Which subreddits allow self-promotion?

A minority of them, and they are usually not the big ones. In this directory of 104 founder-adjacent communities, 14 are rated promo friendly (showing your own work is a normal post type), 31 are conditional, 53 are strict, and 6 ban self-promotion outright. The promo friendly tier is mostly small showcase and feedback communities such as r/SideProject, r/microsaas, r/roastmystartup, r/playmygame and r/Design_Critiques.

How do I find the right subreddit for my product?

Describe the product in one plain sentence, add the audience words your buyers would use, and match those against communities by niche rather than by size. Then check three things per candidate before posting: the sidebar rules, whether a sanctioned promo thread exists, and how posts mentioning a competitor fared. This tool does the first step against a hand-built directory and names the sanctioned thread where research found one.

Why is r/Entrepreneur strict when r/Entrepreneurs is not?

Because the big sub in a niche is a discussion room and its smaller sibling is a showcase room. That split repeats across the directory: r/Entrepreneur is strict while r/Entrepreneurs and r/EntrepreneurRideAlong are permissive, r/marketing bans promotion while r/GrowthHacking allows it inside a real experiment writeup, r/smallbusiness confines promotion to a weekly thread while r/growmybusiness is built for case studies. Big subs moderate hard because scale attracts spam. Their siblings compete for members by being useful to builders.

How much karma do I need before posting in most subreddits?

Most subreddits do not publish a number, and only four profiles in this directory surfaced any karma note at all. What is real is the pattern: AutoMod filters on account age plus karma, so brand new accounts get removed regardless of post quality. Treat a couple of weeks of genuine commenting as the practical floor, and check our Reddit karma and warmup calculator for a pace that matches your account age.

Can I post the same launch to several subreddits at once?

Not the same text and not the same day. Identical cross-posts are a recognized spam pattern and are the fastest way to collect removals across every community at once. Rewrite the post per community angle, spread the posts across days, and keep your overall self-promotion ratio inside the 9:1 rule while you do it.

How accurate is this directory?

It is honest rather than authoritative. Roughly ~25% of the 117 profiles are rule verified, meaning research surfaced subreddit-specific rule text, a named weekly thread, or a specific enforcement detail. The remaining ~75% are signal inferred from stable category patterns and are deliberately rated conservatively, because telling you a subreddit is friendlier than it is can get you banned. Reviewed July 2026. Always read the sidebar before you post.

Find My Subreddits: Subreddit Finder for Founders

A subreddit finder matches what you built against the communities whose rules will actually let you talk about it. This free one runs against a hand-built directory of 117 founder-adjacent subreddits, each rated for how much self-promotion it tolerates, with the sanctioned promo thread named where one exists. Describe your product, add your audience words, and it returns a ranked shortlist in your browser, with no signup and nothing stored. VoicePost (voicepo.st) is a social media tool that turns that shortlist into a daily plan of what to post where, inside Reddit's self-promotion rules.

The whole directory is published below the tool, so you can browse it as a reference instead of searching it. Last reviewed July 2026.

104 subreddit profiles, each rated for how much self-promotion it actually tolerates, with the sanctioned promo thread named where one exists. The full directory is published below this tool.

The full subreddit directory (117 communities)

Every profile in the dataset, grouped by its primary niche and sorted from most to least promo tolerant. Member counts are approximate point-in-time estimates, not live figures. Last reviewed July 2026.

SaaS

r/microsaas
Promo friendly
~200k members (approximate) · SaaS, Indie hackers, Founders
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Self-promotion is permitted with disclosure; product launches and small-ARR progress updates are a normal, expected post type rather than an exception.
What works:
"I built this" launch posts and small-ARR/MRR win posts with specific tactics and stack details.
What gets removed:
Undisclosed-affiliation posts and repeated karma-farming reposts of the same launch.
r/SaaS
Conditional
~300k members (approximate) · SaaS, Startups, Founders, B2B
Sanctioned promo slot:
Share Your SaaS Saturday, weekly thread
Rules:
Self-promotion is meant to funnel into the weekly 'Share Your SaaS Saturday' thread; mods tightened enforcement in 2026 to roughly one promotional post per product per 60 days outside it, with AutoMod removing bare link-plus-pitch posts.
What works:
Metrics-heavy founder story posts (MRR, churn, conversion, what broke) framed as a story rather than an ad.
What gets removed:
"Check out my SaaS" posts with just a link and one-liner, and repeat self-promo posted before the cooldown window.

Startups

r/startups
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Startups, Founders, SaaS
Sanctioned promo slot:
Share Your Startup, weekly to monthly thread
Rules:
No direct sales, ads, or promotional posts of any kind; self-promotion is confined to the weekly/monthly 'Share Your Startup' thread, and sharing your own blog post requires prior mod approval plus posting the full text (not just a link).
What works:
Long-form (500+ word), specific lessons-learned posts.
What gets removed:
Standalone promotional posts and bare blog links posted without mod approval.

Indie hackers

r/AlphaandBetaUsers
Promo friendly
Size not verified (approximate) · Indie hackers, SaaS
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Promo-native: the sub exists specifically to recruit beta testers, so direct product pitches are expected and welcomed.
What works:
Leading with what the product does and exactly what kind of tester is needed.
What gets removed:
Posts with no clear ask (what testers should actually do).
r/betatests
Promo friendly
Size not verified (approximate) · Indie hackers, SaaS
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Promo-native beta-tester recruitment sub, functionally identical to r/AlphaandBetaUsers.
What works:
Direct pitches with a clear beta-testing ask.
What gets removed:
Posts with no testing ask, or repeat spam of the same launch.
r/IndieBiz
Promo friendly
Size not verified (approximate) · Indie hackers, Small business, Founders
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Independent-business-owner community (not SaaS-exclusive) with high self-promo tolerance; sharing what you're building with a natural domain mention is normal.
What works:
Build-in-public posts covering the business side (revenue, ops), not just the product.
What gets removed:
Low-effort drive-by link drops with no context.
r/ProductHunters
Promo friendly
Size not verified (approximate) · Indie hackers, SaaS, Founders
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Built around Product Hunt launches; sharing your own launch and asking for hunters/support is the expected use of the sub.
What works:
Posts timed to a live or upcoming PH launch with a clear ask.
What gets removed:
Launch spam with no PH context.
r/roastmystartup
Promo friendly
Size not verified (approximate) · Indie hackers, Startups
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Promo-native: post your link and get brutal feedback; the format itself requires dropping your product.
What works:
Self-deprecating framing that leans into the roast rather than resisting it.
What gets removed:
Posts where the founder gets defensive in the comments (kills engagement, sometimes removed for rule-breaking arguments).
r/SideProject
Promo friendly
~180k members (approximate) · Indie hackers, SaaS, Founders
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
No dedicated self-promotion rule is published; the community's default expectation is that showing what you built, with story and screenshots, is the point of the sub rather than an exception to it.
What works:
Raw, in-progress screenshots plus a genuine ask-for-feedback framing.
What gets removed:
Over-polished, pure-ad posts with no build story or screenshots.
r/indiehackers
Conditional
~105k members (approximate) · Indie hackers, SaaS, Founders
Sanctioned promo slot:
SHOW IH flair, once per product
Rules:
Self-promotion is allowed once per product via the 'SHOW IH' flair, framed as asking for feedback/critique rather than advertising; MRR claims need proof or are removed.
What works:
Build-in-public posts with verifiable numbers and a real ask for feedback.
What gets removed:
Repeat promotional posts for the same product and unsubstantiated MRR claims.
Karma gate:
No published karma/age requirement — moderation keys on post intent, not account stats.
r/InternetIsBeautiful
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Indie hackers, SaaS
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Only free, interactive, no-signup websites are allowed — paid products and anything requiring an account are removed outright, which disqualifies most SaaS by default.
What works:
Titles that describe exactly what the free tool does ('A free tool that lets you do X').
What gets removed:
Anything paid, anything requiring sign-up, and mobile-app-only submissions.

