Reddit Ad Examples: Real Headlines From 15,000 Ads (and the Patterns Behind Them)
Updated: Oct 13
These are real Reddit ad headlines from the 14,949 ads in our dataset, an analysis of ads launched mostly between 2023 and 2025, grouped by the patterns they use. We don't have performance data for these ads, so they show what advertisers run, not what worked. The most useful finding: almost nobody writes like a Redditor. Use the examples as a swipe file for ideas, then test your own.
What do real Reddit ad headlines have in common?
Pattern | Share of ads |
|---|---|
Speak to the reader (you, your) | 41% |
Contain a digit | 37% |
Ask a question | 16% |
Over 150 characters | 29% |
Use an ALL CAPS word | 13% |
Use an emoji | 11% |
Say "free" | 8% |
Under 60 characters | 16% |
The median headline is 112 characters long. See Reddit ads best practices from 43,000+ ads for what that means for engagement.
Which Reddit-native patterns do advertisers rarely use?
Pattern | Share of ads | Real example |
|---|---|---|
Speak to Redditors directly | 2.1% | Redditors, Stop Settling For Disappointing VPS Hosting. Host Your VPS The Right Way. |
Open with a problem (tired of, sick of, fed up) | 1.6% | Fed up with costly product analytics tools? |
Copy a Reddit post format (TIFU, YSK, ELI5, TIL, AITA, AMA, PSA) | 0.9% | TIFU by not using this free tool to calculate my client's RTO |
Start in first person | 0.6% | I quit my job designing Disney rides to create this adventure game. Coming to Steam! |
Use a Reddit promo code | 0.2% | Lynepad 2.2 - now 20% off with code RDT20 |
These patterns are rare, which could mean they're underused, or that they only fit some products. Rare doesn't mean effective, so test them. Our own tests lean Reddit-native: in 9 out of 10, custom Reddit headlines beat copy-pasted Meta ones.
What do problem-first headlines look like?
"Tired of waiting for the role of a traitor in games? Then this game is for you! In it, every player is a traitor."
"Sick of the club's stuffy old dress codes? You don't need a polo, you need The Faux-Lo . . ."
"Fed up with costly product analytics tools?"
They name the pain first, then point at the product. See how to write Reddit ad headlines.
What do maker-story headlines look like?
If you build games or apps, the first person works well on Reddit, where people like to see who made something:
"I made a virtual pet game where you can talk to your pet. Go play if you'd like"
"I'm making a roguelite RTS where you're a god fighting an alien invasion!"
"I built an editor to help me type my scientific notes. I recently deployed it, you can try it without signing up :)"
Only 0.4% of ads in our data tell a maker story. For games, see Reddit ads for games: the mistakes game advertisers make.
What do question and offer headlines look like?
"How can you know if your conversation is private? Control the encryption."
"Is our pursuit of greatness leaving us dissatisfied?"
"Get up to 6 Months of Onshape Professional for Free."
"Last chance - 15% off"
What would we copy, and what would we skip?
Copy: problem-first openers, maker stories, Reddit post formats where they fit, and a Reddit promo code, which also gives you a way to track sales when you can't install a pixel. See how to track Reddit ads without the pixel.
Skip: emojis (11% use them, and in our tests they haven't helped), ALL CAPS, headlines over 150 characters, and walls of legal text.
How do you use these as a swipe file?
Pick the 2 or 3 patterns that fit your product.
Rewrite them with your own pain points, researched from real threads.
Pair each headline with a different creative. See how to make Reddit meme ads.
Test at least 2 headlines against each creative, and judge by your own results.
Reddit ad examples: FAQ
Where can you see real Reddit ads?
A public library of Reddit ads, like AdLibro, lets you browse real ads and headlines. We analyzed 14,949 of them for this post.
What makes a good Reddit ad?
In our experience, it sounds like a Redditor, leads with a real problem, is honest about being an ad, and focuses on one message.
Do these ads perform well?
We don't know. The data shows what advertisers run, not how the ads performed. Test any idea before you scale it.
Should you copy other advertisers' Reddit ads?
Use them for ideas, not for copy. Rewrite the patterns with your own audience's real problems.
How many Reddit ads address Redditors directly?
About 2.1% of the ads in our dataset.
Get the full playbook
This post comes from my free eBook, How Reddit Ads Actually Works. It also covers targeting, creative, comments and measurement. Get it free, by email.
About the author
Written by Dāvis Lejnieks, CEO of Undecided Agency and a Redditor for 15+ years. He plans and runs Reddit ad campaigns for DTC, gaming and app brands, and shares what the data shows here.
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Undecided Agency is a Reddit ads agency for DTC, gaming and app brands. Want a plan for your product? Get a Reddit Ads Game Plan.
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