GitHub - Tryhard-cs/reddit-download-tool: Tool to download Reddit data from community dumps · GitHub
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reddit-download-tool
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Reddit Data Downloader and Thread Reconstructor
This command-line tool downloads Reddit submissions and comments, reconstructs comment trees, and exports the result as CSV, JSON, or both. It does not require a database.
It uses one of two sources depending on the requested dates:
Before 1 January 2026 (UTC): selected .zst archive files are downloaded from the supplied Academic Torrents torrent with libtorrent.
From 1 January 2026 (UTC): submissions and comments are retrieved from the Arctic Shift API and saved locally as JSONL files.
The tool can combine both sources when a date range crosses the boundary.
Prerequisites
Windows 10/11 (the commands below are for Windows; the tool also runs on macOS and Linux).
Internet access. Torrent downloads also need peers to be available.
Miniconda or Anaconda. Miniconda is the smaller download and is sufficient.
The project is set up for Python 3.9 . Use a 64-bit Python/Conda installation on a typical 64-bit Windows PC.
Windows setup (Conda + Python 3.9)
Already have a working 64-bit Python 3.9 environment? You may skip the Miniconda installation and Conda environment-creation steps, activate your existing Python 3.9 virtual environment instead, and continue at Step 4. Any other method of running Python 3.9 is also fine. Do not use a newer Python version: this project's libtorrent dependency is intended to run with Python 3.9. If you are unsure which Python version or environment you have, follow the Miniconda steps below.
1. Install Miniconda
Download the Windows x86_64 installer from the Miniconda installation page.
Run the installer and complete the default installation.
Open Anaconda Prompt from the Start menu. Do not use a regular Command Prompt unless Conda has already been initialized there.
2. Open this project folder
In Anaconda Prompt, run:
cd "C:\reddit download script\reddit_data_downloader_tool"
If you saved the project elsewhere, replace that path with its actual location.
3. Create and activate an isolated Python 3.9 environment
conda create --name reddit-downloader python=3.9 pip -y<br>conda activate reddit-downloader
You should now see (reddit-downloader) at the beginning of the prompt. Activate this environment again whenever you want to run the tool.
4. Install libtorrent and the Windows DLL helper
Install libtorrent first, then the package that provides its required OpenSSL DLLs on Windows:
python -m pip install --upgrade pip<br>python -m pip install libtorrent<br>python -m pip install libtorrent-windows-dll
The second package prevents the common ImportError: DLL load failed while importing libtorrent error. It installs libcrypto-1_1-x64.dll and libssl-1_1-x64.dll alongside the libtorrent package.
Verify that libtorrent imports successfully:
python -c "import libtorrent as lt; print('libtorrent version:', lt.version)"
If this command prints a version number, continue. If it reports a DLL error, confirm that you are using the activated reddit-downloader environment, then rerun the two libtorrent install commands above.
5. Install the remaining project packages
python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
The requirements file also includes the Windows DLL helper, so this command is safe to rerun later to repair or update the environment.
Run the downloader
From the project directory, with the environment active, start the program:
conda activate reddit-downloader<br>python downloader.py
Answer the prompts as...