Entrepreneurship

r/EntrepreneurRideAlong
Promo friendly
Size not verified (approximate) · Entrepreneurship, Startups, Founders
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Built explicitly for founders to post their build journey in public, so regular promotional/progress-update posts are the norm rather than a special exception.
What works:
"Day N: shipped X, got Y customers" update-style posts with real metrics.
What gets removed:
Posts that read as generic ad copy with no personal journey framing.
r/Entrepreneurs
Promo friendly
Size not verified (approximate) · Entrepreneurship, Small business, Founders
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Smaller and more lenient than r/Entrepreneur; links are tolerated when framed inside a genuinely value-first story post rather than dropped bare.
What works:
"Here's what I learned" story posts with a natural, mid-post product mention.
What gets removed:
Bare links with no framing or story.
r/Solopreneur
Promo friendly
Size not verified (approximate) · Entrepreneurship, Side hustles, Founders
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Smaller, higher-signal solo-founder community; soft-sell mentions are tolerated when the poster is authentically solo and the post is about how they work, not a pitch.
What works:
Honest solo-journey and 'how I work alone' posts.
What gets removed:
Posts that read as agency/team marketing rather than a genuine solo story.
r/Entrepreneur
Strict
~5M members (approximate) · Entrepreneurship, Startups, Small business
Sanctioned promo slot:
The sanctioned weekly promo thread, the only place links survive
Rules:
Explicit rule: 'Do not use this community to sell, promote, recruit, hire, job-seek, solicit investment, or drive traffic to your profile, company, or external content'; AutoMod strips external links from post bodies outside the sanctioned weekly promo thread.
What works:
"Lessons learned" / "mistakes I made" framing with no link in the body.
What gets removed:
Any external link in the post body outside the designated weekly thread.
Karma gate:
AutoMod applies account-age/karma gating on new accounts; exact thresholds are not published.

Small business

r/growmybusiness
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Small business, Marketing, Entrepreneurship
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Tactical growth Q&A community, explicitly less restrictive on self-promotion than r/smallbusiness, oriented around detailed 'how we grew' case studies rather than generic pitches.
What works:
Detailed case-study posts naming the tools/tactics used.
What gets removed:
Generic ads with no tactical detail.
r/business
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Small business, Entrepreneurship
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
General business-news/discussion sub rather than a showcase sub; product promotion is off-topic relative to its news focus.
What works:
Business news commentary and discussion.
What gets removed:
Product or service promotion posts.
r/smallbusiness
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Small business, Entrepreneurship
Sanctioned promo slot:
Promote Your Business, weekly thread
Rules:
Strict no-self-promotion default: no links, product recommendations, or blog content in regular posts; business promotion is confined to the weekly 'Promote Your Business' thread, and the community skews brick-and-mortar/service business, not SaaS-founder.
What works:
Answering questions and sharing operational experience; a profile link if someone asks to learn more.
What gets removed:
Any promotional post, link, or unsolicited advice outside the weekly thread.
r/smallbusinessowners
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Small business
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Lighter-traffic, mostly questions-and-advice sub; SaaS pitches feel out of place unless the product directly serves SMB operations rather than other founders.
What works:
Direct answers to SMB operational questions.
What gets removed:
Founder-to-founder SaaS pitches with no SMB-operations relevance.

Side hustles

r/passive_income
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Side hustles, Entrepreneurship
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Discussion-of-income-streams sub where mentioning your own product as an example of a passive-income build is more tolerated than a bare ad, consistent with the general side-hustle-sub pattern.
What works:
"How I built this income stream" posts with real numbers.
What gets removed:
Bare product-launch posts with no income-stream story.
r/sidehustle
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Side hustles
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Community for sharing what income streams are working; genuine 'here's my side hustle and the numbers' posts are common, though referral/affiliate-heavy posts are treated with suspicion given the niche's spam history.
What works:
Real numbers and specifics on a working side hustle.
What gets removed:
Referral-link-heavy or vague "I made $X" posts with no detail.
r/beermoney
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Side hustles
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Focused on legitimate small-earnings apps/surveys; referral and affiliate links are a recurring point of restriction across this category of sub given historical spam abuse.
What works:
Genuine app/survey recommendations with real payout detail.
What gets removed:
Referral links and unsubstantiated earnings claims.
r/Flipping
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Side hustles, Ecommerce
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Reselling/arbitrage practitioner community; discussion-focused rather than showcase-focused, so tool/service promotion is generally off-topic.
What works:
Sourcing and reselling tactic discussion.
What gets removed:
Tool or service promotion posts.

Marketing

r/DigitalMarketing
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Marketing, Growth
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Sister community to r/marketing with its own posted rules against self-promotion; exact current rule text not independently re-confirmed this pass, inferred from the wider strict-marketing-sub pattern.
What works:
Industry discussion and case studies without a link.
What gets removed:
Direct promotion of a marketing tool, agency, or service.
r/Emailmarketing
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Marketing, Newsletters
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Practitioner discussion sub; inferred to follow the same strict marketing-sub default (case studies fine, ESP/tool plugs removed) though not independently re-confirmed this pass.
What works:
Deliverability and copy tactics discussion.
What gets removed:
Direct plugs for your own email tool or agency.
r/PPC
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Marketing, Growth
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Paid-ads practitioner community; inferred to follow the same strict marketing-sub norm (genuine case studies fine, tool/agency plugs removed) though not independently re-confirmed this pass.
What works:
Campaign case studies and platform-specific tactics.
What gets removed:
Tool or agency promotion posts.
r/socialmedia
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Marketing, Content creators
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
General social-media-marketing discussion sub; inferred to follow the strict marketing-sub default given no dedicated promo thread was found this pass.
What works:
Platform strategy discussion and genuine case studies.
What gets removed:
Tool/agency promotion posts.
r/marketing
Do not promote
Size not verified (approximate) · Marketing, Growth
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Notoriously strict: promoting your agency, tool, course, or service is not allowed in posts or comments, and even a blog link framed as 'sharing a resource' is treated as self-promotion.
What works:
Genuine industry insight or case study with no link.
What gets removed:
Any post or comment that promotes a product, agency, or service, however subtly.
r/SEO
Do not promote
Size not verified (approximate) · Marketing, SEO
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Tool-drops, affiliate links, and agency plugs are removed; mentioning a tool you built in passing while answering a question is tolerated, but a post whose purpose is to drive sign-ups is not, and affiliate/referral/tracked links are treated as spam outright.
What works:
Genuinely answering a beginner or technical SEO question, tool mentioned only in passing.
What gets removed:
Tool-drop posts, 'my agency does this' posts, and any affiliate or tracked link.

