Reddit adds comment searching to help improve search results

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The search feature is being updated. Users will be able to pull results from replies to posts, making it less of a hassle to find something specific outside of general Reddit posts, communities, and people. The addition of a discovery tab on its mobile app in January helped users find content from outside their usual subreddits.

The ability to search comments was one of the top results in a user survey. The feature was limited during initial testing, and it was claimed that 26,000 users went on to use it. Right now, the new ability is only available for users searching on the desktop website, but not via the apps.

Image: Reddit

Image: Reddit

In addition to comment searching, Reddit is also updating its search experience to help users find more relevant search results written by real people. When searching for something, related results will pop up instead of the exact wording, making the search less restrictive.

Search results are populated by relevance right now. Results will be based on interactions within the site with the new search feature. How popular a result is on the platform is taken into account in the search results. When interacting with a search result, you can determine which results will rank highest.

The new method allows users to see newer results when a lot of people are searching for the same thing. With the new desktop update, you'll have a better chance of seeing recent results if you use the site for testimonials or to look up the latest breaking news.