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r/programminghelp rules, stats, and what to post

A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/programminghelp: public rules, community context, posting fit, and startup-promotion risk before you publish.

Members
17,542
Community age
Created Sep 2010, 16 years
To post
No minimum in the rules
To comment
No minimum in the rules
Self-promotion
Banned
Links
Allowed
Promo risk
HighFrom the rules, not from removal counts

Checked October 29, 2026 from the community's public Reddit pages:

Check a post for r/programminghelp

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.

Rule summary

  • No Illegal Activity: Asking for help or assisting anyone who is obviously attempting something of questionable legality is not allowed. So far the only exception to this is CompSec assignment questions and you may be asked for proof of assignment by the mods.
  • Code must be shown and formatted.: **If you have code. Show it!!** All code must be properly formatted. Inside the editor, at the bottom, look for the Code Block button. **Do not use the Inline Code button.** If you want to post whole files, then a link to your Github repository, or a Gist, is **best**. Otherwise pastebin (http://www.pastebin.com) or privatebin (http://www.privatebin.info) the files and post the links. ** *Literal* pictures of your screen or screenshots of code are not acceptable unless mod approved.**
  • Play Nice: When commenting, even if the question violates rules, do your absolute best refrain from being mean. This is a sub for people with questions they consider embarrassing or noobish and they're already most likely a bit sensitive or shy. This isn't a 'safe space' but that doesn't give you the right to be an asshole.
  • Show your work/effort. Especially with Homework & Assignments.: If you are asking for help, **ESPECIALLY** with homework or an assignment,then show us you've put some effort into it. Asking for help understanding what you have been asked to do is fine. Pasting the assignment and asking for help with no context is just going to get your post removed. We help those who help themselves. If you haven't tried googling an answer, then do that before posting. Please refrain from handing out solutions to posts like these, instead help the student learn.
  • Do not ask for money. Do not offer money.: If you want to drag money into this, then search for subreddits that will let you hire developers. This isn't the place for it. Violation of this rule will result in a ban.
  • Put in some effort before asking.: Do not just blindly run here without putting forth even the smallest amount of effort and attempting a search of the internet for the answer to your question. If you have no idea what something does, is, etc, then search for it. If things still aren't clear and you have questions, that's fine, but this subreddit exists to help you with problems, not to search Google for you. If your question relates in any way to learning a new language, or how to improve, try /r/learnprogramming instead.
  • Check if other subreddits are a better fit.: This subreddit is mostly for people who are working on code and are stumped with a problem. While we're completely open to any other questions, be aware that depending on what you're asking, there are other subreddits that may provide faster/better help. Such as /r/learnprogramming for people who are completely new to programming and want to start. /r/programming in general, /r/askprogramming, or /r/ProgrammersForHire for people wanting to get paid help.
  • Keep communication inside the subreddit.: Please keep all communication to the subreddit. This helps others who are searching for similar issues. Avoid using external messengers like Telegram, Signal, Discord, etc,.
  • No Advertisements.: Do not post advertisements for repositories you own or maintain, or for products you 'endorse'. If someone posts asking for suggestions, you're free to make your feelings known, provided there is no collusion between OP and yourself.
  • No A.I.: This subreddit will not assist with any questions related to using Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Agents. Any posts or comments generated by AI will be removed.
  • Unacceptable Title Clarity: In order to maintain a helpful and organized environment, please ensure that the title of your post accurately and succinctly describes the programming issue or question you are facing. Avoid vague or sensational titles such as “URGENT HELP NEEDED” or “SOS!!” and instead provide a brief overview of the problem. This helps fellow community members better understand your issue and increases the chances of receiving relevant assistance.