Growth

r/GrowthHacking
Conditional
~95k members (approximate) · Growth, Marketing
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Self-promotion is allowed only in the context of an actual growth experiment with specific numbers ('increased activation 23% by doing X'), not a generic tool plug.
What works:
Specific channel/tactic breakdowns with metrics, tool mentioned as a footnote.
What gets removed:
Posts that are just "check out my tool" with no experiment or data.
r/growthmarketing
Strict
~9k members (approximate) · Growth, Marketing
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Small, low-traffic growth-marketing community where self-promotion is a minor but observably tolerated category — direct tool-share posts appear and stay up, though peer advice/solution posts dominate the feed.
What works:
A direct, honestly framed tool-share post, based on an observed example that remained live ('Built a light weight SEMrush alternative. Try it out for free').
What gets removed:
Not independently confirmed this pass — no removal pattern documented; the medium rating reflects an observed tolerated self-promo example, not a confirmed written permissive rule.
Karma gate:
Small subreddit (9k members) — low overall post volume, so expect limited reach regardless of tolerance.

Newsletters

r/substack
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Newsletters, Content creators
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Platform-specific community for Substack writers where discussing (and to a degree cross-promoting) your own newsletter is more expected than in general marketing subs, though still not a link-dump.
What works:
Posts about what worked to grow a specific newsletter, with the newsletter as the example.
What gets removed:
Repeated bare self-promotion with no craft/growth discussion.
r/blogging
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Newsletters, Content creators
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
General blogging-community norm applies: discuss the craft and growth tactics, don't drop your own blog link as the whole post.
What works:
Writing-craft and audience-growth discussion.
What gets removed:
Bare blog-link posts with no discussion value.
r/Newsletters
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Newsletters, Marketing
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Small, thin community for newsletter writers; general Reddit norm applies (share your niche content, don't drop a bare Substack link) since no sub-specific rule text was found.
What works:
Discussion of growth tactics and writing craft.
What gets removed:
Bare 'subscribe to my newsletter' links.

Ecommerce

r/dropshipping
Conditional
~270k members (approximate) · Ecommerce, Side hustles
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Distinct from the larger r/dropship (already catalogued in the main directory) — runs dedicated 'Marketplace' and 'Review Request' post flairs specifically for product/service mentions and shop feedback, channeling self-promotion into a sanctioned lane instead of banning it outright.
What works:
Tool or service posts filed under the Marketplace or Review Request flair with genuine context, not a bare link dropped into the general feed.
What gets removed:
Promotional posts filed outside those two flairs, and anything that reads as course/guru marketing — the community is explicitly fatigued by fake-guru content.
r/AmazonSeller
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Ecommerce
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Seller-operations community; inferred to share the same low tolerance for third-party tool/service promotion as r/FulfillmentByAmazon.
What works:
Genuine seller-operations questions and answers.
What gets removed:
Software/service promotion posts.
r/dropship
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Ecommerce, Side hustles
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
High-spam-risk niche historically; inferred to follow the same merchant-first, vendor-hostile pattern seen in r/ecommerce and r/EtsySellers.
What works:
Genuine tactic/results discussion.
What gets removed:
Course, app, or supplier promotion posts.
r/ecommerce
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Ecommerce, Small business
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Unusually strict about anyone trying to sell TO merchants rather than help them; the trusted posters are accounts that answered merchant questions for months before ever mentioning their own tool.
What works:
Answering merchant operational questions with no pitch attached.
What gets removed:
Vendor-style posts marketing a tool or service to merchants.
r/Etsy
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Ecommerce, Side hustles
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
General Etsy community (buyers and sellers mixed); inferred to follow the same shop-link-restricted pattern as r/EtsySellers.
What works:
Genuine seller advice and discussion.
What gets removed:
Shop-link drops outside a critique or milestone context.
r/EtsySellers
Strict
~240k members (approximate) · Ecommerce, Small business
Sanctioned promo slot:
Weekly Milestone and Self-Promotion thread, stickied
Rules:
Shop links are only allowed where necessary for context (e.g. a shop-critique request) or in the stickied weekly Milestone/Self-Promotion thread; referral links are banned entirely.
What works:
Shop-critique requests where the link is contextually necessary.
What gets removed:
Shop links posted outside the weekly thread or critique context, and any referral link.
r/FulfillmentByAmazon
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Ecommerce
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Amazon-seller operations community; inferred low tolerance for third-party tool pitches, consistent with the seller-forum pattern seen across r/EtsySellers and r/ecommerce.
What works:
Operational troubleshooting (FBA fees, listings, reviews).
What gets removed:
Unsolicited software/service promotion.
r/shopify
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Ecommerce
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Merchant-support community; general Reddit self-promotion norm applies since no dedicated promo thread was found — app/service pitches read as vendor marketing and are typically removed.
What works:
Genuine store-operations troubleshooting and app recommendations only when asked.
What gets removed:
Unsolicited app/service promotion posts.

Web development

r/coolgithubprojects
Promo friendly
~110k members (approximate) · Web development, Open source, Programming
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Purpose-built project-sharing sub with the tagline 'Sharing GitHub projects just got easier!' — self-promotion (sharing your own project/repo) is the single most common post type, not an exception, similar in spirit to r/SideProject but scoped specifically to code/GitHub projects.
What works:
Sharing your own GitHub repo/project directly, ideally with real traction (e.g. 'X hit 1.3k GitHub stars').
What gets removed:
Not independently confirmed this pass — no removal pattern documented; the sub's entire function is sharing projects.
r/Frontend
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Web development, Design and UX
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Smaller frontend-focused sub with the same showcase-thread-only pattern typical of dev subs; exact current rule text not independently confirmed this pass.
What works:
Frontend techniques, CSS/UI experiments, and genuinely novel builds.
What gets removed:
Plain product-pitch posts with no frontend technique on display.
r/javascript
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Web development, Programming
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
General JS community with the same dev-sub pattern as r/reactjs/r/webdev: technical merit required, product pitches without it are removed.
What works:
Genuinely useful open-source libraries or technical writeups.
What gets removed:
Product-flavored posts with no independent technical value.
r/nextjs
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Web development, Programming
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Same technical-only norm as r/reactjs but a smaller, slightly more permissive community for tools genuinely built on Next.js.
What works:
A real technical insight about building on Next.js, with your product as the example, not the pitch.
What gets removed:
Generic SaaS-launch posts with no Next.js-specific content.
r/node
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Web development, Programming
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Backend/Node-focused technical sub following the same no-marketing norm common to language/framework subs.
What works:
Node-specific tools, benchmarks, or genuine technical breakdowns.
What gets removed:
SaaS pitches without Node-specific technical substance.
r/reactjs
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Web development, Programming
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Strictly technical community; posts must be a genuine React learning resource or tool, not a product pitch, mirroring the dev-sub norm that showcases require standalone technical value.
What works:
Tutorials or OSS tools that are useful on their own merits, with a product mention as a footnote at most.
What gets removed:
SaaS pitches with no independent technical content.
r/vuejs
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Web development, Programming
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Framework-specific sub following the same technical-only norm as r/reactjs; not independently re-confirmed this pass, inferred from the stable framework-sub pattern.
What works:
Genuine Vue tooling or tutorials.
What gets removed:
Generic SaaS pitches unrelated to Vue specifically.
r/webdev
Strict
~900k members (approximate) · Web development, Programming
Sanctioned promo slot:
Showoff Saturday, weekly megathread
Rules:
Commercial promotion and solicitation are prohibited outside the weekly 'Showoff Saturday' megathread, where noncommercial project showoffs must focus on technical details.
What works:
Genuine technical questions or open-source shares outside Showoff Saturday; technical build posts inside it.
What gets removed:
Any standalone SaaS-pitch post outside the megathread.
Karma gate:
Large sub; AutoMod enforcement is strict at scale.

