Show HN rules: what counts and how to post it

A Show HN is for something you made that people can try right now. Your title starts with "Show HN:", the thing should work without a signup if possible, and you should be around to answer comments. Blog posts, landing pages, waitlists, newsletters and fundraisers don't qualify, and asking friends to upvote breaks the rules.

As of October 14, 2026, that's the short version of the two official pages: the Show HN guidelines and the general Hacker News guidelines. Most launch checklists repeat them with extra opinions mixed in. Here's what the rules actually say, and what that means for a solo maker deciding whether to post.

Does my project count as a Show HN?

The test in the guidelines is simple: it has to be something you've made that other people can play with. Software counts. So do physical things, shown through a video or a detailed write-up, and books, shown through a sample chapter.

Your thing	Show HN?	Why
Web app people can open and use	Yes	It's something people can try.
Open source tool with a README and install steps	Yes	Same reason, as long as it runs.
Landing page with a waitlist	No	Landing pages and sign-up pages are named as not allowed.
Blog post about what you built	No	Reading material goes in as a regular submission.
Small update to an app you already showed	Usually no	Routine feature releases don't qualify. A major overhaul can.
Something generated in an afternoon	Risky	The guidelines ask for substantive work that you built yourself.

What the rules say about signups

The guidelines ask you to make it easy for people to try your thing, ideally without making them sign up or hand over an email. If your app needs an account to be useful, a demo account or a guest mode is the usual fix. With a wall of "enter your email to get access", the comments tend to be about the wall instead of the product.

How to write the title

Start with Show HN:, then say plainly what it is. The general guidelines add a few rules that apply to every title:

• No uppercase shouting or exclamation points to make it stand out.
• No gratuitous numbers or "number plus adjective" ("7 amazing ways...").
• Don't editorialize or call your own thing great.
• Take your site's name out if it's only there as branding.

A title like Show HN: A meeting planner that shows overlap hours for 3 cities tells people what they'll get when they click. Show HN: The BEST way to schedule meetings!! breaks three rules at once.

The first comment

The guidelines don't require a first comment, but they do expect you to be around to talk about your work. A short comment from you, posted right after submitting, gives readers the context the title can't: why you built it, what's free, what's still rough, and what you'd like feedback on. Keep it plain. On a site whose guidelines ban hype in titles, hype in the first comment doesn't land well either.

Upvotes and promotion

Don't ask friends, a Discord or your newsletter to upvote or comment. Both pages say this directly: the Show HN page says not to ask friends to upvote or comment, and the general guidelines say not to solicit upvotes, comments or submissions. Sharing your own work is fine part of the time, but the site isn't meant to be used mainly for promotion.

Mistakes that get a Show HN ignored or flagged

• Posting a landing page before the product works.
• Requiring an email before anyone sees anything.
• Reposting the same project for a small feature update.
• A title written like an ad.
• Posting and leaving. The guidelines expect you to be there to discuss it.
• Arguing with critical comments. The guidelines ask commenters to be kind and curious, and the same tone works for you as the maker.

What I'd do before posting

Open your link in a private window on your phone and see how many taps it takes before you can actually use the thing. If the answer is "sign up first", add a demo or guest mode, then post with a plain "Show HN:" title and a four or five line first comment, and keep the afternoon free to answer questions.