Reddit Ads Campaigns
Strategic guide for managing Reddit advertising via the Reddit Ads API v3. The toolkit is a raw-HTTP client, so parameter types must be sent exactly as documented — strings as strings, integers as integers, and all money in micro-currency.
Requirements
- Hyper MCP installed and connected. https://app.hyperfx.ai/mcp
- Reddit Ads integration connected (a Reddit Ads business account with ad account access) at https://app.hyperfx.ai/apps.
If reddit_ads_get_me is not found, the integration to connect is Reddit Ads. Serving ads also requires an active funding instrument on the ad account — campaigns and ad groups can be created without one, but the account must be funded for ads to run.
How to run the tools in this skill
Every tool in this skill is named by its canonical tool name. Run it with the call your surface gives you:
| Surface | Find a tool | Run it |
|---|---|---|
| Hyper chat | Call the tool by its name; search_tools(queries=["<provider> <action>"]) shows its parameters | <name>(...) |
| MCP client (Claude, Cursor, Codex, ChatGPT) | search("<what you want to do>"), then describe("<name>") | call_read("<name>", {...}), call_write or call_destructive: the one that describe names in call_with |
| Hyper CLI | hyperai search "<what you want to do>", then hyperai describe <name> | hyperai call <name> --json '{...}' |
If a tool is not found: in Hyper chat, find its toolkit id with discover_toolkits and pass it to enable_toolkit. On an MCP client or the CLI, tell the user which integration to connect in Hyper.
Out of scope — defer to other skills
- Organic Reddit research (mining subreddit discussions, pain points, voice-of-customer) →
customer-research. - Creative generation (ad copy, images) →
ad-creative-generation. - Cross-platform campaign launches → use this skill for Reddit, then invoke
meta-ads/google-ads/tiktok-adsseparately.
Critical Rules
CRITICAL: All budgets and bids are in micro-currency. $1.00 = 1,000,000 micros. A $50/day budget is
goal_value=50000000; a $0.50 CPC isbid_value=500000. Never pass dollar amounts directly.
CRITICAL: Create campaigns, ad groups, and ads with
configured_status="PAUSED"(the toolkit default). Never launch live without explicit user review. Because everything defaults to PAUSED, you can build a full campaign and archive it without spending — ideal for demos.
CRITICAL: Discovery flows through businesses, not a flat account list:
reddit_ads_get_me→reddit_ads_list_businesses→reddit_ads_list_ad_accounts(business_id=...). There is no top-level "list all ad accounts" call.
CRITICAL: An ad promotes a post — it needs a
post_id(or aprofile_id+ creation), not raw creative fields. Before creating an ad, find an existing post (reddit_ads_list_posts) or create one (reddit_ads_create_post). Only community posts can be promoted via the API.
CRITICAL: The ad group
targeting.communitiesarray takes subreddit NAMES, not thet5_IDs thatsearch_targetingreturns. Use thenamefield from the search results:"communities": ["marketing", "SaaS", "Entrepreneur"]— passingt5_...IDs fails with "You cannot set invalid communities". (interestsdoes use the IDs;geolocationsuses country codes like"US".)
CRITICAL: Resolve targeting with
reddit_ads_search_targetingbefore building — never guess values.targetingis a named parameter oncreate_ad_group; pass any other variant-heavy fields (audiences, schedule) viainput_data.
CRITICAL:
start_timeis required when creating an ad group (ISO 8601). On a campaign,start_timeis only valid with CBO enabled — for non-CBO campaigns, omit it at the campaign level and set it on the ad group, or you get "Cannot set start_time for a campaign without having campaign budget optimization enabled."
CRITICAL:
bid_valueis always required forbid_typeCPC/CPM/CPV/CPV6 — even withbid_strategy="MAXIMIZE_VOLUME". Set a cap (e.g.bid_value=600000= $0.60) or get one fromreddit_ads_generate_bid_suggestion.
CRITICAL: There is no instant hard delete. Reddit requires an entity to be ARCHIVED for 3+ hours before it can be permanently DELETED.
reddit_ads_delete_*tries the real delete and falls back to archiving (which stops delivery) when it isn't deletable yet. Check the returnedconfigured_status(ARCHIVED vs DELETED) and tell the user a hard delete is possible ~3h after archiving.
CRITICAL: Reporting (
reddit_ads_get_report) requiresfields,starts_at, andends_at. Spend metrics come back in micro-currency.
IMPORTANT: Campaigns require
name,objective, and (to serve) afunding_instrument_id— list them withreddit_ads_list_funding_instruments. Conversion-optimized ad groups need aconversion_pixel_id(reddit_ads_list_pixels). From 2026-07-13, ad groups and CBO campaigns requireconversion_pixel_id.
IMPORTANT: Lead generation works as a campaign objective (
LEAD_GENERATION), but lead-gen form management is not available via this toolkit (it needs a feature-gated scope) — build lead-gen forms in Reddit Ads Manager.
