Reddit Udemy Freebies Scraper

A Python-based web scraper that monitors Reddit's r/udemyfreeebies subreddit to automatically detect and notify you about "100 Days of Code: The Complete Python Pro Bootcamp by Angela Yu" when it becomes available for free.

Overview

This project scrapes the r/udemyfreeebies subreddit using the Reddit JSON API and searches for posts matching specific course patterns. When a match is found, it displays the post details including the title and direct link.

Features

✅ Automated Reddit Scraping - Fetches latest posts from r/udemyfreeebies
✅ Flexible Pattern Matching - Detects multiple variations of course names and instructor names
✅ Case-Insensitive Search - Matches regardless of text case
✅ Error Handling - Gracefully handles rate limiting and connection errors
✅ User-Agent Headers - Prevents blocking by Reddit's anti-bot measures
✅ Formatted Output - Clean, easy-to-read match notifications

Files

File	Purpose
main.py	Main scraper script with real-time verification
one_time.py	One-time data collection script (legacy)
courses.txt	Output file storing course data
data.json	JSON formatted course data (optional)

Installation

Prerequisites

• Python 3.7+
• pip (Python package manager)

Dependencies

Install required packages:

pip install requests beautifulsoup4

Usage

Run the Main Scraper

python main.py

Output Example:

--- Scraper Hit Verification ---
Scraping https://www.reddit.com/r/udemyfreeebies/.json?limit=5...

========================================
🔥 MATCH FOUND!
Title: [100 Days of Code: The Complete Python Pro Bootcamp by Angela Yu]
Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/...
========================================

Run One-Time Collection

python one_time.py

This script scrapes all available courses and saves them to courses.txt for filtering.

How It Works

1. Fetches Posts - Connects to Reddit's JSON API endpoint
2. Parses Data - Extracts post titles and descriptions
3. Pattern Matching - Uses regex to search for matching course names
4. Displays Results - Prints matched posts with clickable links

Pattern Matching Logic

The scraper searches for these variations (all case-insensitive):

✓ "100 Days of Code" + "Angela Yu" (in any order)
✓ "100 Days of Code: The Complete Python Pro Bootcamp"
✓ Both text and title variations

Technical Details

Regex Patterns Used

PATTERN = re.compile(
    r"(100.*days.*code.*angela.*yu)|"              # Course ... Instructor
    r"(angela.*yu.*100.*days.*code)|"              # Instructor ... Course
    r"(100\s*days\s*of\s*code.*python\s*pro\s*bootcamp)", # Full Title
    re.IGNORECASE
)

API Endpoint

• URL: https://www.reddit.com/r/udemyfreeebies/.json
• Method: GET
• Rate Limit: 60 requests/minute (with proper User-Agent)

Error Handling

The script handles:

• 429 Status Code - Rate limiting by Reddit (waits before retry)
• Connection Errors - Network failures
• Invalid JSON - Malformed API responses
• Missing Fields - Posts without expected data structure

Customization

Change Target Course

Edit the PATTERN variable in main.py:

PATTERN = re.compile(
    r"your.*course.*name.*here",
    re.IGNORECASE
)

Adjust Search Limit

Modify the URL in main.py:

SUBREDDIT_URL = "https://www.reddit.com/r/udemyfreeebies/.json?limit=100"  # Get 100 latest posts

Add Email Notifications

Extend the script to send emails when matches are found:

if PATTERN.search(full_text):
    send_email_notification(title, url)  # Add your email logic

Limitations

⚠️ Rate Limiting - Reddit allows ~60 requests/minute
⚠️ Subreddit Availability - Relies on r/udemyfreeebies being active
⚠️ Course Availability - Udemy courses may not always be free
⚠️ Manual Monitoring - Currently doesn't auto-monitor periodically

Future Enhancements

• Scheduled background monitoring using schedule library
• Email/Discord notifications on match found
• Database storage for historical data
• Web dashboard for viewing matches
• Multiple course tracking
• Price drop detection

Dependencies

• requests - HTTP library for API calls
• beautifulsoup4 - HTML parsing (optional, for content extraction)

License

This project is for educational purposes. Ensure compliance with Reddit's Terms of Service and Udemy's policies.

Disclaimer

This tool is provided as-is. The author is not responsible for:

• Account bans due to excessive API requests
• Missed course opportunities
• Changes to Reddit/Udemy APIs
• Course availability accuracy

Contact & Support

For issues or questions, ensure you have:

• ✓ Latest Python version installed
• ✓ All dependencies installed (pip install -r requirements.txt)
• ✓ Valid internet connection
• ✓ Reddit is not blocked by your network

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Last Updated: December 2025
Status: ✅ Active & Maintained