Programming

r/learnprogramming
Do not promote
Size not verified (approximate) · Programming, Web development
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Audience is learners, not buyers; the sub exists for programming help and explicitly discourages product/service promotion of any kind.
What works:
Answering questions or sharing learning resources, never a product pitch.
What gets removed:
Any post whose real purpose is promoting a paid tool or course.
r/programming
Do not promote
~6M members (approximate) · Programming, Web development
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Actively removes most commercial content regardless of framing, making it one of the strictest programming subs for anything that reads as marketing.
What works:
Substantive technical writeups or open-source releases with no ask.
What gets removed:
Anything blogspam-shaped or product-flavored, even if well-written.

AI and ML

r/AI_Agents
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · AI and ML, SaaS
Sanctioned promo slot:
I Made This and Project Showcase flairs
Rules:
Self-promotion is corralled into a dedicated flair ('I Made This' / 'Project Showcase'); a day-old account posting a launch with zero comment history is removed as spam regardless of product quality.
What works:
Build-notes-first posts (architecture, models, frameworks used) before any showcase post.
What gets removed:
Fresh-account drive-by launch posts with no flair or prior history.
Karma gate:
No published number, but account history is effectively required.
r/LocalLLaMA
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · AI and ML, Open source
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Enthusiast/builder community around self-hosted and open-weight models; genuinely open-source tools and benchmarks are welcomed, closed commercial SaaS pitches are not.
What works:
Open-source releases, benchmarks, and technical build notes.
What gets removed:
Closed-source SaaS pitches with no open component.
r/artificial
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · AI and ML
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
General AI-discussion sub; product-promotion posts are tolerated far less than genuine news/discussion, consistent with general Reddit self-promotion norms.
What works:
AI news commentary and discussion.
What gets removed:
Product-first posts with no discussion value.
r/ChatGPTPro
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · AI and ML, Productivity
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Power-user community focused on prompt sharing and technique; third-party AI SaaS posts get scrutinized hard by a technical audience and are frequently downvoted or removed.
What works:
Genuine prompt-engineering technique posts.
What gets removed:
Product pitches that can't hold up under prompt-engineering critique.
r/ClaudeAI
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · AI and ML
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Same pattern as r/OpenAI but for Claude: discussion of Claude itself and prompting technique, not Claude-powered third-party apps.
What works:
Genuine prompting/behavior discussion.
What gets removed:
App promotion with no Claude-specific insight.
r/OpenAI
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · AI and ML
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Discussion is meant to be about OpenAI's own products, not third-party apps built on the API; general Reddit self-promotion norms apply strictly given the sub's size.
What works:
Substantive discussion or insight about GPT model behavior.
What gets removed:
Third-party product mentions with no model-behavior insight attached.
r/singularity
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · AI and ML
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Big-picture AI-future discussion sub; product pitches are off-topic relative to its news/discussion focus and generally not tolerated.
What works:
AI trend/news discussion, not product launches.
What gets removed:
Direct product promotion unrelated to the discussion topic.
r/MachineLearning
Do not promote
Size not verified (approximate) · AI and ML, Programming
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Research- and engineering-focused community that has historically enforced strict no-marketing norms, requiring genuine technical/research content over product announcements.
What works:
Papers, research writeups, and genuine technical breakdowns.
What gets removed:
Product launch posts with no research or technical depth.

Mobile apps

r/AppBusiness
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Mobile apps, Marketing
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Focused specifically on the business side of running an app (ASO, monetization, user acquisition), so discussing your own app's numbers and tactics is on-topic by design.
What works:
Revenue/ASO/acquisition case-study posts naming your own app.
What gets removed:
Bare download-link posts with no business detail.
r/mobiledev
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Mobile apps, Programming
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Smaller, general cross-platform mobile-dev sub; somewhat more tolerant of app showcases than the big platform-specific subs, based on its general-discussion character.
What works:
Cross-platform build stories and technical decisions.
What gets removed:
Repeated bare app-download-link posts.
r/androiddev
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Mobile apps, Programming
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Technical Android-development community; inferred to follow the dev-sub pattern (technical questions and OSS releases fine, product pitches confined to a promo thread if one exists).
What works:
Technical Android engineering discussion and OSS libraries.
What gets removed:
App-marketing posts with no technical content.
r/FlutterDev
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Mobile apps, Programming
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Framework-specific technical sub; inferred to follow the same no-marketing default as other framework subs (reactjs, vuejs) though not independently re-confirmed this pass.
What works:
Genuine Flutter packages, tutorials, or technical breakdowns.
What gets removed:
Generic app-marketing posts with no Flutter-specific content.
r/iOSProgramming
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Mobile apps, Programming
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
iOS-development mirror of r/androiddev; same technical-only norm inferred.
What works:
Swift/iOS technical discussion and genuine tool releases.
What gets removed:
App-marketing posts with no technical substance.
r/reactnative
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Mobile apps, Programming
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Same technical-only pattern as r/reactjs, applied to the mobile framework; inferred, not independently re-confirmed this pass.
What works:
React Native libraries, tooling, and technical writeups.
What gets removed:
Generic app-marketing posts with no RN-specific content.

Chrome extensions

r/browsers
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Chrome extensions, Web development
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Browser-technology discussion sub, not a showcase sub; extension/product promotion is off-topic relative to its browser-news focus.
What works:
Browser feature/technology discussion.
What gets removed:
Extension or product promotion unrelated to browser tech discussion.
r/chrome_extensions
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Chrome extensions, Web development
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Small, thin community; general small-technical-sub norm applies (genuine extension shares tolerated, promotional language not) — this niche has very little dedicated subreddit coverage on Reddit.
What works:
Genuine "I built this extension, here's what it does and why" posts.
What gets removed:
Repeated or purely promotional extension-listing posts.

