Show HN on Hacker News: the rules and when to post

Show HN on Hacker News from its own pages: what qualifies, what gets a post penalized, and how a year of posts did by hour.

Launch board

Post datePost timeYour time zone

Share reaching 100 points, by UTC hour

00:00 UTC: 2.8% of 1,161 posts
01:00 UTC: 1.3% of 1,021 posts
02:00 UTC: 0.7% of 1,063 posts
03:00 UTC: 1% of 934 posts
04:00 UTC: 1.4% of 984 posts
05:00 UTC: 1.9% of 1,008 posts
06:00 UTC: 1.1% of 1,085 posts
07:00 UTC: 0.5% of 1,331 posts
08:00 UTC: 1% of 1,410 posts
09:00 UTC: 1.5% of 1,509 posts
10:00 UTC: 1.1% of 1,673 posts
11:00 UTC: 1.6% of 2,107 posts
12:00 UTC: 1.4% of 2,957 posts
13:00 UTC: 1.4% of 3,681 posts
14:00 UTC: 1.6% of 3,872 posts
15:00 UTC: 1.8% of 3,856 posts
16:00 UTC: 2.4% of 3,479 posts
17:00 UTC: 2% of 2,931 posts
18:00 UTC: 2.1% of 2,543 posts
19:00 UTC: 1.5% of 2,447 posts
20:00 UTC: 1.7% of 2,188 posts
21:00 UTC: 1.8% of 1,892 posts
22:00 UTC: 1.6% of 1,560 posts
23:00 UTC: 1.5% of 1,302 posts

47,994 Show HN posts, Nov 1, 2025 to Oct 31, 2026. 1.6% reached 100 points.

By weekday, and every hour

By weekday (UTC)

MondayMon1.8% of 7,186
TuesdayTue1.6% of 8,714
WednesdayWed1.3% of 7,890
ThursdayThu1.5% of 7,744
FridayFri1.6% of 6,336
SaturdaySat1.8% of 4,916
SundaySun1.9% of 5,208

Few Show HN posts reach 100 points, so most single weekday and hour cells rest on fewer than 10 such posts (148 of the 168 cells). Read the weekday and hour totals first; small gaps between cells are noise.

Weekday by hour

Rows are UTC hours. A darker cell is a higher value. The last column is every day together.

Show HN posts by UTC hour and weekday: share that reached 100 points
UTC	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	All
00:00	5.6	1.7	1.2	1.9	3.0	2.9	2.7	2.8
01:00	0.6	0.0	2.5	1.8	0.0	1.5	3.0	1.3
02:00	0.0	1.2	0.6	0.0	0.6	0.0	2.7	0.7
03:00	2.0	0.0	0.0	1.4	0.0	1.0	2.5	1.0
04:00	0.7	1.2	1.4	0.7	2.1	3.6	0.7	1.4
05:00	4.0	2.1	0.6	0.6	3.6	0.7	1.5	1.9
06:00	1.2	0.6	0.6	0.0	3.0	1.8	0.7	1.1
07:00	0.9	0.5	0.4	0.5	0.0	0.7	0.7	0.5
08:00	1.4	0.0	0.5	1.8	1.0	2.2	0.0	1.0
09:00	2.1	0.8	0.9	0.8	2.7	1.1	2.5	1.5
10:00	0.8	1.4	1.1	2.2	0.4	0.6	0.5	1.1
11:00	2.3	1.6	0.6	1.9	1.5	1.0	2.4	1.6
12:00	1.2	1.7	0.9	1.1	1.1	1.2	3.3	1.4
13:00	1.4	1.9	0.2	1.9	0.7	3.1	1.2	1.4
14:00	1.6	1.5	1.8	1.8	1.9	1.3	0.9	1.6
15:00	2.5	1.5	1.8	1.6	1.5	1.2	2.8	1.8
16:00	3.4	2.6	2.2	1.8	2.1	1.7	2.4	2.4
17:00	1.3	1.2	1.8	1.7	1.9	3.8	4.1	2.0
18:00	1.0	2.5	3.0	1.7	2.4	1.6	2.5	2.1
19:00	1.1	1.8	0.9	1.3	2.0	2.8	0.4	1.5
20:00	1.6	1.7	1.2	1.8	0.8	3.4	1.6	1.7
21:00	1.5	1.4	1.4	1.6	2.4	2.6	1.9	1.8
22:00	2.7	1.8	0.9	1.3	2.2	0.9	1.4	1.6
23:00	2.0	2.0	2.2	1.6	0.6	0.6	1.6	1.5

