How to Post on Hacker News Without Getting Flagged or Ignored

So, you’ve written a killer blog post, built an awesome tool, or have a burning question for the tech community. Naturally, you think: "Hacker News would love this!" But before you hit that submit button, let’s talk about how to post on HN without getting flagged, ignored, or (probably worst of all) roasted in the comments. Because, yes - there IS such a thing as poor marketing. I hope this won't end up being your typical “10 tips for HN success” fluff piece. I’m here to give you the real, nitty-gritty hacks that’ll help your post rise to the top—or at least avoid the dreaded [dead] tag. Let’s dive in. ⚠️ THE CRITICAL STUFF (DO NOT MESS THIS UP) 1. Don’t share direct links for upvotes HN’s algorithm is smarter than an average Joe thinks. If you share your post link on your Slack, Discord, or wherever, and ask people to upvote it, those votes won’t count. Let me say that again. These votes WILL NOT COUNT. Even worse, HN’s vote-ring detection might penalize your post. Instead, focus on sparking organic discussion—comments are the real ranking booster. For the push from friends and family, well, they will have to manually find your post on the HN /newest, /show, or whichever category you choose. 2. Don’t ask for upvotes or use sockpuppet accounts Explicitly asking for upvotes is a big no-no. So is using multiple accounts to manipulate votes. Both will get your post flagged or your account banned. Play fair, and let the community decide if your post is worth it. 3. Use specific, descriptive titles Your title is your first impression. “How we reduced API latency by 90%” will perform better than “Improving performance.” Avoid clickbait, ALL CAPS, or excessive punctuation. HN users value clarity and professionalism. 4. Post during peak hours (9 AM–12 PM Pacific Time) Timing is (almost) everything. Post during peak hours when the most users are active. Based on community observations, the best time to post is typically between 9 AM and 12 PM Pacific Time. Avoid weekends and late nights (Pacific Time equivalent). Engagement tends to drop during these times. 5. Disclose affiliations transparently If you’re sharing your own work, say so. Titles like “Show HN: My open-source tool for X” or “I built a new database” are fine. Trying to hide your affiliation will backfire. HN values transparency. ✅ HIGH-IMPACT MOVES (DO THESE RIGHT) 6. Encourage organic discussion in comments Comments are a stronger ranking signal than upvotes. Be ready to engage with thoughtful responses. If someone critiques your post, reply with data or reasoning—not defensiveness. 7. Include technical details and depth HN users love deep dives. Share code snippets, benchmarks, or architecture diagrams. If your post feels like a press release or marketing fluff, it’ll likely get ignored. 8. Don’t repost the same content HN’s duplicate detection is robust. If your post didn’t gain traction, wait a few weeks and try again with a new angle or title. Reposting the same link will likely get flagged. 9. Engage respectfully in comments Thoughtful responses build credibility. If someone’s being hostile, don’t escalate. Report abuse instead. HN values civil, intellectually stimulating discussions. Being an

Mar 4, 2025 - 22:51

How to Post on Hacker News Without Getting Flagged or Ignored

So, you’ve written a killer blog post, built an awesome tool, or have a burning question for the tech community. Naturally, you think:

"Hacker News would love this!"

But before you hit that submit button, let’s talk about how to post on HN without getting flagged, ignored, or (probably worst of all) roasted in the comments. Because, yes - there IS such a thing as poor marketing.

I hope this won't end up being your typical “10 tips for HN success” fluff piece. I’m here to give you the real, nitty-gritty hacks that’ll help your post rise to the top—or at least avoid the dreaded [dead] tag. Let’s dive in.

⚠️ THE CRITICAL STUFF

(DO NOT MESS THIS UP)

1. Don’t share direct links for upvotes

HN’s algorithm is smarter than an average Joe thinks.
If you share your post link on your Slack, Discord, or wherever, and ask people to upvote it, those votes won’t count.

Let me say that again.
These votes WILL NOT COUNT.
Even worse, HN’s vote-ring detection might penalize your post.

Instead, focus on sparking organic discussion—comments are the real ranking booster.

For the push from friends and family, well, they will have to manually find your post on the HN /newest, /show, or whichever category you choose.

2. Don’t ask for upvotes or use sockpuppet accounts

Explicitly asking for upvotes is a big no-no.
So is using multiple accounts to manipulate votes.
Both will get your post flagged or your account banned.

Play fair, and let the community decide if your post is worth it.

3. Use specific, descriptive titles

Your title is your first impression.
“How we reduced API latency by 90%” will perform better than “Improving performance.”

Avoid clickbait, ALL CAPS, or excessive punctuation.
HN users value clarity and professionalism.

4. Post during peak hours (9 AM–12 PM Pacific Time)

Timing is (almost) everything.
Post during peak hours when the most users are active. Based on community observations, the best time to post is typically between 9 AM and 12 PM Pacific Time.

Avoid weekends and late nights (Pacific Time equivalent).
Engagement tends to drop during these times.

5. Disclose affiliations transparently

If you’re sharing your own work, say so.
Titles like “Show HN: My open-source tool for X” or “I built a new database” are fine.

Trying to hide your affiliation will backfire.
HN values transparency.

✅ HIGH-IMPACT MOVES

(DO THESE RIGHT)

6. Encourage organic discussion in comments

Comments are a stronger ranking signal than upvotes. Be ready to engage with thoughtful responses. If someone critiques your post, reply with data or reasoning—not defensiveness.

7. Include technical details and depth

HN users love deep dives. Share code snippets, benchmarks, or architecture diagrams.

If your post feels like a press release or marketing fluff, it’ll likely get ignored.

8. Don’t repost the same content

HN’s duplicate detection is robust.
If your post didn’t gain traction, wait a few weeks and try again with a new angle or title.

Reposting the same link will likely get flagged.

9. Engage respectfully in comments

Thoughtful responses build credibility.
If someone’s being hostile, don’t escalate.
Report abuse instead.

HN values civil, intellectually stimulating discussions.
Being an