Reddit rolls out AI media-buying tool

Reddit has launched a beta of its new automated advertising tool, 'Max campaigns', aimed at simplifying campaign management while offering deeper insights into audience behaviour.

The platform uses machine learning and what it calls “Reddit community intelligence” to predict the value of each ad impression and automate elements such as targeting, creative rotation, placements and budget allocation. Reddit said the tool is designed to reduce manual optimisation while giving advertisers more transparency than other automated options.

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Early testing with advertisers reportedly showed improved efficiency and engagement, highlighting the potential for brands to streamline campaigns without constant manual adjustments.

Max campaigns also include AI-assisted creative tools tailored to Reddit’s discussion-driven format, including headline suggestions based on trending language, thumbnail generation for in-feed placements, and upcoming AI-powered video cropping for adapting content from other platforms.

A new reporting feature, “Top audience personas”, uses AI to cluster users into groups such as new parents or home cooks, showing which segments are engaging most with campaigns and the topics they are currently interested in. Reddit said the tool draws insights from more than 23 billion posts and comments.

“New advertisers are coming to Reddit each day. Our goal is to make their experience as simple and insightful as possible," said Jyoti Vaidee, VP of ads product at Reddit. 

She added, "Max campaigns empower advertisers to launch high-performing ads in the right places on Reddit, while giving them insight into the audiences they’re reaching. We’re not just making ad management faster – we’re making it smarter and tailored to our community.”

The launch builds on Reddit’s broader push into community-driven advertising. In June last year, the platform unveiled "Reddit community intelligence", positioning it as a way for brands to turn two decades of human conversation into structured marketing insights.

The initiative draws on more than 22 billion posts and comments, and was introduced alongside two alpha-stage tools: Reddit Insights, an AI-powered social listening product for campaign planning and brand health tracking, and Conversation summary add-ons, which surface relevant community commentary beneath ads. Early tests showed the latter delivered a 19% lift in clickthrough rates compared to standard image ads, with brands such as Jackbox Games and Lucid among the first to trial the format.

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