Prepare ahead: 9 steps

Before you post

A way to try it, ideally with no signup or email in the way.
A clear statement of what the project is or does.
Text giving the backstory of how you came to work on it, and what is different about it.
Links to any earlier Hacker News threads that are relevant.
Factual, direct language, with nothing that sounds like marketing or sales.
Write the text yourself. Hacker News asks for no LLM generated or edited text in posts.
A username that is you, and, if you are comfortable, an email in your profile so the moderators can reach you.

After you post

Be around to answer questions in the thread, and ask friends not to add promotional comments.

Later

A new version only as a Show HN when it is significantly different. Link the previous Show HN and say what changed.

Show HN (Hacker News) rules: 8 things not allowed

Not allowed

Blog posts, sign-up pages, newsletters, lists and other reading material. Post those as regular submissions.
Landing pages, fundraisers, or work that is not ready for users to try yet.
Quickly generated one-offs. The project should be non-trivial.
New features and upgrades ("Foo 1.3.1 is out") generally do not count. A major overhaul is probably ok.
Asking friends to upvote or comment. Hacker News penalizes or bans submissions, accounts and sites that do.
Booster comments from friends or users in the thread.
Generated text in posts, and automated posting.
Deleting and reposting the same story.

Launch day: There is no launch day or launch window. Every Show HN appears on the newest and shownew pages, and on the Show page in the top bar once it clears a small points threshold. Hacker News ranks stories by dividing points by a power of the time since the story was submitted, with other factors such as flags and moderation.
Who may post: Someone sharing their own work, something they worked on personally and are around to discuss. The title begins with "Show HN". Hacker News asks that your username be a person, not your company or project.
What qualifies: Things people can run on their computers or hold in their hands. For hardware, a video or a detailed article. For books, a sample chapter.
Cost: No fee is named on Hacker News's pages. A Show HN is posted like any story, from the submit link.
What happened when we submitted: Not posted. Show HN asks for something people can try, ideally without a signup, and our product needs one, so we decided on Oct 29, 2026 not to post a Show HN for now.

Sources: news.ycombinator.com (opens in a new tab), news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html (opens in a new tab), news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html (opens in a new tab), news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22336638 (opens in a new tab), hn.algolia.com/api (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.

