Read the rules properly

Where to find them. On the website, a community's rules are in the sidebar on the right. In the Reddit app, open the community and tap About (sometimes shown as an "i" or under the community name). Some communities also have a wiki or a pinned post with detailed rules. If a rules page won't load, sign in to Reddit, or open the community first and find the rules from there.

The rules that catch posters out most often:

• Self-promotion limits. Many communities say promotion must be a small part of your activity (often described as one in ten), or ban it outright.
• Weekly or dedicated threads. Some communities allow project links only in a weekly thread ("Share your project Saturday", "Feedback Friday" and so on), and remove them anywhere else.
• No links, or link limits. Some allow you to talk about your project but not link to it in the post. Others allow a link only in a comment, or only so often (for example, about once a week).
• Required flair. Many communities make you choose a label for your post (such as "Show-off", "Feedback" or "Question"), and remove posts without the right one.
• Account age and karma minimums. Often enforced automatically and not always written down (chapter 2).
• Format rules. A required title format, a minimum length, or a rule that you must explain what you built and how.

The unwritten rules. Some mods remove anything that feels like marketing, whatever the written rules say. You learn these by reading the community (chapter 3's five-minute check) and by watching which promotional posts stay up. If you're unsure, you can message the mods (Message the mods, in the sidebar or About) and ask politely before posting. Most mods appreciate being asked.

Rules change. Check them again each time you post, not just the first time. A community that allowed links last month may have moved them into a weekly thread.