Open source

r/FOSS
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Open source
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Free/open-source-software advocacy community; genuinely FOSS-licensed project shares are welcomed, proprietary product mentions are not the focus and may be removed as off-topic.
What works:
FOSS project announcements with clear licensing.
What gets removed:
Proprietary/closed-source product promotion.
r/opensource
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Open source, Programming
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Genuinely open-source project announcements are the norm; commercial/closed-source SaaS pitches dressed up as 'open source' are not well received.
What works:
Real OSS project announcements with license and story context.
What gets removed:
Closed-source or commercial pitches misrepresented as open source.
r/selfhosted
Conditional
~350k members (approximate) · Open source, Programming
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Commercial software must still be self-hostable; proprietary tools with a genuine self-hosting option are accepted, but pure hosted-only SaaS is not.
What works:
Self-hostable tool releases with good documentation.
What gets removed:
Pure hosted-SaaS pitches with no self-host option.

No-code

r/nocode
Promo friendly
Size not verified (approximate) · No-code, Indie hackers
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Builder community for no-code creators; showing what you built and what stack/tools you used is the normal, expected post type.
What works:
Build showcases naming the no-code stack used.
What gets removed:
Repeated posts with no build detail, pure ad copy.
r/Airtable
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · No-code, Productivity
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Tool-specific community where template and base sharing is a normal, welcomed post type.
What works:
Base/template shares with a clear use case.
What gets removed:
Unrelated product promotion with no Airtable connection.
r/Bubble
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · No-code
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Tool-specific no-code builder community; inferred to follow the same build-showcase-friendly pattern as r/nocode and r/webflow.
What works:
App showcases built on Bubble with a technical/plugin note.
What gets removed:
Generic product promotion with no Bubble-specific build detail.
r/webflow
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · No-code, Design and UX
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Tool-specific sub where showcasing sites built in Webflow is a normal post type; not independently re-confirmed against current sidebar rules this pass.
What works:
Site showcases with a Webflow-specific build note.
What gets removed:
Unrelated product promotion with no Webflow connection.

Design and UX

r/Design_Critiques
Promo friendly
Size not verified (approximate) · Design and UX
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Explicitly a critique-request sub ('looking for a critique on your design? post it here') — posting your own work is the entire point, not a violation.
What works:
Your own design work posted with a specific question for feedback.
What gets removed:
Posts with no actual work attached, or pure service advertisements.
r/FigmaDesign
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Design and UX, No-code
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Tool-specific community where sharing Figma plugins, templates, and files is a common, community-embraced post type, not independently re-confirmed against current sidebar rules this pass.
What works:
Plugin/template shares with a clear use case.
What gets removed:
Unrelated product promotion with no Figma connection.
r/graphic_design
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Design and UX
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Portfolio-critique culture is central to the sub, so sharing your own work for feedback is normal; overt selling of design services is treated differently from sharing work.
What works:
Work-in-progress or finished pieces posted for critique.
What gets removed:
"Hire me" / service-solicitation posts.
r/web_design
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Design and UX, Web development
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Heavier emphasis on visual/tool discussion than the stricter dev subs; self-promotion is tolerated at roughly the general Reddit 9:1 ratio rather than banned outright.
What works:
Site showcases with design rationale, tool discussion.
What gets removed:
Posts that are only a link with no design discussion.
r/UI_Design
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Design and UX
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Practitioner-discussion sub inferred to follow the same self-promotion-restricted pattern as r/UXDesign.
What works:
UI critique and process discussion.
What gets removed:
Direct portfolio or product promotion.
r/userexperience
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Design and UX
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Sister community to r/UXDesign with the same practitioner-discussion-over-promotion norm inferred from that sub's pattern.
What works:
UX research and process discussion.
What gets removed:
Portfolio or product promotion posts.
r/UXDesign
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Design and UX
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Reads as promo-friendly given its topic but actually bans self-promotion in its posted rules; portfolio/product plugs are treated as promotion, not discussion.
What works:
Genuine UX process discussion, critique requests, and career questions.
What gets removed:
Direct portfolio or product promotion.

Productivity

r/Notion
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Productivity, No-code
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Template-sharing (including paid templates) is an established and largely tolerated culture on this sub, distinct from most productivity subs' stricter norms.
What works:
Template shares with a clear use case or workflow story.
What gets removed:
Low-effort repeated template-shilling with no workflow context.
r/ObsidianMD
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Productivity, No-code
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Plugin and template sharing is core to this extensible-tool community and generally welcomed when it's genuinely useful, not just a link.
What works:
Plugin releases and vault/workflow showcases.
What gets removed:
Unrelated commercial product promotion.
r/PKMS
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Productivity
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Personal-knowledge-management discussion sub, more conceptual/methodology-focused than tool-showcase-focused; product pitches are off-topic relative to the discussion norm.
What works:
Methodology and workflow discussion.
What gets removed:
Tool-launch posts with no methodology discussion.
r/productivity
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Productivity
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Appears promotion-friendly given its topic but actually bans self-promotion; productivity-app posts are downvoted fast unless framed as a personal system rather than a pitch.
What works:
Personal workflow/system posts where your tool is a component, not the headline.
What gets removed:
App-launch or app-marketing posts.

