How to post in r/indiehackers without getting removed
r/indiehackers lets you self-promote one time using the SHOW IH flair, and the purpose is feedback and critique, not advertisement. Any MRR claims you make need proof, or the post is removed. Note that this small subreddit (around 10,000 members) is separate from the indiehackers.com website, which is a much larger community of its own.
The rules below were read from r/indiehackers’s own rules page. Subreddits change their policies, so confirm against the live rules before you post, and run your draft through the launch checklist so your account and timing are as ready as your writing.
What r/indiehackers allows, in four lines
Self-promotion is allowed once, using the SHOW IH flair, and it is meant for feedback and critique rather than advertising. Posts that mention MRR need proof; without proof, the post is removed. The subreddit also warns against what you build posts used to farm karma.
Not a thread. Use the required SHOW IH flair for a one-time self-promotion post.
No public karma or account-age threshold is published.
Not used here. Promotion is handled through the one-time SHOW IH flair.
How promotion actually works here
Self-promotion is allowed once, using the SHOW IH flair, and it is meant for feedback and critique rather than advertising. Posts that mention MRR need proof; without proof, the post is removed. The subreddit also warns against what you build posts used to farm karma.
Where the product goes: Not a thread. Use the required SHOW IH flair for a one-time self-promotion post.
Draft a post that fits r/indiehackers
Describe what you built and target r/indiehackers. The generator shapes the draft to this community's voice and flags the removal triggers listed on this page before you post.
Title options
The formats r/indiehackers rewards
The SHOW IH post
When You want feedback on a product you built.
How Use the SHOW IH flair, frame it as a request for critique rather than a launch, and if you cite any revenue, include proof. You get this once, so make it count.
The build lesson
When You have a specific lesson from building or shipping.
How Share the concrete lesson and numbers you can back up. Avoid vague motivational or karma-farming framing.
The community answer
When Another indie hacker asked something you know.
How Answer with specifics from your own experience. This builds standing before you spend your one SHOW IH post.
What a post that fits looks like
Illustrative example for a fictional product, shaped to r/indiehackers’s rules.
[SHOW IH] Built a tiny invoice-chaser after eating too many late payments. Would love a critique.
I built a small tool that tracks overdue invoices and drafts the follow-up email so I stop avoiding it. Posting for critique, not as a launch. I am at a very small number of paying users so far, and I am happy to share exact figures in the comments if that is useful. What I most want feedback on: - Is the follow-up tone right, or does it read as aggressive? - Would you trust a tool to send these automatically, or would you always want manual approval?
Why it fits: Uses the SHOW IH flair, framed as critique, offers proof of numbers, asks specific feedback questions.
The fastest ways to get pulled from r/indiehackers
If a post disappears without a removal message, it may be held by AutoMod rather than manually removed. Our guide on why a Reddit post is not showing up walks through the difference.
A quick pre-post check for r/indiehackers
Posting guides for other founder subreddits
Posting in r/indiehackers, answered
How is r/indiehackers different from indiehackers.com?
They share a name but are separate. The subreddit is a small, informally run community of roughly 10,000 members, and its own sidebar links out to indiehackers.com as an external resource. Do not assume the website's larger member count applies to the subreddit.
How do I self-promote in r/indiehackers?
You get one self-promotion post using the SHOW IH flair, framed for feedback and critique rather than advertising. Spend it on something you genuinely want critiqued.
Why was my revenue post removed?
The subreddit requires proof for MRR or revenue claims. Without proof, the post is removed. If you mention numbers, be ready to back them up in the post or comments.
Is r/indiehackers a good place to launch?
It is small, so treat it as a feedback community rather than a traffic source. Use your one SHOW IH post for genuine critique and contribute to other threads to build standing.