CRITICAL (CONVERSIONS campaigns): the ad group
optimization_goalis required and, for standard (non-CBO) CONVERSIONS campaigns, the only accepted value isCLICKS.SIGN_UP,PAGE_VISIT,PURCHASE, etc. are valid enum values but are rejected for this campaign type ("Conversion goal ... is not valid for Conversions Campaigns"). Reddit validates in two layers — enum membership, then campaign-type allowance. Useoptimization_goal="CLICKS"; the CONVERSIONS objective still governs delivery.
CRITICAL (post types): valid post
typevalues areIMAGE,VIDEO,CAROUSEL,TEXT— notLINK.TEXTposts are "free-form ads": they cannot carry aclick_urland CANNOT be used in CONVERSIONS-campaign ads. For any ad with a destination (especially CONVERSIONS), promote an IMAGE / VIDEO / CAROUSEL post.
CRITICAL (creating posts with new media): prefer
reddit_ads_create_structured_post— it takes media as a URL that Reddit downloads and re-hosts, so it needs no pre-uploaded asset. Creation is an async job: the tool polls up towait_seconds(default 45) and returns the job; onstatus="SUCCESS"usejob.post_idas the ad'spost_id, else pollreddit_ads_get_structured_post_job. IMAGE needsmedia_url+destination_url; VIDEO also needsthumbnail_url; CAROUSEL takes 1–6{image_url, destination_url, ...}cards;PROMOTED_POSTpromotes an existing SFW community post by id.call_to_actionis a display label ("Sign Up","Learn More"), never"SIGN_UP". The legacyreddit_ads_create_postcannot fetch media by URL — itscontent[].media_urlmust reference an already-uploaded Reddit asset (reddit_ads_list_creative_assets), CTA lives insidecontent[], and TEXT posts must have an emptycontent[]. Use the legacy tool only to reuse an existing asset.
IMPORTANT: Posts are immutable after creation except comments — to change headline/media/destination, create a new structured post.
reddit_ads_update_post(post_id=..., allow_comments=...)only toggles comments (setis_structured_post=Truefor structured posts).
Tool surface
| Group | Tools |
|---|---|
| Identity & discovery | reddit_ads_get_me, reddit_ads_list_businesses, reddit_ads_list_ad_accounts, reddit_ads_get_ad_account, reddit_ads_list_funding_instruments |
| Campaigns | reddit_ads_list_campaigns, reddit_ads_get_campaign, reddit_ads_create_campaign, reddit_ads_update_campaign, reddit_ads_delete_campaign |
| Ad groups | reddit_ads_list_ad_groups, reddit_ads_get_ad_group, reddit_ads_create_ad_group, reddit_ads_update_ad_group, reddit_ads_delete_ad_group |
| Ads | reddit_ads_list_ads, reddit_ads_get_ad, reddit_ads_create_ad, reddit_ads_update_ad, reddit_ads_delete_ad |
| Posts & creative | reddit_ads_list_profiles, reddit_ads_get_profile, reddit_ads_list_posts, reddit_ads_create_post, reddit_ads_get_post, reddit_ads_update_post, reddit_ads_list_creative_assets, reddit_ads_get_creative_asset |
| Structured posts (media by URL) | reddit_ads_create_structured_post, reddit_ads_get_structured_post_job, reddit_ads_list_structured_posts, reddit_ads_get_structured_post |
| Targeting | reddit_ads_search_targeting, reddit_ads_suggest_keywords, reddit_ads_validate_keywords, reddit_ads_validate_geolocations |
| Audiences | reddit_ads_list_custom_audiences, reddit_ads_create_custom_audience, reddit_ads_get_custom_audience, reddit_ads_delete_custom_audience, reddit_ads_update_custom_audience_users, reddit_ads_list_saved_audiences, reddit_ads_create_saved_audience, reddit_ads_get_saved_audience, reddit_ads_update_saved_audience |
| Pixels & Conversions API | reddit_ads_list_pixels, reddit_ads_list_pixels_by_business, reddit_ads_post_conversion_events, reddit_ads_get_pixel_last_fired_at |
| Forecasting & access | reddit_ads_generate_bid_suggestion, reddit_ads_get_reach_forecast, reddit_ads_get_feature_access |
| Apps / SKAdNetwork | reddit_ads_list_apps, reddit_ads_get_skan_availability, reddit_ads_get_app_last_fired_at_report |
| Reporting & history | reddit_ads_get_report, reddit_ads_get_account_history |
All reference files live in
references/. Read them atreferences/<file>(e.g.references/discovery.md).