Freelancing

r/copywriting
Conditional
~259k members (approximate) · Freelancing, Newsletters, Content creators
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Practitioner community explicitly 'BY copywriters, FOR copywriters' with a dedicated 'Resource/Tool' post flair used specifically for sharing useful tools, plus separate Job-Posting and Partner/Revenue-Share flairs — self-promotion is channeled into specific flairs rather than banned, but a sidebar FAQ gates what's acceptable.
What works:
A tool or resource share filed under the Resource/Tool flair with a clear copywriting use case.
What gets removed:
Not independently confirmed this pass — the sidebar directs posters to a FAQ before posting, but the FAQ's exact self-promotion text was not retrieved this session.
r/digitalnomad
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Freelancing, Side hustles
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Self-promotion is allowed in context but must lead with value, not product; the community has grown tired of 'living my best life' framing and rewards real costs/problems content instead.
What works:
Posts sharing real costs, real problems, and practical solutions — product mentioned as part of the solution.
What gets removed:
Instagram-style lifestyle-marketing posts.
r/forhire
Conditional
~655k members (approximate) · Freelancing
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
A paid job-board sub, not a discussion sub — self-promotion of your freelance services IS the point, but it's tightly formatted: every post must open with a bracketed [For Hire] tag, is capped at one listing per 7 days, and must include real rates/budget (no 'DM for pricing'). r/Freelance itself explicitly redirects service-pitch posts here.
What works:
A single, correctly tagged [For Hire] listing with clear services, a rate/budget range, and a portfolio link, posted no more than once per week.
What gets removed:
Posts missing the required bracketed tag, more than one listing within 7 days (including bumps/reposts), and any unpaid/spec/exposure-only listings.
Karma gate:
An unpublished minimum account-age filter is enforced privately by AutoMod, commonly cited around 5 days; no official karma threshold is published.
r/consulting
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Freelancing, Small business
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Professional-discussion sub; inferred low tolerance for service/tool promotion consistent with the general pattern of practitioner-discussion subreddits, not independently re-confirmed this pass.
What works:
Genuine practice-management discussion.
What gets removed:
Service or tool promotion posts.
r/freelanceWriters
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Freelancing, Content creators
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Writer-focused freelancing community; inferred to share r/freelance's low tolerance for tool/service promotion given the shared parent-community norm.
What works:
Genuine writing-craft and client-management discussion.
What gets removed:
Tool or service promotion posts.
r/Upwork
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Freelancing
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Platform-specific freelancer community; inferred to restrict promotion of competing tools/platforms and services, consistent with general freelancing-sub norms.
What works:
Genuine platform-experience discussion and advice.
What gets removed:
Competing-platform or unrelated service promotion.
r/WorkOnline
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Freelancing, Side hustles
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Make-money-online-adjacent sub; this category has a heavy spam history, so treat as low-tolerance by default even though moderation quality varies and has not been independently re-confirmed this pass.
What works:
Genuine remote-work advice and experience-sharing.
What gets removed:
Referral links and app/course promotion.
r/freelance
Do not promote
~320k members (approximate) · Freelancing
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
The sub is for discussing freelancing, not for finding clients; job posts and self-promotion get removed, and a product mention is tolerated only when directly relevant to an existing discussion (e.g. invoicing software mentioned while answering an invoicing question).
What works:
Genuinely answering a freelancer's question, product mentioned only if directly relevant.
What gets removed:
Any post whose purpose is promotion or client-finding.

Content creators

r/NewTubers
Conditional
~700k members (approximate) · Content creators
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Support community for small YouTubers; sharing your own channel for feedback in the right context is common and expected, though the focus is feedback, not pure self-advertising.
What works:
Feedback-request posts that show a specific video/channel problem to solve.
What gets removed:
Bare 'sub for sub' or pure self-advertising posts with no feedback ask.
r/PartneredYoutube
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Content creators
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Community for monetized/established creators; discussing and linking your own channel is closer to the point of the sub than in general subs, though still expected to be substantive.
What works:
Channel-growth and monetization discussion with your own channel as the example.
What gets removed:
Low-effort repeated self-plugs with no substance.
r/Podcasting
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Content creators
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Practitioner community where sharing your own podcast for feedback or discussing its growth is a normal, expected post type.
What works:
Feedback-request posts and growth-tactic discussion using your own show as the example.
What gets removed:
Bare 'listen to my podcast' posts with no discussion value.
r/Twitch
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Content creators
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Main Twitch discussion sub is generally strict about stream self-promotion in the main feed; specific self-promo mega-thread details were not independently confirmed this pass.
What works:
Genuine platform/streaming discussion, not channel links.
What gets removed:
Stream/channel self-promotion posts in the main feed.

Game development

r/IndieGaming
Promo friendly
Size not verified (approximate) · Game development, Content creators
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
More permissive than the strict r/gaming/r/Steam-style subs; sharing your own indie game with screenshots and gameplay is a normal post type.
What works:
Gameplay clips/screenshots with a direct ask for feedback or wishlists.
What gets removed:
Low-effort reposts with no gameplay footage.
r/playmygame
Promo friendly
Size not verified (approximate) · Game development
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Promo-native: the entire sub exists to get people to try your indie game, so a direct link and ask to play is the expected post.
What works:
A direct playable link with a short pitch and specific ask (e.g. wishlist, feedback on a mechanic).
What gets removed:
Posts with no playable link at all.
r/godot
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Game development, Open source
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Open-source-engine community with the same technical-showcase norm as r/unity3d; genuinely Godot-specific content is favored over generic marketing.
What works:
Godot-specific technical breakdowns and WIP showcases.
What gets removed:
Generic marketing posts unrelated to Godot specifics.
r/IndieDev
Conditional
~300k members (approximate) · Game development
Sanctioned promo slot:
Feedback Friday, Screenshot Saturday, Soundtrack Sunday, Marketing Monday
Rules:
Runs a full weekly rotation of self-promo-friendly threads (Feedback Friday, Screenshot Saturday, Soundtrack Sunday, Marketing Monday), each a sanctioned place to share your own game.
What works:
Screenshots/clips posted to the matching themed weekly thread.
What gets removed:
Self-promo posted to the main feed outside the themed threads.
r/unity3d
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Game development, Programming
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Engine-specific technical/showcase sub; non-commercial project showcases are common, overt commercial marketing less so, following the general dev-sub pattern.
What works:
Technical breakdowns and WIP showcases using Unity.
What gets removed:
Pure commercial marketing with no technical content.
r/gamedesign
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Game development
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Discussion-of-design-theory sub rather than a showcase sub; product/game promotion is off-topic relative to its design-discussion focus.
What works:
Design-theory and mechanics discussion.
What gets removed:
Direct game-marketing posts with no design discussion.
r/gamedev
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Game development
Sanctioned promo slot:
Feedback Friday and its sibling weekly threads
Rules:
Posts must be about the craft of game development, not just marketing; self-promotion is corralled into weekly threads (Feedback Friday and similar) rather than the main feed.
What works:
Genuine dev-process posts, postmortems, and technical breakdowns.
What gets removed:
Pure marketing posts with no development-process content.

Crypto

r/defi
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Crypto, SaaS
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
More build/project-focused than r/CryptoCurrency; genuine DeFi project discussion and launches are more on-topic, though still subject to general anti-spam norms.
What works:
Project/protocol discussion with technical substance.
What gets removed:
Low-effort project spam with no technical substance.
r/ethdev
Conditional
Size not verified (approximate) · Crypto, Programming
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Developer-focused Ethereum-building community; tool and project shares among devs are more tolerated than in the large general crypto subs, consistent with dev-sub norms elsewhere.
What works:
Developer tool releases and technical breakdowns.
What gets removed:
Non-technical project marketing.
r/CryptoCurrency
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Crypto
Sanctioned promo slot:
The daily discussion thread
Rules:
Operates its own strict promotion regime that does not respond well to anything that reads as marketing; referral links and price/moon-style posts are well known to be against the daily-discussion-thread-first culture.
What works:
Genuine market/technology discussion in the daily thread.
What gets removed:
Referral links and overt project marketing outside sanctioned threads.
r/CryptoMarkets
Strict
~2.0M members (approximate) · Crypto
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Large crypto trading/market-discussion sub; project announcements and tool releases are tolerated but get minimal engagement relative to news/market-analysis posts, and no dedicated self-promotion allowance was found.
What works:
Not independently confirmed this pass — the one documented example was a data/analytics tool post, not a direct product pitch.
What gets removed:
Not independently confirmed this pass.
r/ethereum
Strict
Size not verified (approximate) · Crypto
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Large ecosystem-discussion sub; inferred to follow the same low-tolerance pattern as r/CryptoCurrency for direct project/product marketing.
What works:
Genuine ecosystem/technology discussion.
What gets removed:
Direct project or token marketing.
r/ethtrader
Strict
~2.4M members (approximate) · Crypto
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Large general Ethereum discussion/trading sub; members actively review specific products (exchanges, staking services, hardware wallets) inside discussion threads, but no dedicated self-promotion rule or thread was found, so rated conservatively in line with the other large general crypto subs already catalogued (r/CryptoCurrency, r/ethereum).
What works:
Not independently confirmed this pass — inferred from the general large-crypto-sub pattern: genuine ecosystem/technology discussion, not project promotion.
What gets removed:
Not independently confirmed this pass.

