What is reddit self-promotion rule?
Last updated: June 2026
The Reddit self-promotion rule, often called the 9:1 or 10% rule, is the guideline that most of your activity should be genuine participation and only a small share should promote something you own.
Key takeaways
- The 9:1 rule comes from Reddit's older self-promotion guidelines: for every promotional post, make about nine that are not.
- Reddit no longer publishes the exact ratio, but many subreddits still write it into their rules and moderators enforce it.
- A reply that solves the asker's problem and mentions your product as one honest option rarely breaks the rule; a pasted pitch always does.
Reddit's earlier self-promotion guidelines suggested that no more than 10% of what you submit should link to your own content or product. That ratio became known as the 9:1 rule. Reddit later replaced the specific number with broader spam rules, but the idea stuck: moderators judge whether an account is a participant or an advertiser by looking at its history.
Every subreddit sets its own version. Some ban self-promotion completely, some allow it only in a weekly thread, and some permit it if you disclose that you built the product. Reading the sidebar and pinned rules of each community is the only way to know where the line sits.
In practice moderators look at three things: how much of your history mentions the same product, whether you disclose your affiliation, and whether the comment would still be useful with the product name removed. Passing all three is what separates a welcome recommendation from a removed post.
Examples of reddit self-promotion rule
- An account with 30 comments, 28 of which link to the same app, is banned from a subreddit for self-promotion.
- A founder answers a “which tool for X?” thread with three honest options, says “disclosure: I built the second one,” and gets upvoted.
- A subreddit allows product links only in its pinned weekly promotion thread and removes them everywhere else.
How to promote on Reddit without breaking the rule
- 1Read each subreddit's rules for self-promotion, disclosure, and dedicated promo threads before you post.
- 2Keep the large majority of your activity as normal, product-free help in the communities you belong to.
- 3When you do mention your product, answer the question first, disclose that you built it, and skip the link if the rules ask you to.
Why it matters for lead generation
The rule rewards exactly the motion that converts: replying to someone who asked. If you only show up on threads where a buyer requested a recommendation, your product mentions stay rare, relevant, and welcome.