Social Rocket
Reddit is making its AI-powered Max campaigns available to all advertisers as of now. The campaign format, previously rolled out gradually, automates targeting, creative selection, placements and budget allocation, and at the same time gets three new features: API support, a Smartly integration and asset groups.
With this, Reddit follows the platform trend toward more automated campaign types, while also trying to give more insight into audiences and creative performance than classic black-box setups.
What Reddit Max automates
Max campaigns first launched as a beta at the beginning of 2026. According to Reddit, the system evaluates the potential value of individual impressions and continuously adjusts campaign settings. Automated elements include audience targeting, creative combinations, placements, bids and budget allocation.
Reddit reports from 17 split tests between June and August 2025 an average of 17 percent lower cost per action and more than 27 percent additional conversions compared with standard campaigns. These figures come from Reddit's own tests and are therefore not a general performance benchmark for every industry or campaign.
This gap between platform promises and independent measurement matters. Why marketers should check automated recommendations independently is covered in our article on AI in media buying and platform automation.
API, Smartly and asset groups are added
With the broad rollout, Reddit also opens Max to external workflows. The Reddit Advertising API now officially supports the campaign format. This allows advertisers to create and manage Max campaigns through connected third-party tools.
As the first partner, Smartly supports the campaigns directly. This is relevant for larger teams, because Reddit can be integrated more easily into existing cross-channel processes rather than being treated as a completely separate advertising platform.
Also new are asset groups. Advertisers can organise multiple sets of headlines, media and destination URLs within a Max campaign, for example separated by product line or use case. Performance can then be evaluated at the group level.
Reddit wants to make automation less of a black box
A focus of Max campaigns remains so-called open-box reporting. For this, Reddit combines campaign data with its "Community Intelligence" and shows, among other things, which audience personas, interests, communities, placements and creative combinations respond particularly strongly.
This is interesting for brands that have so far avoided Reddit due to a lack of platform knowledge. Automation can simplify entry; at the same time, the reports provide clues about which communities and messages actually work.
Reddit is also expanding its video advertising in parallel. Recently the platform launched a new optimisation goal for 15-second Engaged Video Views.
What marketers should take away
Max campaigns are most interesting when a team wants to test Reddit without manually setting up every audience and creative combination. The new asset groups also make the format more suitable for retailers and brands with multiple product lines.
The platform should nevertheless not be judged on CPA or conversion volume alone. Incrementality, actual revenue contribution and creative learnings remain decisive. Which metrics make sense depending on the campaign goal is shown in our guide to social media goals and KPIs.