Tech & product
Best time to post in r/selfhosted
The best and worst hours to post, the rules that get posts removed, and a check of your draft against both.
Posts in r/selfhosted are most often removed for self-promotion issues. It is a public subreddit that allows both text and link posts and does not require post flair. In our latest sample of 700 recent posts, an estimated 97% were still up about a day later.
A place to share, discuss, discover, assist with, gain assistance for, and critique self-hosted alternatives to our favorite web apps, web services, and online tools.
The best and worst hours to post in r/selfhosted
In our sample of 800 recent and top r/selfhosted posts, activity and scores peak around Monday 8pm UTC, and are weakest around Friday 6am UTC. Based on posts sampled through Aug 31, 2026. Times in this sentence are UTC; the grid below converts to your local timezone. Timing helps a clean post get seen. It does not save a post that breaks a rule.
- Window 1
Mon around 8pm
avg score 3779 · 5 posts sampled
- Window 2
Sun around 5am
avg score 1139.2 · 6 posts sampled
- Window 3
Sun around 10am
avg score 974.8 · 6 posts sampled
Your timezone: UTC (GMT+0). Darker cells mean more posts in our sample.
Compare r/selfhosted against every tracked community on the best time to post on Reddit tool.
Estimated survival rate
97%
of 700 recent r/selfhosted posts we sampled were still publicly visible about a day later.
How this is measured
Estimate. We sample recent public posts and check again about 18 hours later to count how many are still publicly visible. Posts removed at the moment of submission never become publicly visible at all, so the true removal rate is at least this high. Last sampled Sep 5, 2026.
r/selfhosted rules: what actually gets removed
Each rule below is paired with the way it is most likely enforced. Where the rules state a number, we quote it. Where they do not, we say so instead of guessing.
1.Low-Effort / Off-Topic
Enforcement variesAll posts must be about [self-hosting](https://wiki.r-selfhosted.com/learn/what-is-self-hosting/). If you need help, explain what you’ve tried and what you’re stuck on. Posts lacking detail will get a sticky asking for more info. Mobile apps are allowed only as companions to a self-hosted backend. All content should be in English or contain a translation to English.
2.Spam / Self-Promotion / Affiliate Links
Enforcement variesDo not spam or promote your own projects too much. We expect you to follow this [Reddit self-promotion guideline](https://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/wiki/selfpromotion). Promoted apps must be production ready and have docs. No direct ads for web hosting or VPS. Only mention your service in comments if it’s relevant and adds value.
3.Respect / Hate-speech / Bullying / Harassment
Enforcement variesAttack ideas, not people. Treat everyone with respect. Personal attacks or insults at a person will be removed. Report violations instead of engaging and the mods will handle it. Zero tolerance for uncivil discussion. We expect you to follow the [Reddiquette](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439-Reddiquette).
4.Blog Link Posts
Enforcement variesBlog posts are allowed, but do not post just a link, add an explanation about the blog, why it matters, and how it helps users.
5.Dashboards / Companion Apps / Tools - Wednesday Exceptions
Enforcement variesOn Wednesdays, you may post dashboards or tools that help self-hosters provided it is flaired as such, even if they are not self-hosted. Mobile apps are allowed only as companions to a self-hosted backend.
6.New Projects - “New Project Megathread” Exceptions
Enforcement variesOnly in the current “New Project Megathread”, you may post projects that are younger than 3 months (measured by first public presence, e.g. git commit, social media post, etc.).
r/selfhosted does not publish karma or account-age minimums in its rules. Subreddits often enforce unpublished filters on top of what they write down, which is why posts from new accounts can vanish without a message here.
Can you self-promote in r/selfhosted?
Only in the designated thread. r/selfhosted restricts promotion to New Project Megathread (+ Wednesday for tools/dashboards); a standalone promo post gets removed. The sub's own wording: "Do not spam or promote your own projects too much. We expect you to follow this Reddit self-promotion guideline. Only in the current "New Pr". Post your promo there and keep regular posts value-first.
r/selfhosted by the numbers
- Members
- 830K
- Active right now
- Not public
- Posts / day
- 37
- 1K comments / day
- Community age
- 12 years
- since Jul 8, 2014
| Median title length | Posts with a link | Posts with flair | Dominant format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 characters | 24% | 100% | text posts |
What gets removed in r/selfhosted
Self-promo outside the designated thread
Promotion is only allowed in New Project Megathread (+ Wednesday for tools/dashboards). A standalone promo post gets removed.
Low karma or a new account
r/selfhosted publishes no karma or age minimum, but unpublished account filters are common at this size. New accounts should comment before posting.
Reddit's sitewide spam filter
A separate layer before the subreddit ever sees your post. New accounts posting links, URL shorteners, and repeated domains are its favorite targets. Removals are instant and silent.
A shadowbanned account
If the account itself is shadowbanned, every post looks live to you and invisible to everyone else, in any subreddit.
Wondering about a post that already disappeared? Start with why Reddit posts get removed or run the free shadowban check.
Subreddits like r/selfhosted
Posting somewhere adjacent? Each of these has its own rules and its own removal pattern. Check the one you actually plan to post in.
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r/webdev
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r/MachineLearning
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r/selfhosted posting questions
Can I post links in r/selfhosted?
Yes. r/selfhosted accepts link posts. The usual sitewide traps still apply: URL shorteners, affiliate parameters, and brand-new domains get filtered fast, and promotional links are judged against the sub's self-promo rules. One clean link to the original source is the safe pattern.
Does r/selfhosted require karma to post?
r/selfhosted does not publish a karma minimum. That does not mean there is none: many subreddits enforce unpublished karma and account-age filters that remove posts silently. If your account is new or has little karma, that is the first thing to rule out when a post disappears.
Can you self-promote in r/selfhosted?
Only in the designated thread. r/selfhosted restricts promotion to New Project Megathread (+ Wednesday for tools/dashboards); a standalone promo post gets removed. The sub's own wording: "Do not spam or promote your own projects too much. We expect you to follow this Reddit self-promotion guideline. Only in the current "New Pr". Post your promo there and keep regular posts value-first.
Is r/selfhosted strict?
Relaxed, by our estimate (15/100 on our strictness scale, from its measured removal rate, 6 rules, and its stated gates). About 3% of recent posts disappeared within a day in our sample. Strictness is about enforcement, not hostility: a strict sub is predictable if you follow its rules.
What is the best time to post in r/selfhosted?
Based on our sample of recent and top posts, activity and scores peak around Monday 8pm UTC and Sunday 5am UTC. Treat this as a starting point, not a guarantee: a post that breaks a rule gets removed at any hour. The heatmap on this page converts these windows to your local time.
Why do posts get removed in r/selfhosted?
The most common reasons are self-promotion violations, plus the layers every subreddit has: Reddit's sitewide spam filter, unpublished AutoMod rules, and account-level gates like karma and age. In our recent sample, roughly 3% of r/selfhosted posts disappeared within about a day of going up. Many removals are silent, so checking your draft first beats finding out after.
Rules last checked Aug 31, 2026
Go deeper: how AutoMod removals work, the shadowban explainer, or earning karma the allowed way.
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