31 other launch boards we tried

31 launch boards we submitted to, by what happened

DevHuntListedFree spot in the queue, with a nofollow link. Sign in with Google or GitHub; it asks for a social profile link to check you are a person.
How it runs
Weekly launches. Free spots wait in a long queue.
Free route
Free spot in the queue, with a nofollow link. Sign in with Google or GitHub; it asks for a social profile link to check you are a person.
Paid options
$19 listing with a followed link and a week you pick, $49 boosted launch, $149 a week ad slot.
What happened when we submitted
Submitted Oct 30, 2026 on the free route. The page went up at once with a nofollow link, but the free launch slot itself is Oct 21, 2031. We paid nothing.
From our own submission record. Board: devhunt.org (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
FoundrListListedFree launch: a permanent page and a week on the launch board, nofollow link, no badge needed.
How it runs
Weekly launch board (83 to 160 launches a week in weeks 37 to 44 of 2026).
Free route
Free launch: a permanent page and a week on the launch board, nofollow link, no badge needed.
Paid options
Standard launch $29, 14 day featured $49, 30 day featured $99. Paid launches get a followed link.
What happened when we submitted
An Oneprofile page from week 10 of 2026 was already live, so we kept that one instead of a second launch and asked support on Nov 3, 2026 to move it to our team account.
From our own submission record. Board: foundrlist.com (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
LaunchFreeListedFree: a submission form with no account and no badge, and a followed link. Images go in as hosted image links only.
How it runs
Free launch directory, each submission reviewed within 24 hours.
Free route
Free: a submission form with no account and no badge, and a followed link. Images go in as hosted image links only.
Paid options
Only a labelled sponsor slot is paid.
What happened when we submitted
Submitted Nov 2, 2026 and live the next day with a followed link. LaunchFree rewrote our description in its own words, and with no account there is no way to edit it.
From our own submission record. Board: launchfree.io (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
PeerPushListedFree queued listing. The wait can be long: a second entry we made on Nov 3, 2026 was number 9,845 in the queue, about 3 months.
How it runs
Free listings wait in a queue; paid launches go out at once.
Free route
Free queued listing. The wait can be long: a second entry we made on Nov 3, 2026 was number 9,845 in the queue, about 3 months.
Paid options
Standard launch $39 (offered at $23.40 when we looked), 7 day promotion $89, 30 day promotion $229.
What happened when we submitted
Our page has been live since Feb 21, 2026. The second entry from Nov 3, 2026 is a duplicate we cannot delete; we paid nothing.
From our own submission record. Board: peerpush.com (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
Stellar LaunchListedFree launch with an email account, no badge. Nofollow link; only the daily top 3 get a followed link.
How it runs
Daily launches.
Free route
Free launch with an email account, no badge. Nofollow link; only the daily top 3 get a followed link.
Paid options
Basic $6.49, Premium $34.99, Domain Booster $99.99.
What happened when we submitted
Submitted Nov 5, 2026. Every free slot before Aug 14, 2027 was full, so our launch is scheduled for Aug 14, 2027 at 08:00 UTC. The project page was public at once.
From our own submission record. Board: stellarlaunch.org (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
Launch (trylaunch.ai)ListedFree plan: homepage listing, a newsletter feature and the standard queue.
How it runs
Standard queue, one launch a week on the free plan.
Free route
Free plan: homepage listing, a newsletter feature and the standard queue.
Paid options
Pro $39 skips the queue with a guaranteed backlink; Grow $199; Launch Pass $99 a year.
What happened when we submitted
An Oneprofile launch from Feb 7, 2026 already existed. On Nov 3, 2026 we claimed it with a company email check and updated it. The name and launch date stay locked; only a paid relaunch changes them.
From our own submission record. Board: trylaunch.ai (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
HuntScreensIn the queueFree queue with a nofollow link. The form takes only your website address and builds the page from your site.
How it runs
Free queue, reviewed in about 30 days.
Free route
Free queue with a nofollow link. The form takes only your website address and builds the page from your site.
Paid options
VIP review $10, followed backlink $79, sidebar ads $29 for 7 days or $99 for 30 days, Launch Pack $99, Growth Pack $159.
What happened when we submitted
Submitted Nov 6, 2026 on the free queue. Still waiting on Nov 7, 2026.
