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POST
Validate Subreddit

Overview

This endpoint validates whether a subreddit name is valid and accessible via the Reddit API. It’s useful for validating user input before creating sessions or fetching content.

Request Body

string
required
Subreddit name to validate. Can include r/ prefix or not.Examples:
  • "pics"
  • "r/aww"
  • "cats"

Response

boolean
Whether the subreddit is valid and accessible
string
Error message if validation failed
string
The normalized subreddit name (returned when valid)

Examples

Validate a Subreddit

Validate with r/ Prefix

Response Examples

Valid Subreddit

Invalid Subreddit

Empty Subreddit Name

Error Responses

Missing Subreddit Parameter

Status: 400 Bad Request

Reddit Service Not Configured

Status: 500 Internal Server Error

Validation Error

Status: 500 Internal Server Error

Validation Logic

  1. Name Cleaning: Removes r/ prefix and trims whitespace
  2. Empty Check: Rejects empty strings after cleaning
  3. Reddit API Check: Uses centralized Reddit service to verify subreddit exists and is accessible
  4. Normalization: Returns the cleaned, normalized subreddit name on success

Use Cases

  • Form Validation: Validate subreddit input in real-time as users type
  • Bulk Validation: Validate multiple subreddits before session creation
  • Autocomplete: Confirm a subreddit exists before adding it to a list
  • Error Prevention: Prevent invalid subreddits from being saved to sessions

Notes

  • Subreddit names are case-insensitive
  • The r/ prefix is optional and automatically stripped
  • Validation checks both existence and accessibility (some subreddits may be private or quarantined)
  • The endpoint uses the centralized Reddit service, which handles API credentials and caching
  • This endpoint does not require authentication