Reddit rules index · read 2026-10-05
Can you promote on r/softwareengineer?
Self-promotion restricted Its rules restrict self-promotion. Posts that promote your own work are likely to be removed.
AI-generated content not allowed Its rules remove some or all AI-generated posts, comments or media. Write it yourself here, or pick another community. Other communities' AI rules.
What this page is
This page quotes r/softwareengineer's rules as ThreadFox read them on 2026-10-05. The quoted text is the community's; the verdict above is our reading of it. Conditions often decide whether a post fits (a required thread, flair, posting day, account age or karma), and r/softwareengineer's current rules on Reddit always win over this page.
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- 24,156 members
- text posts only
- its rules on Reddit
A place for software engineers to discuss the profession, careers, industry trends, and the craft of building software. Whether you're just starting out or have decades of experience, thoughtful discussion and meaningful engagement are encouraged.
What its rules say about promotion
No Job Postings
Posts advertising jobs, recruiting, referrals, or requests to hire developers are not permitted.
No Self-Promotion or Advertising
Posts or comments intended to promote products, tools, courses, blogs, YouTube channels, newsletters, Discord servers, or other communities are prohibited without prior moderator approval.
What its rules say about AI and bots
No AI Generated Posts
AI tools are useful, but discussions should reflect the thoughts and experiences of real people. Using AI for spelling, grammar, or formatting is fine, but submitting fully AI generated posts is not allowed.
AI Career Questions Belong in Tuesday's Coffee Chat
Posts asking whether software engineering is "dead," whether AI is replacing developers, or whether it is still worth pursuing a software engineering career belong in the weekly Tuesday's Coffee Chat thread.
All 10 rules of r/softwareengineer
- No Job Postings
Posts advertising jobs, recruiting, referrals, or requests to hire developers are not permitted. - No Self-Promotion or Advertising
Posts or comments intended to promote products, tools, courses, blogs, YouTube channels, newsletters, Discord servers, or other communities are prohibited without prior moderator approval. - Posts Must Encourage Meaningful Discussion
Posts should encourage thoughtful discussion and engagement. Low-effort questions, rage bait, and topics that can be answered with a simple yes/no will be removed. - No AI Generated Posts
AI tools are useful, but discussions should reflect the thoughts and experiences of real people. Using AI for spelling, grammar, or formatting is fine, but submitting fully AI generated posts is not allowed. - Search Before Posting
Please use Reddit search before posting. Frequently asked questions and repetitive topics may be removed at the moderators' discretion. - AI Career Questions Belong in Tuesday's Coffee Chat
Posts asking whether software engineering is "dead," whether AI is replacing developers, or whether it is still worth pursuing a software engineering career belong in the weekly Tuesday's Coffee Chat thread. - Career and Life Advice Posts Belong in Tuesday's Coffee Chat
Questions about career changes, burnout, layoffs, returning to school, or leaving software engineering should be directed to Tuesday's Coffee Chat unless they provide substantial context and encourage broader discussion. - No Rage Bait or Doom Posting/Comments
Posts or comments created solely to provoke outrage or repeatedly predict the collapse of the profession without meaningful discussion may be removed. - Moderator Discretion
As the community grows, we aim to keep discussions meaningful and valuable. Not every situation can be covered by a specific rule, and some posts may fall between the rules while still being unsuitable for the community. Moderators reserve the right to remove posts or comments that negatively impact the quality of the community. - Keep It Respectful
Treat other members with respect. Healthy disagreement and constructive criticism are encouraged, but personal attacks, harassment, insults, name-calling, and other hostile behavior are not permitted.
What the written rules don't show
- Unpublished minimums. Many communities remove posts from new or low-karma accounts through AutoModerator settings that are not on the rules page, often before a moderator sees them.
- Reddit's own filters. Reddit's site-wide spam filters can remove posts from accounts that mostly share links to their own site, in any community.
- The community's norms. Many communities see themselves as peers, not an audience: post where you already take part, and make the post worth reading without the link.
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The verdict is our reading of r/softwareengineer's rule text on 2026-10-05. Rules change and moderators decide: read the current rules before you post. Not affiliated with Reddit or r/softwareengineer.