Before you post anywhere
- README: a one-line pitch, a screenshot or GIF, a one-command install and a short usage example.
- License: without one, people legally can't use your code. MIT or Apache 2.0 are common, permissive choices.
- Contributing guide and starter issues: a short CONTRIBUTING.md and two or three issues labelled
good first issueturn visitors into contributors. - About box: description, website link and topics, plus a social preview image so shared links look good.
Where to share it
Developer communities
- Hacker News "Show HN", for things people can try right away.
- Reddit: the subreddit for your language or framework, plus r/SideProject and the weekly self-promotion threads many subs run. Read each sub's rules first.
- dev.to or Hashnode: a write-up of why and how you built it travels further than a bare link.
- Discord and Slack communities you already take part in.
Curated lists and newsletters
Open a pull request to a relevant "awesome" list, and send a short note to newsletters for your ecosystem, such as JavaScript Weekly, Python Weekly or This Week in Rust.
Social and video
Post a 30-second demo clip on X, Bluesky or LinkedIn. A short YouTube video showing the problem and the fix keeps bringing in people for months, long after a post has scrolled away.
Other builders
StarSwap puts your repo in a deck that developers swipe through every day. It is a steady source of first stars and feedback while you work on the bigger launches. See the newest projects to get a feel for what others are building.
What to say
- Lead with the problem, in one sentence your reader has felt.
- Show the fix: a GIF, a screenshot or a two-line code sample.
- Say what makes it different from the obvious alternative.
- End with one link and one ask: try it, star it, or tell me what breaks.
After launch day
- Answer every issue and comment quickly in the first week; early users become your advocates.
- Ship a small release with a changelog and share it. Each release is another reason to post.
- Thank contributors by name in release notes.
- Watch which posts brought stars and do more of those. The GitHub stars checklist covers the rest.
Questions
Where should I post my open source project first?
Start where your users already are: the subreddit or Discord for your language or framework, then Show HN once people can try it in a minute, then a dev.to write-up and social posts with a demo clip.
Do I need a license for my open source project?
Yes. Without a license, default copyright applies and others can't legally use, change or share your code. MIT and Apache 2.0 are common permissive choices.
How do I get my first contributors?
Write a short CONTRIBUTING.md, label two or three small, well-described issues as 'good first issue', and respond quickly to the first pull requests you get.