiple posts/subreddits)

Setup

1. Get API Key (free tier available)

1. 1. Sign up at https://reddit-insights.com
2. Go to Settings → API
3. Copy your API key

2. Install MCP Server

For Claude Desktop - add to claude_desktop_config.json:
CODEBLOCK0

For Clawdbot - add to config/mcporter.json:
CODEBLOCK1

Verify installation:
CODEBLOCK2

Available Tools

Tool	Purpose	Key Params
INLINECODE10	Semantic search across posts	INLINECODE11 (natural language), limit (1-100)
INLINECODE13

Browse available subreddits | page, limit, search | | reddit_get_subreddit | Get subreddit details + recent posts | subreddit (without r/) | | reddit_get_trends | Get trending topics | filter (latest/today/week/month), category |

Performance Notes

• - Response time: 12-25 seconds (varies by query complexity)

- Simple queries: ~12-15s - Complex semantic queries: ~17-20s - Heavy load periods: up to 25s

• - Best results: Specific products, emotional language, comparison questions
• Weaker results: Abstract concepts, non-English queries, generic business terms
• Sweet spot: Questions a real person would ask on Reddit

Best Use Cases (Tested)

Use Case	Effectiveness	Why
Product comparisons (A vs B)	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Reddit loves debates
Tool/app recommendations

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | High-intent discussions | | Side hustle/money topics | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Engaged communities | | Pain point discovery | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Emotional posts rank well | | Health questions | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Active health subreddits | | Technical how-to | ⭐⭐⭐ | Better to search specific subreddits | | Abstract market research | ⭐⭐ | Too vague for semantic search | | Non-English queries | ⭐ | Reddit is English-dominant |

Query Strategies (Tested with Real Data)

✅ Excellent Queries (relevance 0.70+)

Product Comparisons (best results!):
CODEBLOCK3

Side Hustle/Money Topics:
CODEBLOCK4

Niche App Research:
CODEBLOCK5

✅ Good Queries (relevance 0.60-0.69)

Pain Point Discovery:
CODEBLOCK6

Tool Evaluation:
CODEBLOCK7

❌ Weak Queries (avoid these patterns)

Too Abstract:
CODEBLOCK8

Non-English:
CODEBLOCK9

Query Formula Cheat Sheet

Goal	Pattern	Relevance
Compare products	"[Product A] vs [Product B] which should I use"	0.70-0.81
Find switchers

"why I switched from [A] to [B]" | 0.70-0.73 | | Money/hustle topics | "[topic] that actually [works/makes money] not [scam/hype]" | 0.70-0.77 | | App recommendations | "[category] apps which one is [accurate/best] and why" | 0.67-0.72 | | Pain points | "I hate my current [tool] it is so [frustrating/slow]" | 0.60-0.64 | | Solutions seeking | "[problem] tried everything what actually works" | 0.60-0.63 |

Response Fields

Each result includes:

• - title, content - Post text
• INLINECODE24 - Source community
• INLINECODE25, comments - Engagement metrics
• INLINECODE27 (0-1) - Semantic match score (0.5+ is good, 0.6+ is strong)
• INLINECODE28 - Discussion/Q&A/Story Sharing/Original Content/News
• INLINECODE29 - Direct Reddit link

Example response:
CODEBLOCK10

Tips

1. 1. Natural language works best - Ask questions like a human would
2. Include context - "for small business" or "as a developer" improves results
3. Combine emotion words - "frustrated", "love", "hate", "wish" find stronger opinions
4. Filter by engagement - High upvotes/comments = validated pain points
5. Check multiple subreddits - Same topic discussed differently in r/startups vs r/smallbusiness

Example Workflows

Find SaaS opportunity:

1. 1. reddit_search: "frustrated with project management tools for remote teams"
2. Filter results with high engagement
3. Identify recurring complaints → product opportunity

Validate idea:

1. 1. reddit_search: "[your product category] recommendations"
2. See what alternatives people mention
3. Note gaps in existing solutions

Content research:

1. 1. reddit_get_subreddit: Get posts from target community
2. INLINECODE33: Find specific questions/discussions
3. Create content answering real user questions