# How to launch on Hacker News (Show HN)

> Engineers who try things and say exactly what they think.

- Website: https://news.ycombinator.com/show
- Type: Community
- Cost: Free
- When it goes live: Any time
- Effort: Hard
- Who reads it: Engineers, technical founders, very honest readers
- Human guide: https://agentmarket.lol/where-to-launch/hacker-news
- Last checked: 2026-10-03. Prices and rules change; confirm on the site before paying.

## 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

## Prepare before you start

- [ ] A Hacker News account with some real history: comments and reading, not just your launch
- [ ] A live product someone can try in under a minute. Remove sign-up walls if you can, or add a demo account
- [ ] A title: "Show HN: [Name] – [what it does in plain words]". No hype words, no exclamation marks
- [ ] A first comment that explains who you are, why you built it, how it works, and what is still rough
- [ ] A few hours free right after posting, to answer questions

## Step by step

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. **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. **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. **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. **Stay and answer.** Reply to every serious comment, including the harsh ones. Thank people for criticism. Being defensive kills the thread.
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 or ignored)

- 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

```text
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.
```

## Important links

- [Show HN rules (official)](https://news.ycombinator.com/showhn.html)
- [Submit a post](https://news.ycombinator.com/submit)
- [Site guidelines](https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html)
- [FAQ](https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html)
- [Show HN limits for new accounts](https://news.ycombinator.com/showlim)

## Sources

- [Show HN guidelines](https://news.ycombinator.com/showhn.html)
- ["We're temporarily restricting Show HNs" (HN, 2026)](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48391260)
- [Second-chance pool (HN)](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26998308)