By Tangenix · Published 2026-10-23 · Free template

Community Rules Fit Worksheet

Check a specific community’s current rules and discussion context before deciding whether a proposed contribution belongs there.

When to use this template

Use this before preparing a forum contribution, especially if you have a relationship to a product discussed in it.

Choose another approach when: You want to find loopholes, treat an old promotional ratio as universal permission, or publish the same pitch across many communities.

Gather these inputs

• The exact community and current published rules.
• The full relevant discussion or permitted submission context.
• Your actual affiliation and the useful information you can contribute.

Copy and adapt the template

Edit the text below and copy it into your own document. Edits stay in this browser field and are not submitted or saved by this page.

Worked example

Illustrative example, not a Crany customer result. Replace every example detail with facts you can verify.

A fictional founder finds a forum thread about client handoff instructions. The community allows practical help but prohibits self-promotion outside a weekly thread. The founder can answer with a useful document structure without mentioning their app, or wait for the designated thread if discussing the product.
The worksheet does not interpret a general platform guideline as overriding the community rule. It also checks the existing answers so the proposed contribution adds something instead of repeating a solution already provided.

How to use it

1. Read the current local rules and enough discussion context to understand the request.
2. Check your relationship, content type and whether the contribution stands alone.
3. Choose the appropriate action and review again before any approved publication.

Check before using it

• Platform guidance is not substituted for stricter local rules.
• Silence about promotion is not treated as blanket permission.
• The final decision can be not to post when relevance or permission is missing.

What to measure

Track useful approved contributions and reasons for declining unsuitable opportunities. Post volume is not a measure of community value, and fitting rules does not guarantee moderation approval.

Research and sources

The sources support local-rule review and substantive participation. This decision worksheet is original; it does not authorize any posting or override a community’s current rules.

• Reddit: Reddiquette — checked 2026-10-23. Read community rules, contribute relevant original information and avoid vote solicitation; local rules still apply.
• Reddit: Spam — checked 2026-10-23. Repeated or unsolicited mass engagement and repetitive promotion are prohibited; moderators apply community-specific boundaries.
• Hacker News Guidelines — checked 2026-10-23. Human-written participation, original sources, substantive conversation and no automated posting or vote solicitation.

This original template and worked example were prepared with AI assistance. Source documentation supports the principles stated above; it does not endorse Crany or guarantee this template’s performance.

About Crany

Crany is an AI marketing co-founder in development for software founders and vibe coders, designed to strategize, execute approved marketing and improve based on results. This free resource is usable independently of the product. Join the public waitlist.