Works well

  • A genuine debugging post from your own product work, with a descriptive title, formatted code in a code block, and a clear account of what you already tried
  • Sharing a whole file or repository through a Github or Gist link when a code block is too small for the problem, since the rules call that the best way
  • A patient, judgement free answer to a beginner question, which matches the community's stated purpose of helping without judgement
  • A question about something you did not understand, as long as you explain the context and show the thinking you already put in, since asking for help understanding is explicitly allowed
  • Helping a student learn rather than handing over a solution, which is the pattern the homework rule explicitly asks helpers to follow

Avoid

  • Posting an advertisement for your own repository or for a product you endorse, because the “No Advertisements.” rule bans that outright
  • Asking for or offering money, because the “Do not ask for money. Do not offer money.” rule says violations result in a ban
  • Using AI to write or generate any part of your post or comments, because the “No A.I.” rule removes AI generated content
  • Posting a screenshot or photo of your code instead of formatted code, because the “Code must be shown and formatted.” rule only allows that with mod approval
  • Dropping your link into a vague post with a sensational title like URGENT HELP NEEDED, because the “Unacceptable Title Clarity” rule and the one-liner about vague titles will get it removed
  • Taking a conversation to Discord, Telegram, or Signal, because the “Keep communication inside the subreddit.” rule asks people to keep everything on the subreddit so others can find it later

What r/programminghelp Is For

This community is a help desk for people stuck on a programming problem, and the description promises help without judgement. The people posting here are students working through assignments, beginners who feel shy about asking something basic, and working coders who hit a wall in their own code. The rules make the shape of the room clear. People come here when they are working on code and stumped with a specific problem, and the rules point total beginners and language learning questions toward other subreddits. This is not a hangout or a discussion forum. It is a place where you bring your broken code and your honest question, and other people try to help you fix it.

Rules That Matter Before Posting

The hard wall for any founder is the “No Advertisements.” rule, which removes ads for repositories you own or maintain and for products you endorse, so there is no promotional lane here at all. The “Do not ask for money. Do not offer money.” rule is even harsher, because it says a violation results in a ban, so never float paid help or hiring in any direction. The “No A.I.” rule matters too, because this community removes any posts or comments generated by AI, which means your post must be written by you in your own words. If your post has any code in it, the “Code must be shown and formatted.” rule applies, and that rule rejects screenshots of your screen unless a moderator approves them. The “Show your work/effort. Especially with Homework & Assignments.” rule and the “Put in some effort before asking.” rule both demand that you tried something before asking, and the “Unacceptable Title Clarity” rule rejects vague or sensational titles. Finally, the “Keep communication inside the subreddit.” rule asks everyone to keep the conversation on the subreddit rather than moving it to external messengers.

What To Post

If you are a founder here, the only honest play is to participate as a helper, not a marketer. If you genuinely get stuck on a coding problem in your own product work, you can ask for help the way anyone else would, with a clear title, formatted code in a code block or a link to a Gist or repository, and an explanation of what you already tried. That kind of post survives. You can also answer other people's questions, because the play nice rule sets the tone and knowledgeable, kind answers are exactly what this community runs on. What you cannot do is promote. No posts about your repository, your product, or things you endorse. If someone happens to ask for suggestions and your tool fits, the rule says you can make your feelings known, but any collusion with the person asking is off limits. The safest shape for you here is a real technical question with real code, or a real answer with no strings attached.

What To Avoid

Straight promotion gets your post removed. Any mention of money, asking for it or offering it, gets you banned. AI generated posts or comments get removed, so do not let a tool write this one for you. Screenshots of code are not acceptable unless a moderator approves them, so format your code instead. Vague or sensational titles like urgent help needed get removed under the title clarity rule. Posts with no effort shown get removed, especially homework. Moving the conversation off to Discord or Telegram works against the community, because they want answers searchable by the next person with the same problem.

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Common questions about r/programminghelp

Can I promote my product in r/programminghelp?

No. The “No Advertisements.” rule removes ads for repositories you own or maintain and for products you endorse, so straight promotion is not allowed here.

Are links allowed at all?

Yes, links are allowed, but only when they serve the help being asked. A link to a Github repository or a Gist is described as the best way to share whole files.

Can I ask for help with something I am building for my business?

Yes, the description says the community helps with programming issues without judgement, but only for real problems with real code. AI questions are banned, and homework posts must show effort.

Is r/programminghelp good for general programming questions?

A good question that matches its description is fine, but AI related posts are banned, and rules like “Put in some effort before asking.” and “Check if other subreddits are a better fit.” push learning and career questions toward other communities.

Can I use AI to draft or polish my post?

Yes. The “No A.I.” rule says any posts or comments generated by AI will be removed, so write everything yourself.

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