# Submit to Hacker News

> Launch Llama directory submission tracker review — last reviewed 2026-08-25

- **Canonical:** https://tools.launchllama.co/tools/launch-directories/hacker-news
- **Markdown twin:** https://tools.launchllama.co/directory-spokes/hacker-news.md
- **Directory:** Hacker News (news.ycombinator.com)
- **Submit URL:** https://news.ycombinator.com
- **DR:** 91
- **Pricing:** Free
- **Category:** Tech / Startups (#3 of 18 by DR in this category)
- **Referral traffic:** Very High
- **Backlink quality:** Weak
- **Link type:** Nofollow — news.ycombinator.com links use rel="nofollow ugc" — traffic and credibility, not pass-through DR

## Quick verdict

Top Tech / Startups pick — #3 of 18 by DR, free to submit. Worth it for technical products with live demos; skip if you only want passive SEO directory links.

**Best for:** Dev tools, APIs, and technical SaaS with something concrete to show · Founders who can engage in comments for several hours after posting

## Approval & timeline

- **Time-to-live:** Posts appear immediately if your account meets karma thresholds. Front-page visibility depends on upvotes in the first 1–3 hours.
- **Review:** Community-moderated via flags and downvotes. Off-topic, marketing-heavy, or duplicate submissions sink quickly.
- **Common rejections:** Flagged spam, affiliate funnels, “coming soon” pages, duplicate posts within weeks, or accounts with no comment history on promo posts.
- **Reputation:** HN readers reward transparency and technical depth — hype-heavy launch copy underperforms despite DR 91.

## Pros

- DR 91 domain with Very High traffic when posts hit the homepage
- Free submission — no queue fees or paid boost tiers
- Highly relevant audience for dev tools, infra, and technical SaaS
- Comment threads drive qualified feedback and early power users

## Cons

- Backlink quality rated Weak — all HN links are nofollow
- Front-page placement is competitive and timing-dependent
- Account karma requirements block brand-new accounts from some submissions
- A flat post with no founder replies rarely sustains momentum

## What you need before you submit

- Hacker News account with sufficient karma for submissions
- Live product or demo — not a waitlist-only landing page
- Clear title — use “Show HN:” prefix for new product demos
- Technical details ready for skeptical comment questions
- 2–4 hours blocked to reply thoughtfully in the thread

**Gotchas:**

- Do not ask friends to upvote — HN detects vote rings and penalizes accounts
- Posting the same URL twice within weeks often gets flagged
- Weekday mornings US time historically see more competition on the front page

## Submission mechanics

- **Account:** Hacker News account at news.ycombinator.com — submit via the “submit” link when logged in.
- **Categories:** Use Show HN for new products you built; standard link posts for blog content or news; Ask HN for questions — not product launches.
- **Anchor text:** Post title links to your product URL; HN wraps outbound links with nofollow attributes.
- **Link placement:** Ephemeral news feed entry — not a permanent directory listing page.

## FAQ

### Should I post Show HN or a regular link?

For new products you built, use Show HN with the “Show HN:” title prefix. Regular link posts suit blog posts or third-party news about your company.

### Does Hacker News give dofollow backlinks?

No — HN uses nofollow on outbound links. Value is traffic, feedback, and credibility with technical audiences.

### What karma do I need to submit?

Thresholds vary and are not published precisely — new accounts often need some comment karma before submissions stick. Participate genuinely first.

### How is this different from the Show HN spoke?

This entry covers Hacker News broadly. Our Show HN spoke focuses on the specific “Show HN:” product demo format — the best path for most founder launches.

## Related

- [Directory Submission Tracker](https://tools.launchllama.co/tools/launch-directories)
- [Tech / Startups directories](https://tools.launchllama.co/tools/launch-directories?category=tech-startups)
- [Directory backlink service](https://tools.launchllama.co/launch#directory-submissions)
- [llms.txt](https://tools.launchllama.co/llms.txt)