Can I promote my brand new self-hosted project here?
Yes, but only in the current "New Project Megathread". The rule defines a new project as one with a first public presence under 3 months old, measured by git commit, social media post, or similar.
Subreddit guides
r/selfhosted rules, stats, and what to post
A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/selfhosted: 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
- 840,530
- Verified
- September 18, 2026
- Category
- DevOps and infrastructure operators
Rules can change, so Rankhog keeps verification dates and the original public Reddit sources visible.
Rule summary
- Low-Effort / Off-Topic: All posts must be about [self-hosting](https://wiki.r-selfhosted.com/learn/what-is-self-hosting/). If you need help, explain what you’ve tried and what you’re stuck on. Posts lacking detail will get a sticky asking for more info. Mobile apps are allowed only as companions to a self-hosted backend. All content should be in English or contain a translation to English.
- Spam / Self-Promotion / Affiliate Links: Do not spam or promote your own projects too much. We expect you to follow this [Reddit self-promotion guideline](https://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/wiki/selfpromotion). Promoted apps must be production ready and have docs. No direct ads for web hosting or VPS. Only mention your service in comments if it’s relevant and adds value.
- Respect / Hate-speech / Bullying / Harassment: Attack ideas, not people. Treat everyone with respect. Personal attacks or insults at a person will be removed. Report violations instead of engaging and the mods will handle it. Zero tolerance for uncivil discussion. We expect you to follow the [Reddiquette](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439-Reddiquette).
- Blog Link Posts: Blog posts are allowed, but do not post just a link, add an explanation about the blog, why it matters, and how it helps users.
- Dashboards / Companion Apps / Tools - Wednesday Exceptions: On Wednesdays, you may post dashboards or tools that help self-hosters provided it is flaired as such, even if they are not self-hosted. Mobile apps are allowed only as companions to a self-hosted backend.
- New Projects - “New Project Megathread” Exceptions: Only in the current “New Project Megathread”, you may post projects that are younger than 3 months (measured by first public presence, e.g. git commit, social media post, etc.).
Works well
- A detailed text post that introduces a production-ready, self-hosted app with a link to its documentation and a clear explanation of what problem it solves.
- A blog link post that includes a written summary of the article, why it matters to self-hosters, and how it helps them, rather than a bare URL.
- A dashboard or tool showcase posted on Wednesday with the correct flair, even if the tool itself is not fully self-hosted.
- A help request that explains what you have tried, what error you are seeing, and where you are stuck, so the community can step in with specific advice.
Avoid
- Do not post a bare link to your blog or project without an explanation of why it matters and how it helps users.
- Do not post direct advertisements for web hosting or VPS services.
- Do not post projects younger than 3 months outside of the current "New Project Megathread".
- Do not post dashboards, companion apps, or tools outside of Wednesdays unless they are fully self-hosted.
- Do not mention your own service in comments unless it is directly relevant and adds value to the discussion.
- Do not post low-effort help requests that fail to explain what you have tried and where you are stuck.
What r/selfhosted Is For
This community is for people who share, discuss, discover, assist with, and critique self-hosted alternatives to web apps, web services, and online tools. The focus is on self-hosting, which the rules link to a wiki definition. People post here to get help with their setups, to show off what they run at home or at work, and to find open source or self-hosted alternatives to popular cloud services. The room expects every post to be about self-hosting, and it asks for detail when you need help.
Rules That Matter Before Posting
The rules that matter most for marketing here are "Low-Effort / Off-Topic", "Spam / Self-Promotion / Affiliate Links", "Blog Link Posts", "Dashboards / Companion Apps / Tools - Wednesday Exceptions", and "New Projects - “New Project Megathread” Exceptions". These five rules decide whether your post survives or gets removed. The "Spam / Self-Promotion / Affiliate Links" rule is the one that will trip you up if you push too hard, because it ties you to the Reddit self-promotion guideline and demands that promoted apps be production ready with docs. The "Blog Link Posts" rule is equally clear, you must add an explanation, not just a link. The Wednesday rule and the megathread rule are special windows, so you need to know them before you plan a post.
What To Post
A good post here is a detailed, production-ready self-hosted project with documentation. If you are sharing a blog post, write a full explanation of what the blog covers, why it matters, and how it helps users, then include the link. If you have a dashboard, a companion app, or a tool for self-hosters, save it for Wednesday and use the correct flair. If your project is younger than 3 months, post it only in the current "New Project Megathread". When you ask for help, explain what you have tried and where you are stuck, so the post has real detail.
What To Avoid
Avoid posting anything that is not about self-hosting, since the "Low-Effort / Off-Topic" rule will catch it. Do not post just a link to a blog, because the "Blog Link Posts" rule requires an explanation. Do not spam or promote your own projects too much, and never post direct ads for web hosting or VPS, as the "Spam / Self-Promotion / Affiliate Links" rule bans them outright. Avoid posting a project younger than 3 months outside the "New Project Megathread", and do not post dashboards or tools on days other than Wednesday unless they are fully self-hosted. Do not mention your service in comments unless it is relevant and adds value. Do not post personal attacks or insults, because the "Respect / Hate-speech / Bullying / Harassment" rule has zero tolerance for uncivil discussion.
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Common questions about r/selfhosted
Can I run a direct ad for my VPS or hosting company?
No. The "Spam / Self-Promotion / Affiliate Links" rule explicitly bans direct ads for web hosting or VPS.
Can I share a blog post about self-hosting?
Yes, but you must follow the "Blog Link Posts" rule. You need to add an explanation about the blog, why it matters, and how it helps users, not just a link.
Can I post my dashboard or companion tool?
Only on Wednesdays, and only if you use the correct flair. The "Dashboards / Companion Apps / Tools - Wednesday Exceptions" rule allows tools that help self-hosters even if they are not self-hosted, but only on that day.
Can I promote a mobile app?
Only as a companion to a self-hosted backend. The "Low-Effort / Off-Topic" rule states that mobile apps are allowed only in that context.
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