r/instructionaldesign rules, stats, and what to post
Know the rules before you post. So easy grandma can do it.
- To post
- No minimum in the rules
- To comment
- No minimum in the rules
- Self-promotion
- Allowed with conditions
- Requires explicit prior approval from the moderators.
- Links
- Allowed with conditions
- Must use the link title as the post title, explain its relevance to instructional design, and offer a starting point for conversation.
- Promo risk
- High
- From the rules, not from removal counts
- Community age
- 14 years
- Since Oct 2012
- Flair
- Not required by the rules
- Showcase posts
- Wednesday only
About r/instructionaldesign
A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/instructionaldesign: public rules, community context, posting fit, and startup-promotion risk before you publish.Checked from the r/instructionaldesign rules on Reddit.
r/instructionaldesign rules
10 rules, in the community's own words.
- 1
Be Civil & Constructive
This is a community for everyone passionate about or curious about instructional design. We expect all members to interact respectfully and constructively to ensure a welcoming environment. Focus on the substance of the discussion – critique ideas, not individuals. Personal attacks, name-calling, harassment, and discriminatory language are not OK and will be removed. We value diverse perspectives and experience levels. Do not dismiss or belittle questions/contributions.
- 2
Be Specific: No Overly Broad Questions
Posts seeking advice on breaking into the instructional design field or asking very general questions (e.g., "How do I become an ID?", "How do I do a needs analysis?") are not permitted. These topics are too broad for meaningful discussion and can typically be answered by searching Google, consulting AI resources, or by adding specific details to narrow your query. Please ensure your questions are specific and provide context to foster productive conversations.
- 3
Add Value: No Low-Effort Content (Tag Humor)
To ensure discussions are meaningful and this community is a valuable resource, please ensure your posts and comments contribute substantively. Low-effort content that doesn't add value may be removed. What's considered 'low-effort'? Comments that don't advance the conversation (e.g., just "This," "+1," or "lol" without further contribution). Vague questions easily answered by a quick search or reading the original post. Posts or comments lacking clear context, purpose, or effort.
- 4
No Link Dumping
Sharing resources like blog posts, articles, or videos is welcome if it adds value to the community. However, posts consisting only of a link, or links shared without substantial context or a clear prompt for discussion, will be removed. If you share a link include one or more of the following: Use the title of the article/link as the title of the post. Briefly explain its content and relevance to ID in the description. Offer a starting point for conversation (e.g., your take or a question)
- 5
Portfolio & Capstone Review Requests Published on Wednesdays
Share your portfolios and capstone projects with the community! To ensure these posts get good visibility and to maintain a clear feed throughout the week, posts requesting portfolio reviews or sharing capstone project information will be approved and featured on Wednesdays. You can submit your post at any time during the week. Our moderation team will hold it and then publish it along with other portfolio/capstone posts on Wednesday. Please be patient if your post doesn't appear immediately.
- 6
Job Posting Etiquette
Sharing job opportunities is encouraged! To ensure clarity and help job seekers, all job postings must: Clearly state the location(s) of the position (e.g., "Remote (US Only)," "Hybrid
- London, UK," "On-site
- New York, NY"). Use the 'Job Posting' flair. Try to include as much detail as possible to attract suitable candidates, such as: job title, company, full-time/part-time/contract, experience level, a brief description of the role and responsibilities, and salary range (if possible).
- 7
No Requests for Free Work
This community is a place for discussion, knowledge sharing and support. It is not a venue for soliciting free professional services or uncompensated labor. This rule prohibits, but is not limited to: Asking members to create or develop course materials, designs, or templates without offering payment Requests for extensive, individualized consultation or detailed project work disguised as a general question Seeking volunteers for for-profit for tasks that would typically be paid roles.
- 8
Business Promotion/Solicitation Requires Mod Approval
To maintain our community's focus on discussion and learning, direct commercial solicitation or unsolicited advertising of products, services, or businesses (e.g., 'Hey, try my app!', or 'Hire me for your project!') is not permitted without explicit prior approval from the mods. This includes direct posts and comments aimed at driving traffic or sales to your personal or business ventures. Want to share something commercial you believe genuinely benefits the community? Contact the mod team!
- 9
Flair your posts
Please flair your posts! If you do not, one of the mods will try to flair it with what seems appropriate.
- 10
No "AI Slop"
Posts and comments must be the product of genuine human thought and effort. We remove low-effort submissions that are fully AI-generated. Using AI to assist with grammar or to organize your own ideas is fine if the core idea, argument, and experience is yours. Enforcement relies on mainly on community reports. If you believe your post was removed in error, please contact the moderators via ModMail for a review.
What to post in r/instructionaldesign
What fits the room, and what gets removed.