SEO

r/juststart
Conditional
~179k members (approximate) · SEO, Growth, Side hustles
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Affiliate-marketing and SEO community explicitly built around members sharing their own sites/case studies with real metrics; self-promotion is the single most common post type here rather than an exception, though posts lean on transparent numbers, not bare pitches.
What works:
Case-study-style posts with concrete metrics ('grew X to Y in Z days') covering your own site, product, or tool.
What gets removed:
Not independently confirmed this pass — rated medium rather than high because no explicit written self-promotion rule was found, only an observed, consistent community behavior pattern.
r/TechSEO
Strict
~57k members (approximate) · SEO
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Smaller and more hands-on/technical than r/bigseo; the community actively reviews and discusses specific SEO and dev tools (page builders, AI SEO tools, CMS platforms) as a normal, tolerated activity rather than removing every mention.
What works:
A tool post framed as 'here's what this does and how it helped me,' especially technical/automation tools — per an observed example of someone sharing a self-built SEO tool and asking for improvement feedback.
What gets removed:
Not independently confirmed this pass — no removal pattern was documented; treat bare tool announcements with no technical framing as the likely risk, by analogy with the wider SEO-sub pattern.
r/bigseo
Do not promote
~138k members (approximate) · SEO, Marketing
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
The largest professional-SEO subreddit, run by and for working SEOs; it does not offer a more relaxed alternative to r/SEO — the audience is openly hostile to tool-drops and agency plugs for the same reasons.
What works:
Genuine technical SEO discussion and posts filed under the sub's own Career & Hiring flair.
What gets removed:
Tool announcements, agency solicitations, and any post whose real purpose is driving sign-ups.

B2B

r/CustomerSuccess
Strict
~53k members (approximate) · B2B
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Practitioner-discussion community for CS managers/leaders; tool mentions happen inside organic advice/solution-request threads, but no dedicated self-promotion allowance or thread was found, so rated conservatively.
What works:
Answering a genuine CS-practitioner question where your product is a directly relevant part of the answer.
What gets removed:
Not independently confirmed this pass — no specific removal pattern found; the low rating reflects the absence of any documented self-promotion allowance, not a confirmed explicit ban.
r/ITManagers
Strict
~77k members (approximate) · B2B
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Smaller, buyer-heavy IT-decision-maker community; disclosed 'I built this, here's the tool' vendor posts appear occasionally and are tolerated when clearly labeled as such, rather than removed outright.
What works:
A clearly disclosed 'Honest post — I'm the vendor/builder of X' framing, matching an observed real post in the sub's own history.
What gets removed:
Not independently confirmed this pass — inferred from the sub's low overall self-promotion post volume that undisclosed or repeated vendor pitches would fare worse.
r/msp
Strict
~245k members (approximate) · B2B
Sanctioned promo slot:
None found in our research
Rules:
Managed-service-provider practitioner community that, per multiple independent write-ups, 'aggressively identifies and calls out vendor spam'; vendors who clearly disclose their affiliation and answer genuinely inside existing threads are tolerated, but standalone promo posts are not.
What works:
A disclosed, genuinely helpful answer inside an existing 'Looking For A' or tool-recommendation thread — not a standalone announcement.
What gets removed:
Undisclosed vendor posts and anything that reads as a pitch rather than an answer.

How it works

The finder does one thing well: tag matching. Your description and audience keywords are read against a hand-built lexicon that maps plain words onto the directory's 26 niche tags, so “Shopify store analytics” resolves to ecommerce and small business, and “LLM agent framework” resolves to AI and programming. Every subreddit carrying those tags is scored, then weighted toward communities that tolerate promotion, because a perfect topical match in a sub that removes every promotional post is not a match at all. There is no AI in this tool and no network call. The matching runs entirely in your browser.

The pattern nobody tells new founders

The single most useful thing in this dataset is not any individual profile. It is a shape that repeats in almost every niche: the big, well-known subreddit is strict, and a smaller sibling subreddit in the same niche is permissive. r/Entrepreneur, at roughly five million members, bans posts that sell, promote, recruit or drive traffic anywhere, and its AutoMod strips external links from post bodies. r/Entrepreneurs and r/EntrepreneurRideAlong, its far smaller siblings, welcome the same founders showing the same work. r/marketing bans agency, tool and course promotion outright, while r/GrowthHacking permits it as long as the post is a real experiment with real numbers. r/smallbusiness confines every business link to a weekly Promote Your Business thread, while r/growmybusiness exists for the detailed case study version of the same post.

The reason is structural rather than cultural. Scale attracts spam, so large communities moderate hard and their identity becomes discussion. Smaller siblings compete for members by being useful to the people building things, so their identity becomes showcase. That means the reach-versus-permission tradeoff is usually solvable: post the lesson, with numbers and no link, in the big room, and post the product itself in the sibling room. It also means the sub with the most members is almost never the right first post for a new account.

Megathreads are the real front door

For strict subreddits, the sanctioned thread is not a consolation prize. It is the only lane that exists, and it is genuinely tolerated rather than grudgingly permitted. Share Your SaaS Saturday in r/SaaS, Share Your Startup in r/startups, Showoff Saturday in r/webdev, Promote Your Business in r/smallbusiness and the four-thread weekly rotation in r/IndieDev (Feedback Friday, Screenshot Saturday, Soundtrack Sunday, Marketing Monday) are all places where a link is expected rather than removed. Some communities use a flair instead of a thread: r/indiehackers allows one SHOW IH post per product framed as a feedback request, and r/AI_Agents corrals launches into its I Made This and Project Showcase flairs. That is why the sanctioned slot is a headline field on every result card here rather than a line inside a rules paragraph.

Glossary

Promo tolerance: How much self-promotion a subreddit actually absorbs in practice, rated on four levels. Promo friendly means showing your own work is a normal post type. Conditional means promotion survives when it is wrapped in numbers, a build story or a sanctioned thread. Strict means assume removal unless you use the sanctioned slot. Do not promote means self-promotion is against the posted rules.
The 9:1 rule: Reddit's sitewide self-promotion guidance: for every one self-promotional post or comment, roughly nine of your contributions should have nothing to do with your product. It is judged at account level by a moderator skimming your profile, not by a counter.
Megathread: A recurring stickied thread where a subreddit concentrates the activity it does not want in the main feed. For promotion this usually means a named weekly slot such as Showoff Saturday or Share Your Startup, and posting inside it is compliant by definition.
Karma gate: An AutoMod rule that filters posts from accounts below a threshold of karma, account age, or both. Most subreddits do not publish their numbers, which is why a brand new account gets removed from large subs regardless of how good the post is.
AutoMod: Reddit's configurable moderation bot. It applies the mechanical rules (link stripping, karma gates, keyword filters) before a human moderator ever sees the post, so most removals are automatic and silent.

