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POST
/
api
/
validate-subreddit
Validate Subreddit
curl --request POST \
  --url https://api.example.com/api/validate-subreddit \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '
{
  "subreddit": "<string>"
}
'
{
  "valid": true,
  "message": "<string>",
  "subreddit": "<string>"
}

​
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

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

​
Response

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

​
Examples

​
Validate a Subreddit

curl -X POST "https://app.joip.io/api/validate-subreddit" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "subreddit": "pics"
  }'

​
Validate with r/ Prefix

curl -X POST "https://app.joip.io/api/validate-subreddit" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "subreddit": "r/aww"
  }'

​
Response Examples

​
Valid Subreddit

{
  "valid": true,
  "subreddit": "pics"
}

​
Invalid Subreddit

{
  "valid": false,
  "message": "Subreddit not found or inaccessible"
}

​
Empty Subreddit Name

{
  "valid": false,
  "message": "Invalid subreddit name"
}

​
Error Responses

​
Missing Subreddit Parameter

Status: 400 Bad Request 
{
  "valid": false,
  "message": "Validation error: Required at subreddit"
}

​
Reddit Service Not Configured

Status: 500 Internal Server Error 
{
  "valid": false,
  "message": "Content service is not configured"
}

​
Validation Error

Status: 500 Internal Server Error 
{
  "valid": false,
  "message": "Failed to validate subreddit"
}

​
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

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