Reddit guides for makers · October 13, 2026

How to promote an app on Reddit without getting removed

Start with a community that permits your kind of app post. Then follow its conditions, say that you made the app, and give readers something useful before asking them to visit. No checklist can guarantee that a post stays up.

What our saved rules tell us

On October 12, 2026, we scanned 3,676 saved community rule sets. Keyword matches flagged self-promotion or advertising bans in 1,583 (43%), referral or affiliate-link bans in 468 (13%), and AI-generated-content bans in 417 (11%). The categories overlap. These are matches in rule titles, details and sidebars, not individually verified verdicts on every possible post. Source and method.

That is a reason to check the exact rule, not to assume the remaining 57% welcome an app launch. A rule can permit a tutorial while banning a sales pitch, or permit promotion only inside a weekly thread.

Check the place before writing the pitch

1. Find the user problem. Choose a community where people discuss the problem your app solves. A large audience is not useful if your app is off topic.
2. Read the full promotion rule. Include the sidebar, linked wiki and pinned thread instructions. Record where promotion belongs: a standalone post, a named thread, a relevant reply, or nowhere.
3. Check the link separately. Permission to describe an app does not necessarily allow a store link. Referral links, shortened URLs and links to your own site can have different restrictions.
4. Check account and format requirements. Look for account age, karma, community participation, flair, title format, posting frequency and AI-content rules. Meet the stated conditions without manufacturing activity.
5. Disclose your connection. Say “I made this app” near the first mention. If it costs money or includes paid features, say so. Disclosure does not override a promotion ban.
6. Check again before submitting. Use the current thread and rules. If a condition is unclear, ask the moderators about the proposed format before sharing it.

Give the post a reason to exist without the click

Explain the problem, what you built, what still fails and the specific feedback you need. Where links are allowed, link directly to the relevant page. Avoid making readers follow a link just to understand the point.

For example, a hypothetical offline checklist app could explain how it handles a lost connection and ask whether its recovery screen is clear. “Please support my launch” gives readers much less to work with. The useful example still needs permission to promote.

Reddit’s spam policy covers repetitive mass engagement, whether manual or automated. Do not copy the same pitch across communities or treat an allowed link as permission for unlimited outreach.

If a post is removed

Save the URL and the stated reason, if one is given. Read the rule it points to. If the reason is unclear, use the community’s moderator contact route for a specific clarification. Do not repost the same pitch, switch accounts, or disguise the destination to get around the decision.

A visible post, a website visit and a new customer are separate outcomes. Record each separately. Start with the rule-reading worksheet if you need a repeatable check.