Routing table
| The user wants to… | Read these files first |
|---|---|
| Launch a Reddit campaign (any objective) | references/discovery.md → references/campaign-creation.md |
| Promote a post / create a post (incl. media by URL) | references/campaign-creation.md |
| Forecast reach before launch | references/discovery.md |
| Manage custom or saved audiences / resolve targeting | references/audiences-and-targeting.md |
| Set up pixel / Conversions API tracking | references/conversions-and-reporting.md |
| Pull reports / update or delete entities | references/conversions-and-reporting.md |
| Goal not yet clear | references/discovery.md — discovery clarifies the goal |
Campaign Workflow
Discover business/account → audit account → research (objective, targeting, budget, post) → resolve targeting IDs → confirm strategy → create campaign (PAUSED) → create ad group → find/create post → create ad → review with user → activate (update_* to ACTIVE).
Known Limitations
| Issue | Workaround |
|---|---|
| No instant hard delete; "A campaign must be archived before it can be deleted" / "cannot be deleted until three hours after it was archived" | Expected — delete_* auto-archives (stops delivery); hard delete is possible ~3h after archiving. Re-run delete later to remove permanently. |
Ad creation needs a post_id | Promote an existing community post (list_posts) or create one (create_post); only community posts can be promoted via the API. |
| Conversion ad groups rejected without a pixel | Set conversion_pixel_id (from list_pixels). Required for ad groups / CBO from 2026-07-13. |
| Campaign won't serve | Attach a funding_instrument_id (from list_funding_instruments); the account must be funded. |
| Lead-gen forms can't be created via API | Build the form in Reddit Ads Manager; the API only sets the LEAD_GENERATION objective. |
| Variant create fields (targeting, schedule, creative) aren't named params | Pass them through input_data (a dict), which is merged into the request body. |
| No flat ad-account list | Discover via get_me → list_businesses → list_ad_accounts(business_id). |
"You cannot set invalid communities: {t5_...}" | The targeting.communities array wants subreddit names, not the t5_ IDs from search_targeting. Use the name field. |
"Cannot set start_time ... without ... campaign budget optimization" | Campaign-level start_time is CBO-only. Omit it on non-CBO campaigns; set start_time on the ad group. |
Ad group create: "Input should be a valid datetime" on start_time | start_time is required on ad groups — always pass it. |
bid_value demanded despite MAXIMIZE_VOLUME | bid_value is always required for CPC/CPM/CPV/CPV6. Provide a cap or use generate_bid_suggestion. |
generate_bid_suggestion: "Additional fields not permitted" / "'start_time' is a required property" | duration is an ISO start/end range ({"start_time": ..., "end_time": ...}), not {"days": N}. |
| Varnish 503 on create | Transient Reddit backend error. Verify no duplicate was created (list_campaigns) before retrying. |
effective_status shows PENDING_APPROVAL right after create | Normal even for PAUSED entities (ad review) — it clears automatically; not a failure. |
CONVERSIONS ad group: "Conversion goal (optimization goal) is required" / "... is not valid for Conversions Campaigns" | optimization_goal is required and, for non-CBO CONVERSIONS, must be CLICKS (SIGN_UP/PAGE_VISIT/PURCHASE are rejected for this campaign type). |
"'LINK' is not one of [CAROUSEL, IMAGE, TEXT, VIDEO]" | Post type must be IMAGE/VIDEO/CAROUSEL/TEXT — there is no LINK type. |
Ad create: "Posts used for ads in Conversion campaigns cannot be free-form ad" / "Free form ads cannot have a click url" | TEXT posts are free-form — use IMAGE/VIDEO/CAROUSEL for CONVERSIONS ads. |
IMAGE post: "Image is required" | With legacy create_post, put the asset in content[].media_url (an already-uploaded Reddit asset from list_creative_assets); a post_url alone is not enough. To create from a fresh media URL, use reddit_ads_create_structured_post instead. |
Structured post job not done yet (status QUEUED/PROCESSING) | Creation is async; the create tool polls to wait_seconds (default 45). If still pending, poll reddit_ads_get_structured_post_job(post_creation_job_id=...) until SUCCESS (then use post_id) or CLIENT_ERROR/SERVER_ERROR (read error_message). |
| Need to change a post's headline/media/destination | Not possible — posts are immutable. Create a new structured post. reddit_ads_update_post only toggles allow_comments. |
Post: call_to_action "Additional fields not permitted" | call_to_action belongs inside content[], not top-level, and uses display labels ("Sign Up"), not enum constants ("SIGN_UP"). |
TEXT post: "Post content must be empty for this post type" | TEXT posts can't carry a content[] block — only IMAGE/VIDEO/CAROUSEL do. |
| Dollar amounts | Always micro-currency (×1,000,000). |
Safety Rules
Never:
- Assume business, ad account, campaign, post, pixel, or targeting IDs — look them up or ask.
- Skip the account audit phase.
- Create campaigns, ad groups, or ads without explicit user approval.
- Set anything to
ACTIVEwithout user consent. - Pass dollar amounts instead of micro-currency.
- Create an ad without a valid
post_id. - Promise an instant permanent delete — Reddit requires ARCHIVED for 3+ hours first.
- Guess targeting IDs — resolve them with
reddit_ads_search_targeting.
