r/indiehackers: rules, audience and how brands can post there
199,989 members. Self-promotion allowed? Once, with the Self Promotion flair.
r/indiehackers is a community of about 200,000 bootstrapped product builders. Its rule list runs three lines: self-promote once with the feedback flair, show proof for revenue claims, and don't abuse 'what you build' posts.
Paste your draft on the next page. We flag likely self-promotion and rule problems before you post.
- Members
- 199,989
- Self-promotion
- Once, with the Self Promotion flair
- Created
- 2016
- Checked
- November 7, 2026
What r/indiehackers is
IndieHackers is a subreddit focused on people who bootstrap their way to success by building products.
Bootstrapped founders with one real product to put up for critique.
Can a brand post in r/indiehackers?
The Self Promotion rule lets users promote their product one time with the Self Promotion flair, and says the post is for feedback and critique, not advertisement. The MRR rule says any post with monthly recurring revenue information needs proof, or it doesn't get posted. The third rule says 'what you build' posts are sometimes allowed, but karma farming is not. For a small product, that makes this one of the more open routes, provided you treat the single self-promotion post as a request for critique and stick to the flair. A larger company's marketing team won't get much from it, because a one-time allowance is too small to build a channel on.
What works
- Using your one self-promotion post, with the right flair, to ask for critique
- Backing any revenue claim with proof, as the MRR rule requires
- Sharing a story with lessons, which is what the most upvoted posts of the past year do
- Posting 'what you build' content only when it isn't karma farming, as the third rule warns
What gets removed
- A second self-promotion post
- Revenue claims without proof
- 'What you build' posts made to farm karma
- Advertising framed as feedback
The rules, summarised
- 1. Self Promotion
Users can self promote their product 1 time using the Self Promotion flair. The purpose is for feedback and critique not advertisement.
- 2. MRR
Posts containing info about MRR should have proof; no proof, no post.
- 3. What you build type thing
We sometimes allow “what you build” type posts. If we see that this is done to karma farm, we don't have great news for you.
Source: the community's own rules page, read on November 7, 2026. Rules change, so check the page before you post. See also the 9:1 rule.
Frequently asked questions
Can I promote my product on r/indiehackers?
Once, with the Self Promotion flair, for feedback and critique, not advertisement.
Do I need proof of MRR on r/indiehackers?
Yes. The MRR rule says posts with info about MRR should have proof, and posts without it are removed.
Want help earning a place in r/indiehackers?
30-minute intro call with a partner. If we're not the fit, we'll tell you in the first five minutes.
We take on 3 new engagements per quarter. Serious teams only.