Reddit’s CEO, Steve Huffman, recently made a surprising revelation: chatbots, despite their growing popularity, are not a significant driver of traffic to the platform. Instead, Huffman highlighted Google search and direct access as the primary sources of traffic, underscoring Reddit’s reliance on traditional methods amid the rise of AI integrations.
Reddit’s Q3 2025 Earnings Overview
During the Q3 2025 earnings call, Reddit reported robust financial and user growth metrics. However, the traffic patterns observed during this quarter deviated from the expected AI-driven growth. The earnings release on October 31, 2025, provided a detailed insight into Reddit’s performance, revealing that AI chatbots did not contribute significantly to the platform’s traffic growth, contrary to industry trends source.
CEO’s Perspective on Chatbots
Steve Huffman was explicit in his assessment of chatbots, stating that they are not a traffic driver for Reddit. His statement, based on internal data from Q3 2025, challenges the common assumption that AI integrations are a major source of traffic for online platforms. Huffman did not provide specific examples of chatbot usage patterns, but his comments suggest that they fail to convert to site visits source.
Primary Traffic Sources Identified
Despite the hype around AI tools, Google search remains the leading traffic driver for Reddit. The dominance of Google over AI alternatives was evident in Q3 2025, reinforcing the importance of traditional search engines in driving traffic. Direct access was another key source, contributing significantly to Reddit’s traffic during the quarter. The contributions of these traditional sources far outweighed those of emerging AI tools source.
Implications for AI Integration on Reddit
The CEO’s comments on AI chatbots not driving significant traffic growth challenge assumptions about AI’s role on social platforms. Reddit’s existing AI features, such as data licensing for chatbots, have had a limited impact on user traffic in Q3 2025. The industry has reacted with surprise to this revelation, as it contradicts the prevailing narrative about the role of AI in driving traffic source.
Future Strategies for Traffic Growth
Given the findings that chatbots are not boosting traffic, Reddit may need to rethink its approach to AI. The platform could focus on enhancing its Google and direct access integrations to sustain growth. The insights provided by Huffman could also influence Reddit’s partnerships and product developments in the coming quarters. As the industry digests this surprising truth about traffic drivers, it will be interesting to see how Reddit’s strategy evolves source.
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