How the directory was built, and what that means

Honesty about sourcing matters more here than a bigger number would. Direct Reddit API access was not available when this dataset was researched in July 2026, so profiles were built from per-subreddit web research: rule text and named threads where they could be found, and stable category patterns where they could not. Roughly ~25% of the 117 profiles are rule verified. Roughly ~75% are signal inferred, and every one of those is worded to say so.

Ratings skew conservative on purpose. The distribution is 60 strict, 35 conditional, 15 promo friendly and 7 banned, because being told a community is friendlier than it is costs you an account, while being told it is stricter than it is costs you a pleasant surprise. Candidate subreddits with no usable signal were dropped rather than padded, which is why the directory holds 117 profiles instead of a rounder number. Member counts vary wildly between third-party sources for the same community, so every size here is shown as approximate and several are marked unverified.

Subreddit rules change with moderator turnover. r/SaaS tightened from an open weekly thread to a roughly 60-day cooldown during 2026, which is exactly the kind of shift that makes any static list stale. This directory is reviewed quarterly. Treat it as the map, not the territory, and read the sidebar before you post.

Once you have a shortlist, the rest of the playbook lives in promoting a SaaS on Reddit without getting banned and warming up a new Reddit account. If you want to check your ratio before your next post, use the ban risk checker.

Frequently asked questions

Which subreddits allow self-promotion?: A minority of them, and they are usually not the big ones. In this directory of 104 founder-adjacent communities, 14 are rated promo friendly (showing your own work is a normal post type), 31 are conditional, 53 are strict, and 6 ban self-promotion outright. The promo friendly tier is mostly small showcase and feedback communities such as r/SideProject, r/microsaas, r/roastmystartup, r/playmygame and r/Design_Critiques.
How do I find the right subreddit for my product?: Describe the product in one plain sentence, add the audience words your buyers would use, and match those against communities by niche rather than by size. Then check three things per candidate before posting: the sidebar rules, whether a sanctioned promo thread exists, and how posts mentioning a competitor fared. This tool does the first step against a hand-built directory and names the sanctioned thread where research found one.
Why is r/Entrepreneur strict when r/Entrepreneurs is not?: Because the big sub in a niche is a discussion room and its smaller sibling is a showcase room. That split repeats across the directory: r/Entrepreneur is strict while r/Entrepreneurs and r/EntrepreneurRideAlong are permissive, r/marketing bans promotion while r/GrowthHacking allows it inside a real experiment writeup, r/smallbusiness confines promotion to a weekly thread while r/growmybusiness is built for case studies. Big subs moderate hard because scale attracts spam. Their siblings compete for members by being useful to builders.
How much karma do I need before posting in most subreddits?: Most subreddits do not publish a number, and only four profiles in this directory surfaced any karma note at all. What is real is the pattern: AutoMod filters on account age plus karma, so brand new accounts get removed regardless of post quality. Treat a couple of weeks of genuine commenting as the practical floor, and check our Reddit karma and warmup calculator for a pace that matches your account age.
Can I post the same launch to several subreddits at once?: Not the same text and not the same day. Identical cross-posts are a recognized spam pattern and are the fastest way to collect removals across every community at once. Rewrite the post per community angle, spread the posts across days, and keep your overall self-promotion ratio inside the 9:1 rule while you do it.
How accurate is this directory?: It is honest rather than authoritative. Roughly ~25% of the 117 profiles are rule verified, meaning research surfaced subreddit-specific rule text, a named weekly thread, or a specific enforcement detail. The remaining ~75% are signal inferred from stable category patterns and are deliberately rated conservatively, because telling you a subreddit is friendlier than it is can get you banned. Reviewed July 2026. Always read the sidebar before you post.

By hand vs with VoicePost

You can do all of this yourself. Here is what it takes to keep it up every day, and what VoicePost handles for you.

	By hand	With VoicePost
Finding communities that fit	Searching Reddit, opening dozens of sidebars, and guessing which rooms match your buyer from member counts alone.	Your niche maps to a vetted shortlist, and the daily plan keeps proposing rooms as your account earns access to bigger ones.
Keeping the rules straight	Re-reading each sidebar before every post and hoping the rule you memorized last month still holds.	Per-subreddit posting norms are applied to each draft, so the post arrives already shaped for the room it is going to.
Hitting the sanctioned threads	Remembering that Saturday is Showoff Saturday in one sub and Share Your SaaS Saturday in another, every week, forever.	The daily plan tells you which room and which thread today, so the weekly slots stop slipping past you.
Writing the post itself	Rewriting the same launch for five different communities so it does not read as a copy-paste cross-post.	Topic-based Reddit drafts are written per community angle. You review and paste each one yourself.

Read next

Best Subreddits to Promote a SaaS in 2026 (Rules Included)

The rooms worth posting in, each paired with what it actually tolerates, plus the 30-second appetite check to run before trusting any list.

Last reviewed: July 2026

Find My Subreddits: Subreddit Finder for Founders

The full subreddit directory (117 communities)

SaaS

r/microsaas

r/SaaS

Startups

r/startups

Indie hackers

r/AlphaandBetaUsers

r/betatests

r/IndieBiz

r/ProductHunters

r/roastmystartup

r/SideProject

r/indiehackers

r/InternetIsBeautiful

Entrepreneurship

r/EntrepreneurRideAlong

r/Entrepreneurs

r/Solopreneur

r/Entrepreneur

Small business

r/growmybusiness

r/business

r/smallbusiness

r/smallbusinessowners

Side hustles

r/passive_income

r/sidehustle

r/beermoney

r/Flipping

Marketing

r/DigitalMarketing

r/Emailmarketing

r/PPC

r/socialmedia

r/marketing

r/SEO

Growth

r/GrowthHacking

r/growthmarketing

Newsletters

r/substack

r/blogging

r/Newsletters

Ecommerce

r/dropshipping

r/AmazonSeller

r/dropship

r/ecommerce

r/Etsy

r/EtsySellers

r/FulfillmentByAmazon

r/shopify

Web development

r/coolgithubprojects

r/Frontend

r/javascript

r/nextjs

r/node

r/reactjs

r/vuejs

r/webdev

Programming

r/learnprogramming

r/programming

AI and ML

r/AI_Agents

r/LocalLLaMA

r/artificial

r/ChatGPTPro

r/ClaudeAI

r/OpenAI

r/singularity

r/MachineLearning

Mobile apps

r/AppBusiness

r/mobiledev

r/androiddev

r/FlutterDev