Works well
- A specific question about a real design decision you are facing, with enough context that people can give a useful answer
- A resource share that uses the article title as the post title, explains why it matters to instructional design, and ends with your own take or a question
- A writeup of a lesson you learned building a course or training program, told in your own words with room for others to disagree
- A portfolio or capstone project submitted early in the week so the mods can feature it on Wednesday
- A job posting that states the location, uses the Job Posting flair, and includes role details and salary range if possible
- A comment that genuinely advances someone else's thread with substance instead of a one-word reply
Avoid
- Dropping a link with no explanation, because “No Link Dumping” removes posts that are just a link
- Posting “Hey, try my app!” or any ad without moderator approval, because “Business Promotion/Solicitation Requires Mod Approval” bans it
- Asking the sub to build your course materials or templates for free, because “No Requests for Free Work” forbids it
- Posting a broad “How do I become an instructional designer?” question, because “Be Specific: No Overly Broad Questions” removes it
- Pasting an AI-written post with no real thinking behind it, because “No "AI Slop"” gets it removed
- Leaving a one-word comment like “This” on someone else's post, because “Add Value: No Low-Effort Content (Tag Humor)” removes it
Best hours to post in r/instructionaldesign
No pattern yet. r/instructionaldesign does not have enough top posts from the last 90 days to name its best hours.
What r/instructionaldesign Is For
This is a supportive space for anyone curious about or working in instructional design, from brand new people to seasoned pros. People come here to ask questions, share ideas, and grow together, and the community description puts real weight on respectful conversation, diverse perspectives, and a collaborative, curious spirit. In practice that means the room is full of designers, career changers, and people building training, and they expect substance in every post. The rules make it clear this is a discussion and knowledge sharing community, not a place to advertise, solicit free work, or dump links.
Rules That Matter Before Posting
The rule that decides everything for a founder is “Business Promotion/Solicitation Requires Mod Approval”, which says direct commercial solicitation or unsolicited advertising of products, services, or businesses is not permitted without explicit prior approval from the mods, and that includes posts and comments aimed at driving traffic or sales. The rule “No Link Dumping” governs any resource sharing, and it says a post that is only a link, or a link without substantial context or a clear prompt for discussion, will be removed. “Add Value: No Low-Effort Content (Tag Humor)” removes posts and comments that lack clear context, purpose, or effort. “Be Specific: No Overly Broad Questions” bans general questions that could be answered by a quick search, so a vague ask will not survive. “No Requests for Free Work” blocks anything that asks members to create materials or give extensive individualized consultation without payment. “No "AI Slop"” removes fully AI-generated posts and comments, though using AI to help with grammar or organizing your own ideas is fine if the core idea and experience are yours. Finally, “Flair your posts” asks you to tag every post, and “Be Civil & Constructive” sets the tone for how you respond to people once your post is live.
What To Post
The safest and most respected post here is a specific question with real context behind it, because the rules reward specificity and punish broad asks. If you want to share a resource, follow “No Link Dumping” closely: use the link title as your post title, briefly explain its content and relevance to instructional design, and offer your own take or a question as a starting point for conversation. Write the post yourself and put your own experience in it, since the community removes fully AI-generated content but allows AI help with grammar or organizing your own ideas. Share a genuine lesson learned from building or designing something, framed as a discussion rather than a pitch. If you have something commercial you believe genuinely benefits the community, the rules tell you exactly what to do: contact the mod team first and get approval before posting. Flair your post when you publish it, and reply to comments with substance, not one-word agreement.
What To Avoid
The fastest way to get removed is promoting your product or service without explicit prior mod approval, because the rules name direct posts and comments aimed at driving traffic or sales as unpermitted advertising. A bare link with no explanation or discussion prompt gets removed under “No Link Dumping”. Broad questions like how to break into the field are not permitted, so do your searching first and bring a specific, contextual question instead. Never ask the community to build something for you for free or volunteer for tasks that would normally be paid, because “No Requests for Free Work” covers that directly. Fully AI-generated posts are removed, so write in your own voice with your own experience at the center. Low-effort comments, dismissive replies to beginners, and unflaired posts all work against you here.
A note from Anthony
The Wednesday holding pattern for portfolio reviews is my favorite detail in this whole rulebook, because it shows mods who care about the feed staying useful instead of just deleting things. I also respect that they spelled out exactly what makes a link acceptable instead of leaving you to guess. If you build anything for learning teams, this room rewards patience and punishes shortcuts, which is exactly how I think about Reddit anyway.
By Anthony Riera, founder and operator of Rankhog. Every guide is built from the community's own public rules and data, then checked by Rankhog's grounding audit before it goes live.
Common questions about r/instructionaldesign
Can I post about my product here?
No. Rule 8, “Business Promotion/Solicitation Requires Mod Approval”, requires explicit prior approval from the mods before any commercial post or comment.
Can I share a blog post or article I wrote?
Yes, conditionally. “No Link Dumping” allows resources that add value, but you must use the link title as your post title, explain its relevance to instructional design, and offer a starting point for conversation.
Can I ask for feedback on my portfolio?
Yes, but “Portfolio & Capstone Review Requests Published on Wednesdays” means the mods hold your post and publish it on Wednesday, so submit it early in the week.
Can I run a survey or ask people to try my tool for free?
Only if you get explicit mod approval first under “Business Promotion/Solicitation Requires Mod Approval”. Otherwise it is treated as unapproved advertising.
Can I post a job opening?
Yes. Rule 6, “Job Posting Etiquette”, encourages job postings if you state the location, use the Job Posting flair, and include details like role, experience level, and salary range if possible.
Subreddits like r/instructionaldesign
Other rooms for the same crowd.