From our own submission record. Board: huntscreens.com (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
TinyLaunchIn the queueFree standard queue. A followed link only for top 3 launches that embed the badge.
How it runs
Weekly launches, starting on Mondays; free launches review usually in under 24 hours.
Free route
Free standard queue. A followed link only for top 3 launches that embed the badge.
Paid options
Premium $39 skips the queue.
What happened when we submitted
Scheduled on Nov 2, 2026. The free weeks of Nov 9 to Nov 30 were full, so our free launch is set for Monday Dec 7, 2026.
From our own submission record. Board: tinylaunch.com (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
UneedIn the queueFree waiting line. A followed link needs an upvote score of 20 on the free route, or 10 on fast track.
How it runs
Free waiting line; paid fast track.
Free route
Free waiting line. A followed link needs an upvote score of 20 on the free route, or 10 on fast track.
Paid options
Fast track $14.99 (a slot in about 14 days), Skip the line $39.99.
What happened when we submitted
An older Oneprofile entry was already in the waiting line with no launch date. We asked support on Oct 29, 2026 to move it to our account and followed up on Nov 1, 2026.
From our own submission record. Board: uneed.best (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
FirstoAccount made, not launched yetFree launch with a permanent project page, about a 180 day queue. A followed link only for the top 3 with their badge.
How it runs
Daily: 5 free launch slots a day.
Free route
Free launch with a permanent project page, about a 180 day queue. A followed link only for the top 3 with their badge.
Paid options
Premium $19.90, Pro $59.90, SEO Growth $179.90 per launch.
What happened when we submitted
Account made Nov 1, 2026. The sign-in security check kept failing, so nothing is launched yet. An older Oneprofile page from Aug 5, 2026 also exists.
From our own submission record. Board: firsto.co (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
Launch ListAccount made, not launched yetFree listing with an email account. A followed link only after you place their badge.
How it runs
Product pages go up by date.
Free route
Free listing with an email account. A followed link only after you place their badge.
Paid options
Featured $9, Premium $19, Spotlight $19 a week or $29 a month.
What happened when we submitted
An older Oneprofile listing from week 6 of 2026 already exists. Support is by email only, so by Nov 9, 2026 it had not been moved to our account.
From our own submission record. Board: launch-list.org (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
Open LaunchAccount made, not launched yetFree launch with an email account. A followed link only for the daily top 3 with their badge.
How it runs
Daily launches; free slots were booked into 2027.
Free route
Free launch with an email account. A followed link only for the daily top 3 with their badge.
Paid options
Premium launch $12, SEO package $59.
What happened when we submitted
An older Oneprofile page from Sep 22, 2026 already existed. We asked through the site chat on Nov 6, 2026 to move it to our account.
From our own submission record. Board: open-launch.com (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
TinyLaunchpadAccount made, not launched yetFree launch with an email account, no badge. Nofollow link; the weekly top 3 get a followed link.
How it runs
Weekly launches.
Free route
Free launch with an email account, no badge. Nofollow link; the weekly top 3 get a followed link.
Paid options
Premium $9.99, Premium with review $19.99, Launch Pass $49 a month.
What happened when we submitted
An older Oneprofile page made from another login already exists. We asked through the contact form on Nov 5 and Nov 9, 2026 to move it; no reply yet.
From our own submission record. Board: tinylaunchpad.com (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
What Launched TodayAccount made, not launched yetFree standard launch in the queue, with a followed link.
How it runs
Daily launches.
Free route
Free standard launch in the queue, with a followed link.
Paid options
$29 to skip the queue.
What happened when we submitted
An older Oneprofile launch from Feb 11, 2026 already exists under another login. Support is by email only, so by Nov 9, 2026 it had not been moved.
From our own submission record. Board: whatlaunched.today (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
MakerHuntAccount made, not launched yetFree "Nofollow Launch" with no badge. The plain free launch needs their badge; the weekly top 3 get a followed link. The description needs at least 400 words.
How it runs
Weekly: launches start every Monday and run for 7 days, with 15 free slots a week.
Free route
