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How to launch on Hacker News (Show HN)

Engineers who try things and say exactly what they think.

Open Hacker News (Show HN) Guide for AI agents
Cost
Free
Goes live
Any time
Effort
Hard
Who reads it
Engineers, technical founders, very honest readers
Checked
3 October 2026

How it works

Show HN is the part of Hacker News for things people have made. You submit a normal post, but the title starts with "Show HN:". Other users try it and comment.

It must be something people can actually try: an app, a tool, a library, a game. Blog posts, sign-up pages, newsletters and lists are not allowed as Show HN.

In 2026 Hacker News started limiting Show HN posts from new accounts, because of a flood of quick AI-made projects. If you can't post a Show HN, use the site for a while first (read, comment helpfully), or email the moderators at hn@ycombinator.com and explain what you made.

Early votes and comments help a post reach the front page. But asking friends to vote is against the rules and HN detects it.

Good fit if

  • Developer tools, open-source projects and anything technical
  • Products people can try right away, ideally without signing up
  • Makers who enjoy hard, detailed feedback

Skip it if

  • You only have a landing page or waitlist. Those are not allowed as Show HN
  • You have a brand-new Hacker News account (see the rules below)
  • You want polite praise. HN is blunt

Before you start, get these ready

Tick them off. This page remembers your ticks on this device.

0 of 5 ready

Step by step

  1. 1

    Make it easy to try

    HN readers leave if they hit a sign-up form. Add a demo, a playground, or a "try without account" button. Open source? Make sure the README explains how to run it.

  2. 2

    Write the title

    Start with "Show HN:", then the name, then plainly what it does. Example: "Show HN: Tinyfeed – an RSS reader that fits in one HTML file".

  3. 3

    Submit

    Go to news.ycombinator.com/submit. Put your title and your product's URL. Many makers post on a weekday morning, US time, when more people are reading. That is community advice, not a rule.

  4. 4

    Post your first comment right away

    Reply to your own post with the backstory: who you are (one line), why it exists, the interesting technical choices, what's still rough, and one real question you want answered.

  5. 5

    Stay and answer

    Reply to every serious comment, including the harsh ones. Thank people for criticism. Being defensive kills the thread.

  6. 6

    If it sinks

    Don't delete it and post again. A small number of reposts is OK if the first one got no attention. Moderators sometimes pick posts for a "second-chance pool" or email a repost invite.

Rules: break these and your launch gets removed

  • Don't ask friends or users to upvote or comment. It is not allowed on HN and is detected
  • Only post things you made yourself and will stay around to discuss
  • No landing pages, waitlists, blog posts or lists as Show HN
  • Small updates ("version 1.3 is out") are not enough for a new Show HN. A big overhaul can be
  • No marketing language in the title or comments

Tips

  • Write like an engineer, not a marketer. Say what it does, how, and what the trade-offs are
  • Be honest about limits. HN respects "this part is still rough"
  • Pricing, roadmaps and testimonials don't belong in your first comment

Template: First comment

Fill in the [brackets]. Keep it in your own voice.

Hi HN, I'm [name]. I built [product] because [the specific problem that annoyed you].

How it works: [2–3 sentences on the approach or stack, and the most interesting technical decision].

What's still rough: [honest limits].

You can try it here without signing up: [link].

I'm stuck on [one real question]. Would love to hear how you'd approach it.

Where this comes from

Checked 3 October 2026. Prices, queues and rules change, so check the site itself before you pay for anything.