Can I post a question that links to my product or website?
No. The rule "No self-promotion, shilling or begging" bans trying to draw traffic to a product, video, podcast, or website by phrasing it as a question.
Subreddit guides
r/NoStupidQuestions rules, stats, and what to post
A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/NoStupidQuestions: 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
- 7,499,151
- Verified
- September 18, 2026
- Category
- Entrepreneur advice and questions
Rules can change, so Rankhog keeps verification dates and the original public Reddit sources visible.
Rule summary
- Top level comments must contain a genuine human-written attempt at an answer: All direct answers to a post must make a genuine attempt to answer the question. Joke responses at the parent-level will be removed. Accounts using AI to generate answers will be banned. Follow-up questions at the top level are allowed. (Link only responses are permitted if they are asking for a subreddit.) Do not answer by only dropping a link and do not tell users they should "google it." Include a summary of the link or answer the question yourself.
- Please try searching the subreddit for your question first: Try to keep repeat posts to a minimum. As much as we love answering questions here, it doesn't help when we see repeat questions on the front page every day. You can find the questions that have come up here again and again in our [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/wiki/index).
- Be Nice: Follow Reddiquette: Be polite and respectful in your exchanges. NSQ is supposed to be a helpful resource for confused redditors. Civil disagreements can happen, but insults should not. Personal attacks, slurs, bigotry, etc. are not permitted at any time.
- No medical advice questions: No medical advice questions A rule of thumb would be: Could this question or its answers make someone decide not to go see a doctor when they really should? If you are asking here to avoid bothering a doctor, you probably should bother a doctor.
- No trolling or joke questions: Disallowed: questions that are joke or trolling questions, memes, just song lyrics as title, etc.
- No suicide or 'was I raped/sexual assaulted/sexually harrassed?' questions: Suicide related questions are best handled by the resources they have at r/SuicideWatch. Questions along the lines of "was I raped?" or "was I sexually assaulted?" are best addressed by the trained, professional support resources you can find [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/SeriousConversation/wiki/resources#wiki_rape_and_sexual_violence).
- No self-promotion, shilling or begging: No trying to draw traffic to product/video/podcast/website by phrasing it in the form of a question. Asking for upvotes, birthday wishes, handouts, or fundraising support fall under this as well. Please see more appropriate subreddits for that. No questions trying to elicit participation without learning anything of substance from the answers.
- No illegal/unethical or disturbing subject matter: Nothing like "Where can I find a copy of (movie/show/music) for free online?" There are other places for asking that, this is not one of them. Tasteless or disturbing questions regarding loli, pedophilia, murder, violence or other sketchy or disgusting subject matter are not welcome here. You are welcome to ask good faith questions about such topics but be aware such threads may be locked or removed if necessary to preserve the integrity of the subreddit.
- No disguised rants, agenda posts or potstirring: Questions not asked in good faith - such as a rant or hate towards any group in the form of a question, as well as leading questions, or those asked merely to promote an agenda will be removed. We are a small, volunteer mod team and there is a limit to our ability to respond to brigading and trolling from Reddit at large. We reserve the right to make judgement calls on when a particular thread becomes disruptive to the sub, and we are unable to maintain a civil space for the discussion.
Works well
- Ask a genuine question about a topic related to your industry that you are truly curious about, without mentioning your product.
- Answer someone's question in your area of expertise with a full, human-written explanation, and only include a link if you also summarize it in the comment.
- Search the subreddit wiki first to confirm your question has not been asked before, then ask a straightforward question in plain language.
Avoid
- Do not post a question that is really a disguised rant or an agenda push, because the rule "No disguised rants, agenda posts or potstirring" will catch it.
- Do not ask for medical advice, because the rule "No medical advice questions" removes those posts.
- Do not post joke or trolling questions, because the rule "No trolling or joke questions" bans them.
- Do not ask about suicide or sexual assault, because the rule "No suicide or 'was I raped/sexual assaulted/sexually harrassed?' questions" redirects those to support resources.
- Do not ask about illegal or unethical topics, because the rule "No illegal/unethical or disturbing subject matter" is enforced.
- Do not use AI tools to write your answers, because the rule "Top level comments must contain a genuine human-written attempt at an answer" says AI-generated answers will be banned.
What r/NoStupidQuestions Is For
This community is a place to ask questions and get answers. The public description says "Ask away!" but adds a disclaimer that answers may not be correct because it is an anonymous forum. The rules tell you more about who posts here. People post genuine questions they are confused about. The moderators want the subreddit to be a helpful resource for confused redditors. That means the room is full of curious people looking for real explanations, not pitches or entertainment.
Rules That Matter Before Posting
The rule that matters most for anyone doing Reddit marketing is "No self-promotion, shilling or begging." It bans trying to draw traffic to a product, video, podcast, or website by phrasing it in the form of a question. It also bans asking for upvotes, birthday wishes, handouts, or fundraising support. The next one to watch is "Top level comments must contain a genuine human-written attempt at an answer." That rule says you cannot answer by only dropping a link. You must include a summary of the link or answer the question yourself. It also says accounts using AI to generate answers will be banned. The rule "No disguised rants, agenda posts or potstirring" is also important. It removes questions not asked in good faith, including leading questions or those asked merely to promote an agenda. Finally, the rule "Please try searching the subreddit for your question first" asks you to keep repeat posts to a minimum by checking the wiki before you ask.
What To Post
A good post here is a genuine question asked in good faith. If you are a founder doing respectful Reddit marketing, you should not try to sell anything in your post. Instead, ask a real question about a problem your target audience faces, or a question about something you genuinely do not understand. Before you post, search the subreddit and check the wiki to make sure your question has not been asked before. When you answer other people's questions, write your answer yourself in plain language. If you include a link, also include a summary of what the link says or answer the question fully in your own words. The goal is to be a helpful, real person in the room.
What To Avoid
Avoid anything that looks like self-promotion. The rule "No self-promotion, shilling or begging" removes posts that try to draw traffic to a product, video, podcast, or website by phrasing it as a question. It also removes posts asking for upvotes, handouts, or fundraising support. Avoid joke or trolling questions, because the rule "No trolling or joke questions" bans them. Avoid medical advice questions, because the rule "No medical advice questions" removes them. Do not ask about suicide or sexual assault, because the rule "No suicide or 'was I raped/sexual assaulted/sexually harrassed?' questions" redirects those to trained support resources. Avoid illegal or unethical topics, because the rule "No illegal/unethical or disturbing subject matter" covers that. Do not post disguised rants or agenda posts, because the rule "No disguised rants, agenda posts or potstirring" removes them. When you answer a question, do not just drop a link, because the rule "Top level comments must contain a genuine human-written attempt at an answer" requires you to include a summary or answer it yourself. Do not use AI to write your answers, because that same rule says accounts using AI will be banned.
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Common questions about r/NoStupidQuestions
Can I include a link in my answer to someone else's question?
Yes, but the rule "Top level comments must contain a genuine human-written attempt at an answer" says you must include a summary of the link or answer the question yourself. You cannot just drop a link.
Can I ask people to support my crowdfunding campaign?
No. The rule "No self-promotion, shilling or begging" also covers asking for upvotes, birthday wishes, handouts, or fundraising support.
Can I use AI to help write my answer?
No. The rule "Top level comments must contain a genuine human-written attempt at an answer" explicitly states that accounts using AI to generate answers will be banned.
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