diff --git a/surfsense_backend/scripts/e2e_reddit_scraper.py b/surfsense_backend/scripts/e2e_reddit_scraper.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cdb870a03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/surfsense_backend/scripts/e2e_reddit_scraper.py
@@ -0,0 +1,213 @@
+"""Manual functional e2e for the Reddit scraper (app/proprietary/scrapers/reddit).
+
+Run from the backend directory:
+    cd surfsense_backend
+    uv run python scripts/e2e_reddit_scraper.py
+    # or: .venv/bin/python scripts/e2e_reddit_scraper.py
+
+This is NOT a pytest test (it needs live network + a residential/custom proxy).
+It:
+
+  Step 0 — go/no-go probe (folds in the old scripts/reddit_probe.py): open a
+      proxy session, warm a ``loid`` (svc/shreddit first, old.reddit fallback),
+      then do sequential ``.json`` fetches on the SAME sticky IP and assert each
+      returns a Reddit Listing. If this fails the whole approach is invalid —
+      later steps are skipped.
+  Step 1 — scrape a discovered post URL (post + a few comments).
+  Step 2 — scrape a subreddit listing.
+  Step 3 — run a search query.
+  Step 4 — scrape a user profile.
+  Step 5 — dump trimmed raw ``.json`` fixtures into
+      tests/unit/scrapers/reddit/fixtures/ for the offline parser tests.
+"""
+
+import asyncio
+import json
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from dotenv import load_dotenv
+
+# --- bootstrap: load .env and put the backend root on sys.path before app.* ---
+_BACKEND_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+sys.path.insert(0, str(_BACKEND_ROOT))
+for _candidate in (_BACKEND_ROOT / ".env", _BACKEND_ROOT.parent / ".env"):
+    if _candidate.exists():
+        load_dotenv(_candidate)
+        break
+
+from app.proprietary.scrapers.reddit import (  # noqa: E402
+    RedditScrapeInput,
+    scrape_reddit,
+)
+from app.proprietary.scrapers.reddit.fetch import (  # noqa: E402
+    fetch_json,
+    proxy_session,
+    warm_session,
+)
+from app.proprietary.scrapers.reddit.parsers import children  # noqa: E402
+
+_SUBREDDIT = "python"
+_SEARCH_TERM = "async web scraping"
+_USER = "spez"
+
+_FIXTURE_DIR = _BACKEND_ROOT / "tests" / "unit" / "scrapers" / "reddit" / "fixtures"
+
+
+def _hr(title: str) -> None:
+    print(f"\n{'=' * 70}\n{title}\n{'=' * 70}")
+
+
+def _check(label: str, ok: bool, detail: str = "") -> bool:
+    print(f"  [{'PASS' if ok else 'FAIL'}] {label}{f' — {detail}' if detail else ''}")
+    return ok
+
+
+def _listing_count(data) -> int | None:
+    """Child count if ``data`` looks like a Reddit Listing (or post+comments)."""
+    try:
+        if isinstance(data, dict) and data.get("kind") == "Listing":
+            return len(data["data"]["children"])
+        if isinstance(data, list):
+            return sum(
+                len(x["data"]["children"])
+                for x in data
+                if isinstance(x, dict) and x.get("kind") == "Listing"
+            )
+    except Exception:
+        return None
+    return None
+
+
+async def _first_post_permalink() -> str | None:
+    """Discover a live post URL from the subreddit's hot listing."""
