Can I mention my product if I do not link it?
No, the rules ban mentioning your product, app, brand, company, service, or website at all, link or no link.
Subreddit guides
r/selfimprovement rules, stats, and what to post
A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/selfimprovement: 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
- 2,748,393
- Verified
- September 27, 2026
- Category
- Personal growth and self improvement communities
Rules can change, so Rankhog keeps verification dates and the original public Reddit sources visible.
Rule summary
- Posts must fit the "self improvement" mindset.: Posts should g fit the "self improvement" mindset. You should be discussing something you'd like to personally improve, or helping others improve.
- No links, photos, or videos allowed: Absolutely no links of any kind are allowed in any posts or comments within the subreddit, and you may not mention your blog, channel, band, video, company, service, cult, website, brand, product, app, or anything else. Every post or comment in the subreddit must be contained within the subreddit (i.e. no one should have to click outside of the sub or PM you to get further info, 100% of the info should be contained within the post or comment).
- No self-promotion or advertising.: This subreddit is not the appropriate place for self-promotion or to sell your services, apps, or wares. If you would like to promote in the subreddit, consider purchasing advertising to support Reddit and /r/selfimprovement. Please don't advertise for other goods or services, either.
- No sharing of personal information.: Please do not ask for, or give away any personal information regarding yourself, or another user.
- Please be civil.: Be sure to be civil. We're all here to discuss our own personal Self Improvements, not to bash each other.
- No Abusive Language or Slurs: Abuse, bigotry, misogyny, misandry, racism, homophobia, gendered slurs, agendas and encouraging violence are not tolerated in our community and will result in a ban.
- Do Not Ask for People to PM You: Do not ask people to PM you in order to help them. Help should be provided in the subreddit so all may benefit.
- No Offsite Invites (via PM or Otherwise): You may not invite others to join a company, group, channel, site, etc. you've created (free or not).
- No Encouraging Violence / Criminal Behavior: Do not encourage violence, self-harm, or criminal behavior, even as a joke. It's an instant ban. Also against reddit rules.
- No bots: This is a bot
Works well
- Write a complete guide on beating procrastination or building a habit, with every step inside the post and nothing to click.
- Share an honest story about something you tried to improve and what actually worked, told as experience rather than a pitch.
- Answer somebody's question about motivation or social skills with advice that is complete on its own and stays in the thread.
- Ask the community for help with something you genuinely want to improve in your own daily working life.
Avoid
- Posting a link to your blog, app, website, or any other outside page, even in a comment.
- Mentioning your brand, company, service, or product by name anywhere in the thread.
- Asking people to PM you for more details or help.
- Inviting people to join your group, channel, site, or anything else you created, free or paid.
- Posting anything that asks readers to click outside the subreddit to get the full information.
- Asking for or sharing personal information about yourself or another user.
What r/selfimprovement Is For
This community is for people with questions about how to improve any part of their lives, from motivation and procrastination to social skills and fitness, and everything in between. It is also a place to share helpful and civil ideas, tips, and advice on how other people can improve themselves. In practice that means two kinds of people post here, those asking for help with something they want to change, and those offering advice drawn from their own experience.
Rules That Matter Before Posting
The rule named “Posts must fit the “self improvement” mindset.” means every post should discuss something you want to improve yourself, or help somebody else improve, so off-topic content does not survive. The rule named “No links, photos, or videos allowed” bans every kind of link, and it also bans mentioning your blog, channel, company, service, website, brand, product, or app, because all the information must sit inside the post or comment itself. The rule named “No self-promotion or advertising.” says the community is not the place to sell your services, apps, or wares, and points promoters toward paid advertising instead. The rule named “Do Not Ask for People to PM You” means any help you offer has to happen out in the open. The rule named “No Offsite Invites (via PM or Otherwise)” bans inviting people to any group, channel, site, or company you have created, free or not. The rule named “Please be civil.” and the rule named “No Abusive Language or Slurs” set the tone, so keep things kind and supportive.
What To Post
A founder posting here should write a complete piece of advice that lives entirely inside the post itself, with no link, no photo, no video, and no mention of any brand or product. Pick a topic where you have real experience, like beating procrastination, building habits, or staying motivated while working alone, and share the actual steps rather than teasing them. Frame it as something you learned while trying to improve yourself, or as direct help for someone who asked, and keep every useful detail in the thread so nobody needs to click away or message you.
What To Avoid
Posts get removed when they contain links, promote products, or ask for private messages, according to the moderators themselves. You cannot mention your blog, channel, company, service, website, brand, product, or app, and you cannot invite anyone to anything you have created, even for free. Help must stay inside the subreddit, so asking people to PM you is out. Personal information is off limits, and abusive language, slurs, bigotry, or encouraging violence even as a joke will get you banned.
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Common questions about r/selfimprovement
Can I drop my link in the comments instead?
No, links are banned in posts and comments alike, and every post must be fully contained inside the subreddit.
Can I ask people to PM me for advice?
No, the community asks that help be given in public so all members can benefit from it.
Can I invite people to my free newsletter or community?
No, the offsite invites rule covers free groups and paid ones equally.
Can I write a helpful guide at all?
Yes, as long as the post fits the self improvement mindset, contains no links or brand mentions, and keeps every bit of the advice inside the post itself.