last30: correct Reddit fallback — built-in WebSearch is also blocked from reddit.com (Exa-only), found via live run

4d1691aea42dff1ef8ad0f3baae9f913788a59be · 2026-07-13 16:32:48 -0700 · Steve

Files touched

M skills/last30/SKILL.md
M skills/last30/references/sources.md

Diff

commit 4d1691aea42dff1ef8ad0f3baae9f913788a59be
Author: Steve <steve@designerwallcoverings.com>
Date:   Mon Jul 13 16:32:48 2026 -0700

    last30: correct Reddit fallback — built-in WebSearch is also blocked from reddit.com (Exa-only), found via live run
---
 skills/last30/SKILL.md              | 4 +++-
 skills/last30/references/sources.md | 9 +++++++--
 2 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/skills/last30/SKILL.md b/skills/last30/SKILL.md
index 0efafbb..3839e82 100644
--- a/skills/last30/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/last30/SKILL.md
@@ -90,7 +90,9 @@ do not pad it with fabricated items.
 The engine deliberately omits key-gated / IP-blocked platforms. Fill the gaps
 with the Step-0 tool, scoped to recency and domain. Run these **in parallel**:
 
-- **Reddit** — Exa/WebSearch `allowed_domains: ["reddit.com"]`, query `<topic>`.
+- **Reddit** — `allowed_domains: ["reddit.com"]`, query `<topic>`. **Exa only** —
+  the built-in WebSearch is blocked from `reddit.com` (400), so if Exa isn't the
+  Step-0 tool, Reddit is unavailable this run; report that rather than implying it.
 - **X / Twitter** — `allowed_domains: ["x.com","twitter.com","nitter.net"]`.
 - **YouTube** — `allowed_domains: ["youtube.com"]` (look for reaction/deep-dive).
 - **TikTok** — `allowed_domains: ["tiktok.com"]` (creator takes, trend clips). The
diff --git a/skills/last30/references/sources.md b/skills/last30/references/sources.md
index f601ff9..70a5a40 100644
--- a/skills/last30/references/sources.md
+++ b/skills/last30/references/sources.md
@@ -37,10 +37,15 @@ a User-Agent issue (a desktop-browser UA does not fix it). So Reddit is:
 - **kept in the engine** (`--sources reddit,...`) for networks where it works;
 - **off by default** (not in `DEFAULT_SOURCES`) so a default run is all-green;
 - a **WARN, never a failure** in `doctor`;
-- **covered by the web-search layer** in `SKILL.md` Step 3 regardless.
+- **covered by the web-search layer** in `SKILL.md` Step 3 **only when that layer
+  is Exa** (see the caveat below).
 
 If you need Reddit's real upvote/comment structure and the engine is blocked, the
-web-search supplement (Exa/WebSearch scoped to `reddit.com`) is the fallback.
+web-search supplement scoped to `reddit.com` is the fallback — **but only via
+Exa**. Anthropic's built-in **WebSearch** tool is *also* blocked from `reddit.com`
+(returns `400 — domain not accessible to our user agent`), so on a WebSearch-only
+host Reddit is dark on **both** paths (engine 403 + WebSearch 400). In that case,
+say so in the brief rather than implying Reddit was covered. (Verified 2026-07-13.)
 
 ### TikTok & Instagram (web-search layer, best-effort)
 These are the completion of the original `/last30days` source set (X, Reddit,

← a554306 last30: add TikTok + Instagram to the web-search social laye · back to Last30 Skill · (newest)