Reddit Content Cleaner v1.0.0

A Python script that helps you manage your Reddit content history by providing various options to clean, edit, and delete posts and comments based on different criteria. The script includes features like age-based deletion, karma-based filtering, and keyword-based management.

Features

Core Functionality

Delete posts and comments older than a specified number of days
Remove comments with negative karma
Clean up low-engagement comments (1 karma and no replies)
Target specific subreddits for content cleanup
Remove content containing specific keywords
Dry run mode for testing changes before execution
Configurable comment replacement text
Detailed logging and backup system

Safety Features

Excluded subreddits list to protect important content
Keyword-based exclusion
Configurable delay between operations to respect API limits
Comprehensive error handling and logging
Backup of deleted content

System Requirements

Python 3.6 or higher
PRAW (Python Reddit API Wrapper)
pytz library for timezone handling

Installation

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/905timur/Reddit-Content-Cleaner.git
cd Reddit-Content-Cleaner

Install required packages:

pip install praw pytz

Configuration

REDDIT CONFIGURATION

Navigate to Reddit Apps Preferences.
Click "Create application" at the bottom of the repository.
Select "script".
Fill out the description, and both the URL and redirect URI fields (you can point both fields to this GitHub page).
Click "create app".
Once your app is created, you will see your client ID and client secret. Both are highlighted below:

Credentials Setup

Create a file named credentials.txt in the script directory with the following format:

your_client_id
your_client_secret
your_reddit_username
your_reddit_password

Configuration File

The script uses a config.json file for customization. It will be automatically created on first run with default values, or you can create it manually:

{
    "replacement_text": ".",
    "min_delay": 6, 
    "max_delay": 8, 
    "excluded_subreddits": ["AskScience", "PersonalFinance", "LegalAdvice", "programming"],
    "excluded_keywords": ["important", "keep this", "legal document", "confidential"],
    "backup_enabled": true,
    "dry_run": false
}

Configuration options:

replacement_text: Text to replace comments with before deletion
min_delay: Minimum delay between operations in seconds
max_delay: Maximum delay between operations in seconds
excluded_subreddits: List of subreddits to exclude from deletion
excluded_keywords: List of keywords that will prevent content deletion
backup_enabled: Enable/disable content backups
dry_run: Test mode that shows what would be deleted without actually deleting

Usage

Run the script using:

python RedditContentCleaner.py

Available Options

Remove content older than x days
- Deletes all posts and comments older than the specified number of days
- Prompts for the number of days
- Respects excluded subreddits and keywords
Remove comments with negative karma
- Automatically finds and removes all comments with negative karma scores
- Useful for cleaning up controversial or downvoted comments
Remove comments with 1 karma and no replies
- Cleans up comments that haven't received any engagement
- Helps remove "orphaned" comments from your history
Remove all posts
- Deletes all posts from your Reddit history
Remove posts older than x days
- Deletes posts older than the specified number of days
Remove posts under x upvotes
- Deletes posts with a score below the specified threshold
Remove content from specific subreddit
- Target a specific subreddit for content cleanup
- Useful for removing history from particular communities
Remove content containing keyword
- Search and remove posts or comments containing specific words or phrases
- Case-insensitive matching
Edit configuration
- View current configuration settings
- Provides instructions for modifying the config.json file
Enable/Disable dry run

Toggle test mode on/off
Shows what would be deleted without actually deleting
Useful for verifying settings before running cleanup

Quit

Safely exit the program

Backup System

When enabled, the backup system creates a deleted_content.txt file containing:

Timestamp of deletion
Content score
Subreddit name
Original content (post or comment)
Separator line for easy reading

Example backup entry:

Timestamp: 2025-01-06 12:34:56+00:00
Score: 1
Subreddit: AskReddit
Content: Original content text here
--------------------------------------------------

Logging

The script maintains a content_cleaner.log file with detailed operation logs including:

Timestamp of operations
Success/failure status
Error messages if any
Affected subreddits

Safety Features

Rate Limiting

Random delay between 6-8 seconds between operations
Configurable through min_delay and max_delay settings
Helps prevent Reddit API rate limit issues

Content Protection

Excluded subreddits list prevents accidental deletion of important content
Keyword-based exclusion for protecting specific content
Dry run mode for testing configuration changes
Backup system for recovery if needed

Error Handling

The script includes comprehensive error handling for:

API connection issues
Authentication problems
Rate limiting errors
File system errors
Invalid input validation

Best Practices

Always run in dry run mode first when making configuration changes
Keep backups enabled unless storage is a concern
Start with longer delays if unsure about rate limiting
Regularly update excluded subreddits list
Check logs periodically for any issues

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Authentication Errors
- Verify credentials.txt format
- Check Reddit API credentials
- Ensure account password is correct
Rate Limiting
- Increase min_delay and max_delay values
- Check for other scripts using same account
- Verify API usage limits
Missing Content
- Check excluded_subreddits list
- Verify excluded_keywords
- Review log file for errors

Getting Help

If you encounter issues:

Check the log file for error messages
Review configuration settings
Verify Reddit API status
Open an issue on this GitHub repository

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch
Submit a pull request
Include tests for new features
Update documentation as needed

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Changelog