Can I share my product here?
Yes, but only if you provide context, share progress or lessons, or ask for feedback. The rule "No Self-Promotion Without Context" means a bare product link will likely be removed.
Subreddit guides
r/buildinpublic rules, stats, and what to post
A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/buildinpublic: 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
- 114,061
- Verified
- August 27, 2026
- Category
- Side project builders and makers
Rules can change, so Rankhog keeps verification dates and the original public Reddit sources visible.
Rule summary
- Be Respectful: Treat all members with respect. No harassment, hate speech, or personal attacks will be tolerated. Be constructive in your feedback and interactions.
- Stay on Topic: All posts should be related to "building in public," whether you're working on a product, learning a new skill, or launching something new. Off-topic content will be removed.
- No Self-Promotion Without Context: Share your work openly, but avoid posting solely for self-promotion. Instead, focus on sharing progress, lessons learned, and asking for feedback.
- No Spam: Spamming links, irrelevant content, or unsolicited advertisements will lead to immediate removal. Keep the focus on building and learning together.
- No Plagiarism or Misrepresentation: All work shared should be your own or properly credited if you’re collaborating or using third-party resources. Misrepresenting work as your own will result in immediate action from the moderators.
- Privacy: Do not share private or sensitive information about yourself or others without consent. This includes sharing someone else's work without permission.
- Transparency in Tools & Resources: If you share tools or resources, be transparent if they’re paid, free, or affiliate-linked. This helps maintain trust and clarity in the community.
Works well
- Share a specific milestone with the story behind it, like crossing a user count or getting your first sale.
- Ask the community a real question about your approach, like whether to keep going when growth is slow.
- Post a lesson learned from a setback, with enough detail that others can apply it to their own projects.
- Share a progress update on what you built this week, what worked, and what did not.
- Ask for feedback on a specific decision, like a feature choice or a pricing question.
Avoid
- Posting a bare link to your product with no story, no progress, and no lesson attached.
- Dropping affiliate links without saying they are affiliate links, since the community requires transparency.
- Sharing someone else's work as if it were your own, which the moderators say will result in immediate action.
- Posting content that has nothing to do with building a project in public.
- Harassing, attacking, or being disrespectful to other members.
- Spamming links or running unsolicited advertisements.
What actually works in r/buildinpublic
These are the highest scoring posts Rankhog observed in r/buildinpublic over the past month, with what each one did differently. Rankhog watches this community continuously, so it sees posts when they are published and again as they climb.
Across 641 posts, the ones that did best tend to include specific numbers, are written in the first person, break the body into short paragraphs.
- Upvotes
- 79
- Comments
- 13
- Posted
- Aug 17, 2026
Why it worked
- Short paragraphs rather than one block of text
- Upvotes
- 20
- Comments
- 6
- Posted
- Aug 17, 2026
Why it worked
- Short paragraphs rather than one block of text
- Upvotes
- 18
- Comments
- 14
- Posted
- Aug 20, 2026
Why it worked
- Kept short enough to read in one pass
- Upvotes
- 13
- Comments
- 4
- Posted
- Aug 18, 2026
Why it worked
- Told in the first person
- Short paragraphs rather than one block of text
- Upvotes
- 13
- Comments
- 34
- Posted
- Aug 17, 2026
Why it worked
- Told in the first person
- Broken into a scannable list
- Upvotes
- 11
- Comments
- 9
- Posted
- Aug 16, 2026
Why it worked
- Kept short enough to read in one pass
- Upvotes
- 10
- Comments
- 15
- Posted
- Aug 21, 2026
Why it worked
- Asks the community a question instead of announcing something
- Short paragraphs rather than one block of text
- Kept short enough to read in one pass
- Upvotes
- 9
- Comments
- 6
- Posted
- Aug 22, 2026
- Upvotes
- 9
- Comments
- 4
- Posted
- Aug 17, 2026
Why it worked
- Told in the first person
- Kept short enough to read in one pass
- Upvotes
- 9
- Comments
- 15
- Posted
- Aug 15, 2026
Why it worked
- Broken into a scannable list
- Short paragraphs rather than one block of text
What r/buildinpublic Is For
This community is for creators, developers, entrepreneurs, and makers who want to share their journey of building something in public. You can post about coding, designing, writing, or launching a business. The point is to share progress, challenges, wins, and lessons as they happen, not to advertise a finished product. People come here to learn from each other and build together.
Rules That Matter Before Posting
The rules that matter most for a founder are "No Self-Promotion Without Context", "No Spam", "Stay on Topic", and "Transparency in Tools & Resources". "No Self-Promotion Without Context" is the one that decides whether your post survives, because it tells you exactly how to frame your work. You can share what you built, but you must focus on progress, lessons, or feedback. "No Spam" backs that up by banning link drops and unsolicited ads. "Stay on Topic" keeps you tied to the act of building something in public. "Transparency in Tools & Resources" matters the moment you mention a tool, a resource, or any link that is paid or affiliate-linked. You have to say so plainly.
What To Post
A good post here is a real update from your building journey with something useful for the reader. Share a milestone, a lesson, a setback, or a question about your approach. The top posts in this community show the pattern. One founder shared crossing 400 users. Another asked what problem their product solves. Another talked about building in public to total silence and asked whether to push through. Another shared the moment someone finally paid $5 for their app. These posts work because they are honest, specific, and invite conversation. If you want to share your product, wrap it in the story of what you learned, what changed, or what you are stuck on. If you mention a tool or resource, say whether it is paid, free, or affiliate-linked.
What To Avoid
Avoid posting solely to promote your product. The rule "No Self-Promotion Without Context" is clear that this is not allowed. Do not spam links or post irrelevant content, because the rule "No Spam" says that will lead to immediate removal. Do not plagiarize or misrepresent work as your own, since the rule "No Plagiarism or Misrepresentation" says moderators will take immediate action. Do not share private or sensitive information about yourself or others without consent, as the rule "Privacy" requires. Do not post off-topic content, because the rule "Stay on Topic" says it will be removed. And do not hide whether a tool or resource is paid or affiliate-linked, because the rule "Transparency in Tools & Resources" asks you to disclose that.
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Common questions about r/buildinpublic
Can I include affiliate links?
Yes, but you must be transparent about it. The rule "Transparency in Tools & Resources" says you should disclose if something is paid, free, or affiliate-linked.
What counts as on topic?
The rule "Stay on Topic" says all posts should relate to building in public, whether you are working on a product, learning a skill, or launching something. If your post does not connect to that journey, it will be removed.
Will my post be removed if it looks promotional?
The rule "No Spam" says spamming links or unsolicited advertisements will lead to immediate removal, and the policy brief confirms spammy posts are taken down.
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