Free "Nofollow Launch" with no badge. The plain free launch needs their badge; the weekly top 3 get a followed link. The description needs at least 400 words.
Paid options
Premium $29.
What happened when we submitted
On Nov 9, 2026 every launch week from mid November 2026 to late July 2027 showed "Week full (0/15 free slots)", so nothing was submitted.
From our own submission record. Board: makerhunt.io (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
SidehuntAccount made, not launched yetFree "Nofollow Launch" with no badge. The plain free launch needs their badge. The description needs at least 400 words.
How it runs
Weekly launches, 15 free slots a week.
Free route
Free "Nofollow Launch" with no badge. The plain free launch needs their badge. The description needs at least 400 words.
Paid options
Premium $29.
What happened when we submitted
On Nov 9, 2026 all 36 weeks from mid November 2026 on were full of free launches, so nothing was submitted.
From our own submission record. Board: sidehunt.io (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
Peerlist LaunchpadAccount made, not launched yetFree weekly launch. It needs a verified Peerlist profile (a government ID, or a workplace on your resume) and a 100% complete project.
How it runs
Weekly. The launch window is open through Monday every week, and a launch runs for a week. You can schedule a launch for a later Monday.
Free route
Free weekly launch. It needs a verified Peerlist profile (a government ID, or a workplace on your resume) and a 100% complete project.
Paid options
Featured launch from $29.
What happened when we submitted
Profile made Oct 28, 2026. The launch waits for identity verification, so nothing is launched yet.
From our own submission record. Board: help.peerlist.io (opens in a new tab), help.peerlist.io/individual/launchpad/how-to-launch-a-project-on-peerlist-launchpad (opens in a new tab), peerlist.io (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
FazierNot launchedFree Basic launch needs 3 comments on other products first, then their badge on your site.
How it runs
Free launches reviewed within 30 days.
Free route
Free Basic launch needs 3 comments on other products first, then their badge on your site.
Paid options
Lite $29, Premium $49, Super $99, one time.
What happened when we submitted
Account made Oct 29, 2026. We place no badge or link in return for a listing and we did not pay, so we did not launch.
From our own submission record. Board: fazier.com (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
HuzzlerNot launchedFree listing needs a Huzzler badge. Free listings are noindexed.
How it runs
Free queue of about 72 days.
Free route
Free listing needs a Huzzler badge. Free listings are noindexed.
Paid options
Launch Boost $29 one time, live the same day with no badge; AI visibility $249 one time.
What happened when we submitted
Product saved as a draft on Nov 1, 2026. The free route needs their badge and the rest is paid, so we did not publish it.
From our own submission record. Board: huzzler.so (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
LaunchIgniterNot launchedFree launch needs the LaunchIgniter badge on your homepage. A followed link only for the weekly top 3.
How it runs
Weekly, with manual review and a wait for free launches.
Free route
Free launch needs the LaunchIgniter badge on your homepage. A followed link only for the weekly top 3.
Paid options
Basic $12 with a guaranteed date.
What happened when we submitted
Not launched (Oct 29, 2026). The free route needs their badge and we did not pay.
From our own submission record. Board: launchigniter.com (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
LaunchstagNot launchedFree: join the queue, but free listings need a Launchstag badge on your site first.
How it runs
Free launches join a queue for a launch date.
Free route
Free: join the queue, but free listings need a Launchstag badge on your site first.
Paid options
Premium $19 one time (7 days featured, pick the date), Growth $34 one time (14 days featured).
What happened when we submitted
Not launched (Nov 2, 2026). The free route needs their badge and we did not pay.
From our own submission record. Board: launchstag.com (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
LaunchVaultNot launchedFree launch, but badge verification is required before a free launch is scheduled.
How it runs
Weekly, 25 free launch slots a week.
Free route
Free launch, but badge verification is required before a free launch is scheduled.
Paid options
Premium launch $9.99 (list price $19.99), Public Review $69.
What happened when we submitted
Not launched (Oct 31, 2026). The free route needs their badge and we did not pay.
From our own submission record. Board: launchvault.dev (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
MicrolaunchNot launchedNo free launch route was offered when we checked.
