Reddit Spy -- Stealth Subreddit Intelligence
Browse any target subreddit, read full posts, analyze strategies, and extract competitive intelligence -- all without getting blocked by Reddit.
Entry point:
python3 /root/.openclaw/skills/reddit-spy/scripts/reddit_spy.py <command> [options]
All commands output JSON to stdout. Logs go to stderr.
Setup
Tor (primary, already running): Tor provides real-time Reddit access from any IP. It's running on this VPS as a systemd service.
# Verify Tor is running
systemctl status tor@default
# If stopped, start it
systemctl start tor@default
Optional: Reddit OAuth (even more reliable): If you have Reddit API access, set these env vars for 60 req/min:
export REDDIT_CLIENT_ID="your-app-client-id"
export REDDIT_CLIENT_SECRET="your-app-secret"
export REDDIT_USERNAME="your-reddit-username"
export REDDIT_PASSWORD="your-reddit-password"
Optional: Proxy:
export REDDIT_PROXY_URL="http://user:pass@proxy:port"
Fetching Layers (Cascade Order)
| Layer | Method | Speed | Data | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. OAuth API | Reddit API v2 | Fast | Full real-time | Optional (needs API key) |
| 2. Tor | SOCKS5 via Tor exit nodes | Fast | Full real-time | ACTIVE -- primary layer |
| 3. Stealth HTTP | old.reddit.com direct | Fast | Full real-time | Blocked on VPS IPs |
| 4. Browser Stealth | Playwright | Slow | Full real-time | Blocked on VPS IPs |
| 5. PullPush | Archive API | Fast | Historical (may lag) | Always works |
Each command tries layers in order, falls through on failure. Layer health is cached for 1 hour. Tor auto-rotates circuits (new IP) on rate limits.
Commands
spy -- Comprehensive Subreddit Intelligence
Full scan: about info + top posts + strategy analysis in one pass.
python3 .../reddit_spy.py spy --subreddit IndieHackers --sort top --timeframe week --limit 25
| Param | Default | Values |
|---|---|---|
--subreddit | (required) | Subreddit name without r/ |
--sort | top | hot, new, top, rising |
--timeframe | week | hour, day, week, month, year, all |
--limit | 25 | Max posts to analyze |
Returns: about metrics, posts fetched, content type breakdown, hook patterns, timing analysis, top 5 posts, actionable recommendations.
deep-read -- Full Post Deep Dive
Read complete post body + all nested comments with statistics.
python3 .../reddit_spy.py deep-read --url "https://www.reddit.com/r/.../comments/..." --depth 8
Returns: full post, flattened comment list (author, body, score, depth, is_op), comment stats.
bulk-scan -- Multi-Subreddit Sweep
Scan multiple subreddits in one run with comparison.
python3 .../reddit_spy.py bulk-scan --subreddits "IndieHackers,SaaS,Entrepreneur" --timeframe all --limit 20
Returns: per-subreddit strategy analysis + cross-sub comparison (ranked by subscribers and engagement).
strategy -- Strategy Pattern Extraction
Extract what content strategies work best in a subreddit.
python3 .../reddit_spy.py strategy --subreddit SaaS --sort top --timeframe month --limit 50
Returns: content types ranked, hook patterns ranked, best posting hours/days, top 5 posts, recommendations.
search -- Keyword Search
Search within a subreddit for specific topics.
python3 .../reddit_spy.py search --subreddit IndieHackers --query "growth strategy" --sort top --timeframe month
user-intel -- User Profile Analysis
Analyze a Reddit user's posting patterns across subreddits.
python3 .../reddit_spy.py user-intel --username some_user --limit 25
Returns: total posts, subreddit distribution, content patterns, hook analysis.
health-check -- Test Layers
Test which fetching layers are currently working.
python3 .../reddit_spy.py health-check --test-sub python
Radar's Intelligence Workflow
Step 1: Health check
python3 .../reddit_spy.py health-check
Verify which layers are operational before starting analysis.
Step 2: Bulk scan targets
python3 .../reddit_spy.py bulk-scan --subreddits "IndieHackers,SaaS,Entrepreneur,Automation" --timeframe week --limit 25
Step 3: Deep-dive top posts
Pick high-scoring posts from Step 2 and read full content + comments:
python3 .../reddit_spy.py deep-read --url "https://reddit.com/r/.../comments/..."
Step 4: Profile top contributors
python3 .../reddit_spy.py user-intel --username top_poster
Step 5: Search for topic gaps
python3 .../reddit_spy.py search --subreddit IndieHackers --query "automation" --sort top
Strategy Analysis Output
The spy, bulk-scan, and strategy commands return:
- content_types: question, how-to, tip, showcase, list, discussion, link -- with avg score/comments per type
- hook_patterns: question, number, bracket, emotional, personal, neutral -- with engagement metrics
- timing_by_hour: UTC hours ranked by avg score
- timing_by_day: days of week ranked by avg score
- top_5_posts: highest scoring with title, score, and type classification
- recommendations: actionable insights (best type, hook, time, day)
Safety & Limits
- Read-only: never posts, comments, votes, or interacts
- Rate limited: jittered 3-8s delays between requests
- OAuth: respects Reddit API 60 req/min limit
- PullPush: historical archive, data may lag weeks/months behind real-time