+    listing = await fetch_json(f"r/{_SUBREDDIT}/hot", {"limit": 5})
+    kids = children(listing)
+    if not kids:
+        return None
+    permalink = (kids[0].get("data") or {}).get("permalink")
+    return f"https://www.reddit.com{permalink}" if permalink else None
+
+
+async def step0_probe() -> bool:
+    _hr("STEP 0 — go/no-go: loid warm-up + sticky .json")
+    async with proxy_session() as holder:
+        if holder.session is None:
+            return _check(
+                "proxy configured", False, "no proxy -> set PROXY_PROVIDER + creds"
+            )
+        minted = await warm_session(holder.session)
+        holder.warmed = True  # don't let fetch_json re-warm; we just warmed it
+        _check("loid warm-up minted a session", minted)
+        oks: list[bool] = []
+        for path in (f"r/{_SUBREDDIT}/hot", "r/programming/new", f"r/{_SUBREDDIT}/hot"):
+            data = await fetch_json(path, {"limit": 5})
+            n = _listing_count(data)
+            print(f"    {path} -> listing_count={n}")
+            oks.append(n is not None and n > 0)
+            await asyncio.sleep(1.0)
+        return _check("sequential .json on sticky IP", minted and all(oks))
+
+
+async def step1_post() -> bool:
+    _hr("STEP 1 — scrape a discovered post (post + comments)")
+    url = await _first_post_permalink()
+    if not url:
+        return _check("discovered a post URL", False)
+    items = await scrape_reddit(
+        RedditScrapeInput(startUrls=[{"url": url}], maxComments=5)
+    )
+    posts = [i for i in items if i.get("dataType") == "post"]
+    comments = [i for i in items if i.get("dataType") == "comment"]
+    print(f"    posts={len(posts)} comments={len(comments)} url={url}")
+    return _check("post scraped", bool(posts) and bool(posts[0].get("id")))
+
+
+async def step2_subreddit() -> bool:
+    _hr("STEP 2 — scrape a subreddit listing")
+    items = await scrape_reddit(
+        RedditScrapeInput(
+            startUrls=[{"url": f"https://www.reddit.com/r/{_SUBREDDIT}/hot"}],
+            maxPostCount=5,
+            skipComments=True,
+        )
+    )
+    posts = [i for i in items if i.get("dataType") == "post"]
+    for it in posts[:5]:
+        print(f"    - {it.get('id')} | {it.get('title')}")
+    return _check("subreddit returned posts", len(posts) > 0, f"{len(posts)} posts")
+
+
+async def step3_search() -> bool:
+    _hr("STEP 3 — search query")
+    items = await scrape_reddit(
+        RedditScrapeInput(searches=[_SEARCH_TERM], sort="relevance", maxItems=5)
+    )
+    for it in items[:5]:
+        print(f"    - {it.get('id')} | {it.get('title')}")
+    return _check("search returned results", len(items) > 0, f"{len(items)} items")
+
+
+async def step4_user() -> bool:
+    _hr("STEP 4 — user profile")
+    items = await scrape_reddit(
+        RedditScrapeInput(
+            startUrls=[{"url": f"https://www.reddit.com/user/{_USER}"}], maxItems=5
+        )
+    )
+    print(f"    {len(items)} items for u/{_USER}")
+    return _check("user returned items", len(items) > 0, f"{len(items)} items")
+
+
+async def step5_dump_fixtures() -> bool:
+    _hr("STEP 5 — dump trimmed .json fixtures for offline tests")
+    listing = await fetch_json(f"r/{_SUBREDDIT}/hot", {"limit": 25})
+    url = await _first_post_permalink()
+    post = None
+    if url:
+        path = url.split("reddit.com/")[-1].strip("/")
+        post = await fetch_json(path, {"limit": 20})
+
+    _FIXTURE_DIR.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    wrote = []
+    if _listing_count(listing):
+        (_FIXTURE_DIR / "sample_listing.json").write_text(
+            json.dumps(listing), encoding="utf-8"
+        )
+        wrote.append("sample_listing.json")
+    if isinstance(post, list) and post:
+        (_FIXTURE_DIR / "sample_post.json").write_text(
+            json.dumps(post), encoding="utf-8"
+        )
+        wrote.append("sample_post.json")
+        # A single comment thing, for the comment-mapping fixture.
+        comment_kids = children(post[1]) if len(post) > 1 else []
+        first_comment = next(
+            (c for c in comment_kids if c.get("kind") == "t1"), None
+        )
+        if first_comment:
+            (_FIXTURE_DIR / "sample_comment.json").write_text(
+                json.dumps(first_comment), encoding="utf-8"
+            )
+            wrote.append("sample_comment.json")
+    return _check("dumped fixtures", bool(wrote), f"{wrote} -> {_FIXTURE_DIR}")
+
+
+async def main() -> int:
+    results = [await step0_probe()]
+    if not results[-1]:
+        print("\nloid probe failed — the approach is invalid on this IP/proxy.")
+        print("Aborting remaining steps.")
+        return 1
+    results.append(await step1_post())
+    results.append(await step2_subreddit())
+    results.append(await step3_search())
+    results.append(await step4_user())
+    results.append(await step5_dump_fixtures())
+    _hr("SUMMARY")
+    print(f"  {sum(results)}/{len(results)} steps passed")
+    return 0 if all(results) else 1
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(asyncio.run(main()))