Can I share a link to my product or website?
No. The rule “No advertising, affiliates / referrals and survey links, no self promotion” bans it, and the stated penalty is a permanent ban.
Subreddit guides
r/sidehustle rules, stats, and what to post
A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/sidehustle: 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
- 3,316,930
- Verified
- September 29, 2026
- Category
- Side hustle builders and solo income experiments
Rules can change, so Rankhog keeps verification dates and the original public Reddit sources visible.
Rule summary
- No advertising, affiliates / referrals and survey links, no self promotion: This includes: Youtube channels, newsletters, websites, “mentorship” programs, job offers and “opportunities”, and advertising your own side hustle. Users caught posting advertisements will receive a permanent ban.
- Only discuss *reputable* gig platforms / online marketplaces: Referring to eBay, or Uber, is fine. Discussing any services in that vein that do not have solid reputations is not.
- No DMs: To enforce rules, interactions need to be out in the open. Please message the mods if anybody DMs you with an “offer”, or anything abusive.
- Seeking / Offering Work: Posts and comments soliciting the sub members or offers to hire/sign-on members with referrals is disallowed. Posts / comments will result in an immediate ban.
- No low-effort / unrealistic posts: Ensure posts are thorough and include relevant detail / context. Keep expectations realistic - stuff like "how do I make $1m in a week" will be removed.
- No discussing sex work: No judgement, it’s just not the place for it. If you want advice/discussion on this topic, try r/SexWorkers. Suggesting OnlyFans etc = a 1 week ban.
- No crypto / NFTs / Digital Marketing / Drop Shipping / Casinos / Surveys: Or any other Greater Fool scams. If you don’t understand why, watch [Line Goes Up](https://youtu.be/YQ_xWvX1n9g?si=SjAJinqk83yCKsNy). = IMMEDIATE BAN
- Legal topics only: Children are allowed to use Reddit. With this in mind, do not advise users to partake in any sexual, illegal or dangerous activity.
- No offers for work, or seeking references / links for.: You can only discuss reputable side hustles. Asking for work, seeking links or offering services is strictly prohibited.
Works well
- A thorough write-up of a side hustle you actually did, with real earnings, real hours, and honest downsides, which fits “No low-effort / unrealistic posts”.
- A grounded question asking how others handle a specific income challenge alongside a full-time job, which matches the community description.
- A comparison of two reputable, established platforms like eBay or Uber, which “Only discuss *reputable* gig platforms / online marketplaces” explicitly allows.
- A realistic breakdown of what a beginner can expect to earn in their first months, keeping expectations honest.
- Helpful public answers to other people's questions, with no links and no mention of your own product anywhere.
Avoid
- Posting a link to your own website, newsletter, or YouTube channel, because “No advertising, affiliates / referrals and survey links, no self promotion” makes that a permanent ban.
- Asking members to sign up through your referral code, which trips both the advertising rule and “Seeking / Offering Work”.
- Offering to hire people or asking for work in a post or comment, since “Seeking / Offering Work” and “No offers for work, or seeking references / links for.” both mean an immediate ban.
- Moving a conversation into direct messages, because “No DMs” requires everything to stay in the open.
- Mentioning crypto, NFTs, drop shipping, casinos, or surveys in any positive way, since “No crypto / NFTs / Digital Marketing / Drop Shipping / Casinos / Surveys” is an immediate ban.
- Pitching your digital marketing service or tool, which falls squarely under the same banned-topic rule as drop shipping and crypto scams in this community's eyes, and can earn an immediate ban under “No crypto / NFTs / Digital Marketing / Drop Shipping / Casinos / Surveys”.
What r/sidehustle Is For
This community is for people who want to generate an extra income alongside another full-time commitment. Think of someone with a day job who wants a second stream of money on evenings and weekends. The people posting here are asking how to earn more, sharing what has worked for them, and comparing gig platforms and marketplaces. The rules make it clear this is a discussion space, not a marketplace. You cannot hire people here, you cannot ask for work here, and you cannot promote your own side hustle here. The community also draws a hard line on anything it considers a scam, like crypto, drop shipping, surveys, and digital marketing schemes.
Rules That Matter Before Posting
The rule that decides almost everything here is “No advertising, affiliates / referrals and survey links, no self promotion”. It bans advertising, affiliate and referral links, survey links, and self promotion, and it names websites, newsletters, YouTube channels, mentorship programs, job offers, and advertising your own side hustle. The stated penalty is a permanent ban, so this is not a rule to test. “Seeking / Offering Work” and “No offers for work, or seeking references / links for.” both ban soliciting members or offering to hire them, with an immediate ban. “No DMs” requires all interactions to happen out in the open, so never move a conversation to private messages. “Only discuss reputable gig platforms / online marketplaces” limits platform talk to established names, with eBay and Uber given as fine examples. “No low-effort / unrealistic posts” requires thorough posts with real detail and realistic expectations. “No crypto / NFTs / Digital Marketing / Drop Shipping / Casinos / Surveys” bans those topics as scams and carries an immediate ban. “Legal topics only” and “No discussing sex work” round out the list, and both matter if you stray into advice territory.
What To Post
A good post here is a genuine, detailed story or question about earning extra income, with no link and no pitch. Write about a side hustle you actually run or are researching, include the real numbers and the real effort, and keep expectations grounded. If you mention a platform, stick to reputable, established names like eBay or Uber, because “Only discuss reputable gig platforms / online marketplaces” allows that. A post comparing two well known platforms, or a thorough breakdown of what you earned and how long it took, fits the room. If you are a founder, you can join discussions and answer questions with plain, honest advice, as long as you never steer people toward your product, your newsletter, or your inbox. Everything stays public, because “No DMs” is enforced so nobody gets pitched in private.
What To Avoid
The fastest way out is self promotion. Under “No advertising, affiliates / referrals and survey links, no self promotion”, posting your website, newsletter, YouTube channel, mentorship program, job offer, or your own side hustle gets you a permanent ban. “Seeking / Offering Work” and “No offers for work, or seeking references / links for.” both lead to an immediate ban, so never solicit members or offer to hire them. “No crypto / NFTs / Digital Marketing / Drop Shipping / Casinos / Surveys” is an immediate ban, and it covers anything the mods see as a Greater Fool scam. “No discussing sex work” carries a one week ban for suggesting OnlyFans or similar. “No low-effort / unrealistic posts” will get thin or hypey posts removed, so no posts promising wild money in a short time. “No DMs” means you must keep everything public, and “Legal topics only” means no advice that is sexual, illegal, or dangerous. Finally, “Only discuss reputable gig platforms / online marketplaces” means you cannot discuss lesser known services in the gig space.
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Common questions about r/sidehustle
Can I offer to hire people or pay for referrals?
No. “Seeking / Offering Work” disallows offers to hire members with referrals, and “No offers for work, or seeking references / links for.” prohibits offering services, with an immediate ban.
Can I talk about crypto, drop shipping, or surveys?
No. “No crypto / NFTs / Digital Marketing / Drop Shipping / Casinos / Surveys” lists all of these as banned topics with an immediate ban.
Can I mention a gig platform I use?
Only if it is established and reputable. “Only discuss *reputable* gig platforms / online marketplaces” allows names like eBay and Uber but not lesser known services.
Can I take a conversation to private messages?
No. “No DMs” requires all interactions to be out in the open, and the mods ask members to report anyone who DMs them an offer.
Lists featuring r/sidehustle
Use these audience lists to decide whether r/sidehustle is the best fit for your Reddit SEO plan or just one supporting community.
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