# ChatGPT dropped Reddit. Google did not.

Issue #27 · Playbooks · Simon Scrapes · Sep 29, 2026 · 6 min read

## The short version

- ChatGPT cut Reddit from 3.8% of its citations to 0.5% in four days.
- Google AI Overviews still cite Reddit in 18.6% of answers.
- So Reddit is now a Google tactic. Five steps, about an hour a week.

## What happened

On August 14, ChatGPT stopped citing Reddit. Promptwatch measured reddit.com falling from 3.8% of ChatGPT citations to 0.5% in four days. In our sample (4,656 answers, Sep 1 to 6, 2026), reddit.com appeared in 18.6% of Google AI Overviews answers and 1.3% of ChatGPT answers.

| Engine | Answers citing reddit.com | Change since Aug |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Google AI Overviews | 18.6% | +0.4 pts |
| Perplexity | 9.2% | -1.1 pts |
| ChatGPT | 1.3% | -2.5 pts |

## How to run it in an hour a week

1. Search "[your category] reddit" and "[competitor] alternative reddit". Open every thread from the last 12 months. Usually 5 to 15.
2. Paste each question into Google and check which threads the AI Overview cites.
3. Reply as yourself, with "I run [product]" in the first line. One paragraph: who it suits, who it does not, price. Sales copy gets deleted.
4. Ask two customers to post their own take in the same thread. Do not write it for them.
5. Re-check the AI Overview in 3 to 4 weeks.

## What to expect

Ten threads is about an hour. Expect your name in the answer for 1 or 2 of every 5 threads. Not all of them.

## Do this this week

Find the five Reddit threads Google cites for your category and reply to the two most recent. 60 minutes.

## FAQ

- Will ChatGPT bring Reddit back? Maybe. The replies still count on Google either way.
- Can I use a brand account? No. Personal accounts with history get upvoted.
- Does this work for local businesses? Yes. Search "[your city] [your service] reddit".