Checks a Show HN title against the official Show HN and Hacker News guidelines and quotes the sentence behind every finding. For makers who want a title that follows the rules before they submit.
How to use it
Type the title you plan to submit, including the "Show HN:" prefix. Fix the critical and warning findings first, then decide on the information notes.
- Type your title, choose one of the real Show HN titles, or load the example.
- Press Run check, or Ctrl/⌘ + Enter.
- Read the findings. Each one quotes the guideline it rests on and links to the page it comes from.
- Edit the title and run the check again. The highlights clear while you edit, so they never point at the wrong words.
How Reavlo tests this
The title is checked in your browser. Every rule rests on a sentence from one of two pages, which the hn-rules dataset quotes word for word with its address and the date it was read: the Show HN Guidelines and the Hacker News Guidelines.
Rules. The title must begin with "Show HN" and say what the project is. It is flagged for words in capital letters (five letters or more, so HTTP is fine), exclamation marks, a number followed by a list word such as ways or tips, and wording that points to a sign-up page, a waitlist or a newsletter, which the guidelines list as off topic. A version announcement such as "Foo 1.3.1 is out" is noted. The word lists behind the pattern checks are Reavlo's; the rule each one applies is the guideline's.
Length. Neither guideline page states a limit on the length of a title, so the tool does not check one.
Real titles. The examples are titles of Show HN submissions with many points, read from the Hacker News search API on the date shown. They are there to show what accepted titles look like, not as a template.
Limits. English only. The tool checks the title against the written guidelines; it cannot tell whether your project is something people can try, which is what the guidelines care about most, and it cannot predict whether a post will rise or be flagged by moderators.
Questions
Is my title uploaded?
No. The check runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent to a server or stored. If Google Analytics is enabled on this site, it only records that the tool ran, never your title.
How long can a Show HN title be?
The Show HN and Hacker News guideline pages do not state a length limit, so this tool does not check one. Keep the title short enough to read in full in a list of stories.
Does a clean result mean my post will do well?
No. It means the title follows the written guidelines. The guidelines are mostly about the project: it should be something people can try, ideally without sign-ups, and you should be around to discuss it.
Can I post a landing page or a waitlist as a Show HN?
The guidelines say sign-up pages, newsletters and landing pages are off topic for Show HN and ask you to wait until the work is ready to try. A regular submission is the alternative they point to.