How it runs
Paid launches only when we checked.
Free route
No free launch route was offered when we checked.
Paid options
Launch Pro $49, Launch Plus $99, Launch Everywhere $149, higher tiers up to $299.
What happened when we submitted
Account made Oct 31, 2026. With no free route, we did not launch.
From our own submission record. Board: microlaunch.net (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
NxGn ToolsNot launchedFree basic launch, but the launch form asks you to upvote one of this week's launches before you can continue.
How it runs
Weekly launch competition, with a long queue of tools.
Free route
Free basic launch, but the launch form asks you to upvote one of this week's launches before you can continue.
Paid options
Premium launch $19.
What happened when we submitted
Account made Nov 4, 2026. We do not give upvotes for a listing and we did not pay, so we did not launch.
From our own submission record. Board: nxgntools.com (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
SaaSCityNot launchedFree listing needs a SaaSCity badge on your homepage.
How it runs
Weekly rounds, 15 free slots a week.
Free route
Free listing needs a SaaSCity badge on your homepage.
Paid options
Quick Pass $19.99, Premium $39.99.
What happened when we submitted
Not launched (Oct 29, 2026). The free route needs their badge and we did not pay.
From our own submission record. Board: saascity.io (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
ScrollLaunchNot launchedFree launch needs a website badge step before it is published.
How it runs
Weekly, 25 free listings a week.
Free route
Free launch needs a website badge step before it is published.
Paid options
Premium $39, Growth $217, Takeover $335 one time; homepage ads from $19 a week.
What happened when we submitted
Not launched (Nov 9, 2026). The free route needs their badge and we did not pay.
From our own submission record. Board: scrolllaunch.com (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
Smol LaunchNot launchedFree launch needs badge verification, and first a "community unlock": upvoting 3 other makers' launches that week.
How it runs
Weekly, 50 verified free slots a week; the next free week was Jan 4, 2027 when we checked.
Free route
Free launch needs badge verification, and first a "community unlock": upvoting 3 other makers' launches that week.
Paid options
Premium $19 per launch, Premium+ $39.
What happened when we submitted
Product details saved Oct 29, 2026, not submitted. We do not give upvotes or place badges for a listing and we did not pay.
From our own submission record. Board: smollaunch.com (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
StartupBaseNot launchedFree public listing needs the StartupBase badge on your site. New accounts sign up with Google, LinkedIn or X.
How it runs
Free launch dates come from a queue, about 4 to 5 weeks out.
Free route
Free public listing needs the StartupBase badge on your site. New accounts sign up with Google, LinkedIn or X.
Paid options
Premium from $39 one time; Outrank homepage spots pay what you want from $29.
What happened when we submitted
Not launched (Oct 29, 2026). The free route needs their badge and we did not pay.
From our own submission record. Board: startupbase.io (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
Startup FameNot launchedThe only free plan, Verified, needs a Startup Fame badge on your homepage, checked by their bot.
How it runs
Listing plans, free or monthly.
Free route
The only free plan, Verified, needs a Startup Fame badge on your homepage, checked by their bot.
Paid options
Highlight $19 a month, Spotlight $99 a month.
What happened when we submitted
Not launched (Oct 31, 2026). The free route needs their badge and we did not pay.
From our own submission record. Board: startupfa.me (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
Startup FastNot launchedFree launches require their badge on your website.
How it runs
Daily: 5 free slots a day, scheduled up to 90 days out.
Free route
Free launches require their badge on your website.
Paid options
Premium launch $19; homepage sponsorship $49 a month or $399 a year.
What happened when we submitted
Not launched (Nov 1, 2026). The free route needs their badge and we did not pay.
From our own submission record. Board: startupfa.st (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.
TinyHuntNot launchedFree submit needs their badge and a backlink.
How it runs
Free submissions, with paid slots to move up.
Free route
Free submit needs their badge and a backlink.
Paid options
Outbid slots from $10.
What happened when we submitted
Not launched (Oct 29, 2026). The free route needs their badge and a backlink, and we did not pay.
From our own submission record. Board: tinyhunt.dev (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 10, 2026.

