What Are Reddit's Self-Promotion Rules?
Reddit's self-promotion rules are guidelines that govern how users can share their own products, services, or content. The core principle is the 90/10 rule: roughly 90% of your activity should be genuine community participation, with no more than 10% being self-promotional.
Each subreddit may have additional self-promotion policies beyond Reddit's site-wide rules. Some subreddits ban all self-promotion, others allow it in specific threads, and some permit it freely as long as it's relevant and clearly labeled.
Why It Matters for Marketers
Understanding self-promotion rules is essential to avoid getting banned. Violating these rules — even unintentionally — can result in post removal, temporary bans, or permanent account bans including shadowbans.
The 90/10 rule means that for every one promotional post or comment, you should have roughly nine non-promotional contributions. This forces marketers to build genuine value before and alongside any promotional activity.
Smart marketers see these rules not as restrictions but as a framework for effective marketing. The rules push you toward the authentic, value-first approach that actually works best on Reddit.
Examples
- An account that posts 10 helpful comments for every 1 product mention stays safely within Reddit's guidelines.
- Always disclosing your affiliation ("I'm the founder of X") when mentioning your product — transparency is respected.
- Using dedicated self-promotion threads (like "Share Your Startup Saturday") for overtly promotional content.