Can I announce my product here?
Not directly. The rules prohibit promotional posts and marketing, but an organic announcement of a new product or feature release is acceptable if you get formal mod approval first.
Subreddit guides
r/Automate rules, stats, and what to post
A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/Automate: public rules, community context, posting fit, and startup-promotion risk before you publish.
By Anthony Riera, founder and operator of Rankhog.
Subreddit guides combine public Reddit source URLs, captured rules, visible verification dates, and Rankhog's account-safety workflow.
Current public stats
- Members
- 157,860
- Verified
- October 12, 2026
- Category
- AI builders, operators, and researchers
Rules can change, so Rankhog keeps verification dates and the original public Reddit sources visible.
Rule summary
- No Spam or Self-Promotion: r/Automate does not permit promotional posts and marketing on the subreddit. The moderation team will strictly enforce a zero tolerance policy on spam content. In the event that the spam rule is broken, the user will be permanently banned from the subreddit with all past content purged. However, organic announcement posts pertaining to new product or feature releases for open-source or commercial products are acceptable, conditional on formal receipt of mod approval.
- No Off-Topic Posts: r/Automate is a broad reaching subreddit inclusive of any software or hardware tools used to automate certain workflows or processes. Each post must therefore be tied to the concept of automation and improving the efficiency of a particular workflow relative to the past.
- No Marketing Campaigns (SEO): r/Automate prohibits marketing campaigns targeted at community members, and posts intended to rank for SEO purposes. In the event that such behavior is caught, the domain of the user in violation of our policy will be perpetually banned.
- Be Cordial and Respectful: r/Automate is an inclusive community for a wide range of users, and thereby, kind and respectful behavior is expected in all interactions that occur on the subreddit. The commonality among all subreddit participants is the shared interest in automation technologies and the potential ramification such developments will have on our everyday life.
- Contribute value: We want posts people can benefit from. Share code, screenshots, a demo, or a lesson learned. AMA-style posts without substance behind them will be removed.
- Keep things appropriate: No NSFW content, explicit imagery, graphic violence, or NSFW chatbots.
- Be intentional: Posts should be thoughtful, deliberate, and easy to read. A. Pick your length with intention. Keep it to four paragraphs or fewer unless the post genuinely calls for more, like a post-mortem or synopsis. Copy-and-pasted AI-generated text won’t count as a contribution here. B. Good posts show the work behind the question. Pair every ask with what you’ve already tried and meaningful context so the community can give you a real answer.
- Show your work: Project posts need at least one of these: a repo link, a live demo, screenshots with some explanation, or a short "what broke and how I fixed it" paragraph.
- Showcase Sundays: Showcase posts are welcome on Sundays. When in doubt, use the Showcase Sunday flair. Try to hang out and contribute during the rest of the week too.
Works well
- A build write-up showing how you automated a specific workflow, with a repo link or live demo and a short paragraph on what broke and how you fixed it.
- A before and after walkthrough of a process, with screenshots and a clear explanation of what got faster or easier.
- A question post that pairs the ask with what you already tried and real context about the workflow you are automating.
- An organic announcement of a new product or feature release, posted only after formal moderator approval.
- A showcase post on Sunday using the Showcase Sunday flair, with a demo or screenshots that explain the work.
Avoid
- Posting a promotional or marketing post without moderator approval, which the rules say leads to a permanent ban and all past content purged.
- Running an SEO campaign or posting links intended to rank, which the rules say gets the domain perpetually banned.
- Dropping a showcase or project post on a weekday instead of Showcase Sundays.
- Asking for help without showing what you already tried, because low-effort questions get removed.
- Pasting AI-generated text into your post, which the rules say will not count as a contribution.
- Writing a post longer than four paragraphs when it does not genuinely call for more, like a post-mortem or synopsis would.
What r/Automate Is For
r/Automate is a community for people interested in AI automation tools, and the description names MCP and agentic applications as a big part of the current conversation. The rules make the scope clear, it covers any software or hardware tools used to automate workflows or processes, as long as each post ties back to automation and making a particular workflow more efficient than it was before. The people posting here are builders and operators who share code, screenshots, demos, and lessons learned, and who ask questions about automating real work. It is an inclusive room, and the rules expect kind and respectful behavior in every interaction.
Rules That Matter Before Posting
The rule that decides everything here is “No Spam or Self-Promotion”, which bans promotional posts and marketing outright and warns that breaking it means a permanent ban with all past content purged. The same rule leaves one door open, organic announcement posts about new product or feature releases are acceptable with formal mod approval. “No Marketing Campaigns (SEO)” bans marketing aimed at community members and posts built to rank for SEO, and it says the domain of anyone caught gets perpetually banned. “No Off-Topic Posts” requires every post to tie back to automation and improving a workflow compared to the past. “Contribute value” asks for posts people can benefit from, like code, screenshots, demos, or lessons learned, and warns that AMA-style posts without substance get removed. “Show your work” requires project posts to include a repo link, a live demo, screenshots with explanation, or a short paragraph on what broke and how you fixed it. “Showcase Sundays” limits showcase posts to Sundays and asks you to use the Showcase Sunday flair. “Be intentional” caps most posts at four paragraphs or fewer and says copy-and-pasted AI-generated text will not count as a contribution.
What To Post
For a founder, the safest strong post is a build write-up tied to a real workflow. Show the before and after of a process you automated, include a repo link, a live demo, or screenshots with explanation, and add a short paragraph on what broke and how you fixed it. Keep it to four paragraphs or fewer, write it yourself, and make sure the automation angle is obvious. If you want to announce a new product or feature release, the rules allow an organic announcement, but only after you get formal mod approval, so message the moderators first and wait for a yes. If you have a showcase, save it for Sunday and use the Showcase Sunday flair. If you ask a question, pair it with what you already tried and real context so people can give you a real answer.
What To Avoid
The fastest way to lose your account here is promotional or marketing content without mod approval, because the spam rule carries a zero tolerance policy, a permanent ban, and all past content purged. The second fastest is SEO or marketing campaigns, which get your domain perpetually banned. Posts that are not tied to automation and workflow efficiency are off-topic and get removed. Showcase posts outside of Sundays get removed. Low-effort questions without context, AMA posts without substance, and copy-pasted AI-generated text all fail the contribution rules. Keep it cordial too, disrespectful behavior breaks the rules here.
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Common questions about r/Automate
When can I post a showcase?
The rules say showcase posts are welcome on Sundays, so use the Showcase Sunday flair and post on that day.
What does a project post need to include?
The rules require at least one of a repo link, a live demo, screenshots with some explanation, or a short paragraph on what broke and how you fixed it.
How do I ask a question without it getting removed?
The rules say pair every ask with what you have already tried and meaningful context, and keep it to four paragraphs or fewer.
Can I link to my own site or repo?
The rules do not state a link policy, so the safe move is to ask the moderators before including any link, especially your own domain.
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