Can you self-promote on r/Businessideas?

Q: Can you self-promote on r/Businessideas?

Self-promotion restricted. Its rules restrict self-promotion. Posts that promote your own work are likely to be removed. Read 2026-09-26 from the community's own rules.

Reddit rules index · read 2026-09-26

Can you promote on r/Businessideas?

Self-promotion restricted Its rules restrict self-promotion. Posts that promote your own work are likely to be removed.

AI-generated content not allowed Its rules remove some or all AI-generated posts, comments or media. Write it yourself here, or pick another community. Other communities' AI rules.

What this page is

This page quotes r/Businessideas's rules as ThreadFox read them on 2026-09-26. The quoted text is the community's; the verdict above is our reading of it. Conditions often decide whether a post fits (a required thread, flair, posting day, account age or karma), and r/Businessideas's current rules on Reddit always win over this page.

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50,996 members
text and link posts
posting limited to approved users
its rules on Reddit

Honest feedback on business ideas. Post your idea with real detail, get told what's wrong with it (and what might work). No self-promotion, no polls, no AI-generated posts, no "what business should I start?" with zero context. Use a flair. Follow the template. Search before posting.

What its rules say about promotion

Rule 1: No Self-Promotion or Link Drops
Posts or comments whose primary purpose is driving traffic to your site, app, newsletter, YouTube channel, course, or Discord No linking your own product as a "resource" in someone else's thread, or Affiliate Links of any kind.

Rule 7: Disclose Your Position
If you have a financial interest in something you're discussing (you work there, you're an investor, you sell a competing product), disclose it. Failure to disclose = permanent ban.

What its rules say about AI and bots

Rule 8: English Only, No AI-Generated Posts
Posts must be in English. Posts that are clearly generated wholesale by ChatGPT/Claude/etc. with no human editing or original thought will be removed. Using AI as a tool to help structure your thinking is fine...having it think for you is not.

All 8 rules of r/Businessideas

Rule 1: No Self-Promotion or Link Drops
Posts or comments whose primary purpose is driving traffic to your site, app, newsletter, YouTube channel, course, or Discord No linking your own product as a "resource" in someone else's thread, or Affiliate Links of any kind.
Rule 2: Minimum Effort Required
Every post must demonstrate that you've done some thinking before asking the community to do thinking for you. Auto-remove triggers: Posts under 150 words (excluding flair-specific templates) Posts with no body text (title-only) "What business should I start?" without specific constraints, skills, or context "Is this a good idea?" with a one-sentence description The test: Could a stranger give you useful, specific feedback based on what you wrote? If not, it's too vague.
Rule 3: Use the Right Flair
Posting templates are recommended. You don't have to follow it rigidly, but your post must cover the key elements. Posts without flairs or with obviously wrong flairs will be removed and you'll be asked to repost.
Rule 4: Constructive Feedback Only
What's not allowed: "This will never work" without explaining why Personal attacks on the poster "Just Google it" or similarly dismissive responses Sarcasm as a substitute for critique What IS expected: If you think an idea is flawed, explain the specific flaw (market size, unit economics, competitive moat, customer acquisition, etc.) If you have experience that's relevant, share it Ask clarifying questions before dismissing
Rule 5: No "Idea Guy Looking for a Developer" Posts
This is not a co-founder matching sub. Posts that are essentially "I have an idea, who wants to build it for equity" will be removed. If you're looking for a co-founder, try r/cofounder or similar subs. You CAN discuss the challenge of finding technical co-founders, building without code, etc. as a topic.
Rule 6: No Surveys or Research Requests Without Mod Approval
Academic researchers, students, and market researchers must message the mods before posting surveys. We'll approve legitimate ones and flair them appropriately. Unapproved surveys will be removed.
Rule 7: Disclose Your Position
If you have a financial interest in something you're discussing (you work there, you're an investor, you sell a competing product), disclose it. Failure to disclose = permanent ban.
Rule 8: English Only, No AI-Generated Posts
Posts must be in English. Posts that are clearly generated wholesale by ChatGPT/Claude/etc. with no human editing or original thought will be removed. Using AI as a tool to help structure your thinking is fine...having it think for you is not.

What the written rules don't show

Unpublished minimums. Many communities remove posts from new or low-karma accounts through AutoModerator settings that are not on the rules page, often before a moderator sees them.
Reddit's own filters. Reddit's site-wide spam filters can remove posts from accounts that mostly share links to their own site, in any community.
The community's norms. Many communities see themselves as peers, not an audience: post where you already take part, and make the post worth reading without the link.

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The verdict is our reading of r/Businessideas's rule text on 2026-09-26. Rules change and moderators decide: read the current rules before you post. Not affiliated with Reddit or r/Businessideas.