How to See Deleted Reddit Posts & Comments in 2024: A Comprehensive Guide
Have you ever been browsing Reddit and come across an interesting post or comment, only to find that it‘s been deleted when you go back to read it later? It‘s a frustrating experience, but luckily there are still ways to view most deleted content on Reddit. In this guide, we‘ll walk through exactly how to see deleted Reddit posts and comments in 2024, as well as important limitations and ethical considerations to keep in mind.
Why do posts and comments get deleted on Reddit?
Before we dive into how to view deleted content, it‘s useful to understand the reasons why posts and comments get removed from Reddit in the first place:
The user chose to delete their own post or comment. People remove their own content for various reasons – maybe they regretted sharing personal info, changed their mind on a controversial take, or just felt the post had run its course.
A moderator removed the post or comment for violating subreddit rules. Each subreddit has its own posting guidelines, and mods may delete rule-breaking posts.
Reddit‘s sitewide auto-moderator removed the post. Certain banned words or domains can trigger the auto-mod to instantly delete a post.
The user‘s account was suspended or deleted. If an account is deleted, their posts may show up as "[deleted]" as well.
So while it‘s often still possible to view deleted Reddit content, it‘s important to be mindful that it was likely removed for a reason. With that in mind, let‘s look at the best ways to find deleted posts and comments.
Method 1: Check the Wayback Machine
The Wayback Machine at archive.org automatically archives snapshots of popular webpages and makes them publicly viewable. For a massively popular site like Reddit, the Wayback Machine captures versions of popular threads quite frequently.
Here‘s how to use it to view a deleted Reddit post or comment:
Copy the URL of the Reddit post with the deleted content you want to view.
Go to https://web.archive.org and paste the Reddit URL into the search bar at the top.
Click "Browse History" to see all the archived versions of that page. You‘ll see a calendar with dated links.
Select the snapshot taken closest to the time the content was posted, but before it was deleted. You may need to check a few snapshots to find one where the post is visible.
Click the link for that archive snapshot to view that version of the Reddit thread with the deleted post or comment hopefully still intact.
The Wayback Machine works best for popular posts that were up for at least a few hours before deletion. The more activity a post got, the more likely it was archived. If a post was deleted within minutes of being made or didn‘t get much attention, it probably wasn‘t captured.
The other limitation is you can only see posts as they existed when the archive snapshot was taken. So if there were later edits or replies you want to see that happened after the snapshot, you‘re out of luck.
But overall, quickly checking the Wayback Machine archive is the best first step for finding any deleted Reddit post or comment. If it doesn‘t turn up there, we still have a few other methods to try.
Method 2: Use third-party Reddit archive sites
Besides the Wayback Machine, there are also some third-party sites specifically dedicated to archiving deleted Reddit content. Some of the most popular options are:
Reveddit (reveddit.com) – enter a Reddit username, subreddit, or thread to see deleted posts and comments
Unddit (unddit.com) – similar to Reveddit, but also highlights edited and removed content
Removeddit (removeddit.com) – same idea but only works for comments, not posts
Resavr (resavr.com) – tracks posts and comments that were deleted by mods
These sites essentially work by frequently scanning Reddit and backing up post/comment data to their own database, preserving content in case of deletion later on.
To use these, simply go to the site, enter the Reddit thread, subreddit, or username you want to investigate, and you‘ll get back any deleted content they have archived. Like the Wayback Machine, the more popular the content, the more likely it was backed up.
These archives can be especially handy for viewing a user‘s deleted post history or finding removed comments within an active thread. Just be aware the archive may not be 100% complete, especially for recently deleted content.
Method 3: Check Google cache and other search engines
Popular search engines like Google and Bing crawl and cache Reddit content quite frequently. While designed to speed up search results, these temporary caches can also let you view recently deleted Reddit posts.
To check Google‘s cache for a deleted Reddit post:
Go to google.com and search for the exact title of the deleted Reddit post in quotation marks.
When you see the Reddit post appear in the search results, click the small down arrow next to the URL.
Click "Cached" to view Google‘s most recent cached version of that Reddit post, hopefully with the deleted content still visible.
You can repeat the same steps with other search engines like Bing or Yandex to check their cached versions. For very popular posts that were recently deleted, this can be one of the quickest ways to view the removed content.
The limitation is caches are temporary, so this only works for very recently deleted posts, usually within the past few days at most. After that, you‘ll need to rely on the other archival methods.
Method 4: Ask for help on Reddit
If you still can‘t find an archived version of a deleted post or comment, there‘s one last place to turn: Reddit itself. The r/help and r/OutOfTheLoop subreddits are frequented by knowledgeable, well-connected Reddit users who may have saved a copy before deletion or could point you in the right direction.
Make a post on those subs politely explaining what deleted post you‘re looking for and why. With any luck, someone who saw it can give you a summary or even a screenshot of the deleted content.
Just be prepared that this doesn‘t always pan out, especially for posts deleted long ago. But it can work surprisingly well for recently viral posts, as other curious users may be searching for the backstory as well.
When to move on from deleted content
At the end of the day, no method is perfect for viewing all deleted Reddit posts and comments. If a post was deleted very quickly, didn‘t get much attention, or was removed by anti-abuse algorithms, it likely wasn‘t archived.
In those cases, your best bet is seeing what you can piece together from context. Read the replies to the deleted post to infer what it said. Search using keywords to see if the content was posted elsewhere like Twitter or a news article. You can even try sending a polite message to the user who made the deleted post, if their account still exists, to ask for more details.
But if all else fails, sometimes it‘s best to accept that the deleted content is really gone and to move on. Reposting deleted content can be seen as invasive, and repeatedly asking about it may make you look obsessive. Try to be respectful of the user‘s intent in removing their post.
Ethical considerations for viewing deleted Reddit content
On a final note, always be thoughtful about your reasons for seeking out deleted Reddit posts and how you use that information. While it‘s generally okay to satisfy harmless curiosity, you definitely don‘t want to use deleted content for harassment or bullying.
Remember that you‘re viewing the post as it was at a single point in time. The user may have deleted it after learning new information or reconsidering their opinion. Quoting deleted posts out of context or to embarrass the user is not cool.
Likewise, don‘t repost or share deleted content publicly without the original user‘s consent. They deleted it for a reason. Spreading deleted posts, especially those with personal info, is a huge violation of privacy.
In general, apply the golden rule to deleted content. If it was your post that was removed, how would you want others to handle it? Use common sense, empathy, and restraint in deciding whether to dig up deleted posts and how to engage with that content.
Wrapping up
With a bit of creative sleuthing, it‘s usually possible to view deleted Reddit posts and comments using archives like the Wayback Machine or third-party sites like Removeddit. Checking Google caches and asking on r/help can also turn up recently deleted content.
Just keep in mind that not everything can be recovered, especially less popular posts deleted very quickly. And always be respectful when interacting with deleted content. Use it to satisfy benign curiosity, not invasive harassment.
I hope this guide has helped demystify the process of viewing deleted Reddit posts. Use your newfound powers wisely! Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions.
