How Reddit Ads Work: Objectives and Placements
Reddit Ads follow the same structure as most ad platforms: campaigns with an objective, ad groups with targeting and budget, and ads. What is different is where ads appear, in feeds and inside conversations, and that users can comment on them.
How do Reddit Ads work?
You create a campaign with an objective, such as awareness, traffic, conversions, lead generation or app installs. Inside it, ad groups set targeting, placements, budget and bidding. Ads are the creative. Reddit runs an auction for each impression and charges per click, per thousand impressions or per view, depending on the objective. Max campaigns automate much of this; see Reddit Max campaigns.
| Level | What you set |
|---|---|
| Campaign | Objective, campaign type (standard or Max), overall budget |
| Ad group | Targeting, placements, budget, bidding, schedule |
| Ad | Creative, headline, destination, call to action, comments on or off |
Where do Reddit ads appear?
In feeds, such as the home feed and community feeds, and on conversation pages, beneath posts and among comments, where people are reading a discussion. Conversation placements can reach people while they research a topic. Check placement reports and exclude any that don’t fit. Targeting is covered in Reddit Ads targeting.
How does bidding work?
Most advertisers start with automatic bidding toward the objective, then add a cost cap or manual bids once they know what a click or conversion is worth. Optimizing for conversions needs reliable tracking and enough conversion volume; with little data, start with clicks or traffic and switch later.
| Setting | Choice |
|---|---|
| Objective | Conversions (lead) |
| Placements | Feed and conversation |
| Bidding | Automatic, then cost cap |
| Budget | $100 a day |
| Comments | On, monitored daily |
Structure by community, not by ad.
Group ads by the communities they target. That is how Reddit audiences differ, and how you will learn what works.
How do you set up a first campaign?
- Create a Reddit Ads account and install the Reddit Pixel.
- Choose a conversion or traffic objective with clear tracking.
- Build two or three ad groups by community theme.
- Write two or three ads per ad group.
- Set a fixed budget, check comments daily, review weekly.
Tracking setup is in Reddit conversion tracking; whether to bother at all in are Reddit Ads worth it.
Frequently asked questions
How do Reddit Ads work?
Campaigns set an objective; ad groups set targeting, placements, budget and bids; ads are the creative. Reddit runs an auction per impression.
Where do Reddit ads show?
In feeds and on conversation pages, within discussions.
Can people comment on Reddit ads?
Yes, on most ads. Advertisers can turn comments on or off per ad.
What bidding options does Reddit offer?
Typically automatic bidding toward the objective, with cost caps or manual bids for more control.
What are Reddit Max campaigns?
Automated campaigns that handle targeting, creative, placements and budget, available to all advertisers since September 2026.
What objective should a B2B advertiser start with?
Conversions or lead generation if tracking is reliable; traffic if you don’t yet have conversion data.
What about comments on ads?
Reddit lets users comment on most ads, and you can turn comments on or off per ad. Comments can build trust when you answer questions honestly, or hurt if left unanswered. If you leave them on, check daily and reply as a person, not a brand script. Creative that invites good comments is covered in Reddit ad formats and creative.