A Show HN is a Hacker News post for something you made that people can try right now. Start the title with "Show HN:", say plainly what the thing is, link straight to it, and add a first comment explaining why you built it. Then stay for the next few hours and answer every comment.
What counts as a Show HN
Show HN is for things you've built that other people can play with: a web app, a tool, a library, a game, a piece of hardware. The reader should be able to try it without asking you for anything.
- Allowed: a working product, an open-source project, a demo people can run.
- Not allowed: a landing page, a waitlist or sign-up form, a blog post, a newsletter, a list of links. They can't be tried, so they aren't Show HNs.
- Usually not enough: a small new feature or a version bump of something already posted.
If people have to create an account before they see anything, expect complaints. A demo, a sandbox or a free tier with no card removes most of them. Read the official Show HN guidelines before you post; the moderators enforce them.
How to write the title
The format is "Show HN: Name – what it does". Describe the product the way you'd describe it to another developer, and leave out anything that sounds like an advert.
- Good: "Show HN: Tablecloth – a spreadsheet that runs SQL on CSV files".
- Weak: "Show HN: Tablecloth – the revolutionary AI-powered data platform".
- Say what is unusual about it if there's room: open source, runs locally, no account, written in a language people care about.
- No exclamation marks, no emoji, no "the best" or "the fastest" unless you show the benchmark.
Write the first comment yourself
Post a comment on your own submission straight away. It's the part people read before they click, and it sets the tone for the thread.
- Who you are and why you built it, in two sentences.
- What it does that the obvious alternatives don't.
- How it works underneath. Hacker News readers like the technical detail more than the pitch.
- What isn't finished yet, and what kind of feedback you want.
The best time to post
There is no magic slot. Weekday mornings in US time have the most readers and also the most competition; weekends are quieter on both counts. What matters more is that you're free for the next three or four hours, because early comments answered quickly are what keep a post alive.
What not to do
- Don't ask friends, colleagues or a group chat to upvote or comment. Hacker News detects voting rings and it can sink the post.
- Don't argue with critics. Thank them, answer the technical point, and fix what's fair.
- Don't post the same thing again the next day. If it got no attention, wait until there's something substantially new, or email the moderators to ask about a second chance.
If it gets no traction
Most Show HNs get a handful of points and disappear, including good ones. It says more about timing than about your product. Launch somewhere else the same week: a launch platform, a subreddit that fits, a directory. Our list of Product Hunt alternatives and the guide to posting your startup on Reddit cover the next places to go.
Launch on IndieLaunch the same week
It's free, your product goes live the day it's approved, and the product page stays up and indexed after the Show HN thread is gone.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I post a Show HN for a paid product?
- Yes, as long as people can try it. A free tier, a trial without a card or a public demo is enough. A page that only takes payment or collects emails isn't a Show HN.
- Can I post a Show HN more than once?
- Not for the same thing in a short time. A major new version months later is fine. For a post that was simply missed, the moderators sometimes offer a second chance if you email them.
- Does a Show HN need to be open source?
- No. Open-source projects tend to do well there because readers can inspect the code, but closed-source products are posted every day.