Data checked Nov 10, 2026

What happened comes from Oneprofile's own submissions to each board, logged as we went. Prices and queues are as each board showed them on the dates given.

Every rule, time, and requirement comes from the board's own pages. Nothing is inferred.

Show HN numbers: Every story tagged Show HN in the public Hacker News search API (hn.algolia.com, no key), created from 2025-11-01 00:00 UTC up to 2026-11-01 00:00 UTC. Queried one UTC day at a time (365 queries, tags story and show_hn, hitsPerPage 1000, created_at_i filter; no day reached the 1,000 cap), each post counted once by its id. Points are as the API showed them on 2026-11-10. Weekday and hour are the post's creation time in UTC. Only these counts are kept, no titles or usernames.

Utku Zihnioglu

· CEO & co-founder

Published Nov 11, 2026

Shorter page: the tool first, the answer in a few lines.

A Show HN on Hacker News is a post, titled "Show HN", for something you made that other people can try right now. It has no launch day and Hacker News names no fee: the post goes up the moment you submit it, and it reaches the Show page only after it clears a small points threshold.

Pick the day and hour you plan to post and your time zone in the planner above. It shows that moment in UTC and how Show HN posts did in that slot.

The rules come down to three tests

People can try it now, ideally with no signup or email in the way. Blog posts, sign-up pages, landing pages and fundraisers are off topic.
It is your own work, and you are around to discuss it, under a username that is a person, not your company.
The thread stays honest. Never ask friends to upvote or comment: Hacker News penalizes or bans the submissions, accounts and sites that do. No booster comments, and no deleting and reposting.

The first test stopped us. Oneprofile needs a signup, so we decided not to post a Show HN for now. "Ideally" is not "never", but we think the rule is right: a Show HN promises that a reader can click and see the thing working.

How to read the timing

We counted every Show HN post in Hacker News's public search API over a full year, by the UTC weekday and hour it was created, and kept only the counts. The method is written under the grid.

Read the weekday and hour totals before single cells. Most cells rest on only a handful of posts that did well, so a gap between neighbours is probably noise.

Hacker News publishes no best time. Its FAQ says ranking divides points by a power of the time since a story was submitted, so the first hours matter, and nothing in its rules ties them to a weekday. Treat the hour as a tiebreak, and pick one when you can stay in the thread for the rest of the day.

After you post

Answer the questions in the thread yourself. Hacker News readers build things, and some of them buy, but the buyers you most want probably never open the Show page. Oneprofile can list the companies whose makers posted a Show HN, with a free count and preview, and find the people who fit your product so you can write to them by email and LinkedIn.

Show HN on Hacker News: common questions

Where does a Show HN appear after I post it?

On the newest and shownew pages at once. Once it clears a small points threshold, it also appears on the Show page in the Hacker News top bar.

What is the best time to post a Show HN?

There is no official one: Show HN has no launch day, and a post goes up the moment you submit it. Pick an hour when you can stay to answer comments for the rest of the day, then check that slot in the planner.

Can I use AI to write my Show HN post?

No. Hacker News asks for no generated text in posts and no automated posting. Write the post yourself, in factual, direct language, with nothing that sounds like marketing.

Can I post a second Show HN for a new version?

Only when the new version is significantly different. New features and upgrades generally do not count, though a major overhaul probably does. Link the previous Show HN and say what changed, and never delete and repost the same story.

Keep going

The best SaaS directories, by what happened

Product Hunt launch planner

Best day to launch on Product Hunt

About this article

Utku Zihnioglu

CEO & co-founder

Serial entrepreneur who built infrastructure companies handling billions of requests. Now leads engineering at Oneprofile, which finds the people worth talking to, researches each one, and follows up until they reply.

All articles by Utku Zihnioglu

Drafted with AI from our product docs and code. Utku Zihnioglu answers for what it says.

How we research and compare tools →

Reach the buyers who never read Show HN

Find the people and companies that fit your product and write to them by email and LinkedIn.

Get started free

Free plan: 200 credits a month, 3 integrations, no card

Reach the buyers who never read Show HN

Find the people and companies that fit your product and write to them by email and LinkedIn.

Get started free

Free plan: 200 credits a month, 3 integrations, no card