Reddit guides for makers · October 13, 2026

Which Reddit communities allow a link to your app?

Look for an explicit route to share your work: a showcase post, a request for a relevant tool, a lessons-learned post or a dedicated promotion thread. A community’s topic alone does not tell you whether your link is allowed.

Four places to look, and what to verify

Maker and project showcases

These may invite demonstrations of something you built. Check whether paid apps, store links and feedback requests are included, and whether a particular flair or posting day is required.

Progress and lessons-learned discussions

A useful account of a build can fit even when a bare announcement does not. Check that promotion with context is permitted; adding a paragraph of lessons does not cancel a ban.

Problem-focused questions

Someone asking for a tool may make your app relevant. Their question still does not override the community’s rules on business replies or links. Answer the problem, disclose ownership and add the link only if the rules permit it.

Scheduled promotion or feedback threads

Permission can apply only inside the current thread. Read the opening post for its link, format and frequency conditions. It does not automatically permit a separate launch post.

Two examples from our saved October 12 rules

Our October 12 broadcast record saved a rule from r/buildinpublic that allowed sharing work with progress, lessons or feedback context, while rejecting posts solely for promotion. It also recorded a requirement to be clear about paid, free or affiliate-linked tools. This is a dated example of conditional permission, not a current recommendation to post there.

The same record saved r/automation rules that allowed useful promotional material subject to a participation ratio and separately prohibited referral or affiliate links. Our attempted post there was refused by our own tool before submission; that event proves neither moderator approval nor moderator rejection.

The distinction matters: a direct link to your app and an affiliate link are different things. Neither is automatically permitted. In our saved-rule keyword scan, 468 of 3,676 sets (13%) matched a referral or affiliate-link ban. That does not mean 13% prohibited every external URL. Sources.

Use a decision record, not a permanent whitelist

• Relevant audience: what problem do readers share with the people your app serves?
• Allowed format: which exact rule permits the post or reply you want to make?
• Allowed destination: does it permit your own product link, with this price and business relationship?
• Conditions: thread, flair, disclosure, participation ratio, account requirements and timing.
• Checked date and outcome: keep the source URL, then record whether the submitted content remained visible, was removed or is still unverified.

You can use our saved rules index and dated community list to find candidates. Re-read the current source before posting. A missing promotion rule is unresolved permission, not a green light.