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Show HN title and post checker
Paste your Show HN title and post, and answer four questions. You get what Hacker News's own rules would flag.
Your Show HN
What the rules would flag
This checks against Hacker News's published rules, not its ranking. Read the Show HN rules and the guidelines yourself before posting.
A Show HN title starts with "Show HN" and says plainly what the project is. The project must be something people can try, ideally without signup, and you should not ask anyone to upvote or comment.
Hacker News is not like other launch places. It has written rules for Show HN posts and for titles, and people there notice when they are broken. A post that reads like an advert, or that asks friends to upvote, tends to be flagged or ignored. A short check before you post is worth the two minutes.
This tool checks your title and post against the rules Hacker News publishes. It does not predict whether your post will do well, and nothing can. It only tells you what the rules and guidelines would object to, so you can fix it first. It runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent to us.
The rules this checks
| Rule | What Hacker News says |
|---|---|
| Title format | Show HN submissions must begin with "Show HN" |
| Something to try | Show HN is for projects people can run or use. Blog posts, signup pages, newsletters, lists and landing pages do not qualify |
| Easy to try | Make it easy to try, ideally without barriers such as signups or emails |
| Your own work | It should be something you made, and you should be available to talk about it |
| No upvote requests | Do not ask friends to upvote or comment, and do not solicit upvotes anywhere |
| No hype in titles | Do not use uppercase or exclamation points to stand out, or say how great something is |
| Gratuitous numbers | Crop numbers that add nothing, such as "10 ways to" |
Writing the title
The simplest title is "Show HN: Name – what it is". Use the plain description you would give a developer friend. Leave out words that praise the product, because the guidelines ask you not to say how great something is. Hacker News also limits the length of a title in its submit form, so keep it short; the checker flags anything over 80 characters, which is the limit as we last saw it, so confirm it when you submit.
The first comment
Many Show HN authors add a short comment under their post. A good one says what the project is, why you built it, how it works at a high level, and what kind of feedback you want. Write it like a note to a colleague, not like a launch announcement. Do not ask people to vote.
When Show HN is not the right place
If your product is a landing page, a waitlist, or something people cannot use yet, wait. Show HN is for things people can try. You can still tell your story elsewhere: the launch checklist covers Product Hunt, Indie Hackers and others, and the launch copy writer drafts the text for them.
A short film can help explain a project, though Hacker News readers tend to prefer something they can try over something they can watch. If you want one anyway, plan it with the launch video script builder, or send us a brief. We send a one-page storyboard first, then a private preview, and you pay only once you are happy with it.
How to use it
- Paste your title. Enter the title exactly as you plan to submit it. Add your first comment if you have written one.
- Describe what you are linking to. Say what the link points to and whether people can try it without signing up.
- Check it. You get a list of what passes, what to look at, and what the rules would object to.
- Fix it and copy the results. Change the title or post, check again, and copy the results if you want to share them with a teammate.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a good Show HN title?
It begins with "Show HN", names the project, and says plainly what it is. Hacker News guidelines ask you not to use uppercase or exclamation points, or to say how great something is. A plain description works better than a slogan.
What qualifies as a Show HN?
Hacker News says Show HN is for something you made that people can run or try. Blog posts, signup pages, newsletters, lists and landing pages do not qualify, and the project should be easy to try, ideally with no signup or email.
Can I ask friends to upvote my Show HN?
No. Hacker News says not to ask friends to upvote or comment, and not to solicit upvotes. The tool flags words like "upvote" in your post so you can remove them before you submit.
Does this tool predict whether my post will do well?
No. It only checks your title and post against Hacker News's published rules and guidelines. Whether a post does well depends on whether readers find the project interesting, which no checker can judge.
Is what I paste stored?
No. The check runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent to us or saved.
Sources
Want it made for you? Launch Day, $449
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