Stricter Discussions (Forums) on the Product Hunt – Bad or Good?
A few days ago I saw some posts here about:
– the number of discussions is decreasing,
– sometimes they are approved later,
– that there is "other community growth" – I don't know what was meant by that and I'm just guessing.
Yes, the conditions have changed – Forums are more moderated and rules are strict, hoping to bring more value and engagement of active (real) users.
https://help.producthunt.com/en/articles/10478791-product-hunt-forum-guidelines
In general:
discussion shouldn't be "egocentric" but should invite to be a part of it (actively discuss)
should bring a value – something to learn, find out
shouldn't be replicable – not something, that can be easily found on the internet
= It should result in quality and genuine discussion with interactions.
I also find it harder to come up with a new topic that is unique while sticking to the rules, but I assume it raises the bar.
How do you perceive this updated Forum format and its new rules?
Just a few quick tips to create discussions that have a chance to be shared:
Ask questions: Opinions, experiences, lessons learned.
React to news, new situations in the world, and discuss current events.
Follow up on other people's forums, referencing their questions that prompted other questions.
Talk about products, their gaps, improvements, and useful use-cases. (That's what product forums are for.)
Replies
Sider: AI Research Agent & Extension
I just wanted to start a discussion. I originally wanted to ask about creating my own product forum, but I was rejected.
I didn't give up and went to the Help Center to check the reason for the rejection and find the answers to my questions.
I found that the official guidelines did not provide clear answers.
I know my question might seem silly, but I think the current approach definitely raises the threshold for use. I hope there could be an AI customer service that makes it easier for me to get answers to such trivial questions.
App Finder
@rick_fan I think they should give a reason for the rejection together with the rejection
@rick_fan Maybe there will be an AI customer support soon for FAQs.
@rohanrecommends Internal info? :D
Sider: AI Research Agent & Extension
@konrad_sx no reason, just a link to the guideline.
@konrad_sx absolutely. i had to re-write my post 3 times and the guidance wasn't particularly helpful. tbh I gave up on my last post only to find it being commented on the following day
App Finder
I'm happy that there are stricter rules and fewer discussions now, there was just too much useless posts here.
BTW, my post this morning was approved in ~20 minutes, much faster than before the change.
@konrad_sx Is this for just one post or you're consistently seeing the same pattern?
Some of my posts were immediately approved as posted and some a bit late depending on what time of the day I posted. So it appears to be a manual approval depending on the availability of the person on the backend.
@konrad_sx I remember when some posts (before implementation of discussion forums) were approved sometimes even after a half-day. But I suppose that back then, it was because of implementation of new features and changes so old Discussions weren't a priority.
@konrad_sx @rohanrecommends I also think it is manual. At this points it is maybe bearable, but later with growing audience and discussion posts it will be less manageable. Maybe that is the point when it will be co-moderated by human + AI.
App Finder
@konrad_sx Got it, thanks for sharing. :)
@busmark_w_nika yeah, if not AI, then just approve regular folks haha :D
It's probably worth consider whether Product Hunt Forums aspire to be more like Hacker News (a single leaderboard of items interesting to that audience) or Reddit (many smaller forums with their own communities, cultures, and rules).
I'm not sure Product Hunt can support the latter (yet), and the former will take a much harder approach to moderation in order to inspire higher level and higher quality engagement, especially when 1) engagement farming is a scourge and 2) AI slop permeates across Product Hunt.
Product Hunt leadership (cc @rajiv_ayyangar!) should spell out which direction it intends to pursue, or if there is a third option, and then engage the most authentically engaged members of this community to support that direction (presuming we agree).
Thoughts?
Product Hunt
@chrismessina IMO, Product Hunt forums are better when it comes to quality, and this seems to be because of the active moderating from the side of the PH team. However, as you mentioned, this can become harder to handle over time.
So far it is good (just my perspective) but I think that people (Users) would need a little bit of guidance on how to write those posts because many are discouraged (e.g. their convo wasn't approved). I still believe many people can contribute to a solid discussion but many of them have a problem with structuring the topic or are not aware of the rules.
@rajiv_ayyangar thanks for that.
Any plans to improve the types of moderation controls that are available to makers and product community members? That is, could a maker deputize a community member to run their product forum?
Reddit succeeds at providing community managers with different types of mod controls. I know Product Hunt needs to start out simple, but the current moderation approach is a black box, especially when there's no place to review the outcome of abuse reports, nor are there workflows to support petitioning if someone feels like they've been unfairly moderated.
I suppose the vibe currently feels more like a magazine, where Product Hunt staff tightly control the experience. In the future, it could be interesting to explore designating members in good standing as product reps, etc.
Hi Nika,
Those are good tips on creating threads! 😊
Regarding moderation:
I believe the delay in post approvals may discourage community members from engaging further. If they don't see their post live immediately, they might leave or return later, reducing participation.
An alternative approach could be to pre-approve regular contributors who consistently share valuable content. This would help maintain quality while fostering a more active and engaged community.
It’s an unspoken truth that Product Hunt values curation and conciseness. Rather than viewing it as a typical social media platform or Reddit, it may be more accurate to see it as a community-driven media outlet with carefully selected contributing authors or contributions.
On SEO:
From an SEO perspective, there’s a possibility that Google may start indexing Product Hunt under the “Discussions and Forums” category in search results.
For this to happen, the platform would likely need to maintain an open forum with diverse voices, supported by strong technical SEO practices.
I also noticed that the PH team is seeding discussions, which could indicate the direction they envision for the platform’s discourse.
@rohanrecommends Hey Rohan, thanks for contribution. I think that your points are pretty valid and I like point no. 2. There is a question if once that person is approved, will not misuse their position. But I do not think so as it could harm his/her reputation. :)
Sider: AI Research Agent & Extension
@rohanrecommends Using AI for approvals might also be a good option.
@rohanrecommends +1 on the second point. Maybe when you hit a certain points threshold on your profile? In the immediate terms I'd just crowdsource misuse via flagging, then a moderator can review/approve.
@dan_difr Yes, flagging is a good option which already exists. I am sure there must be a mechanism for pre-approval.
Points based approval sounds interesting. That can make kitty points / coins actually useful haha :D
@dan_difr @rohanrecommends We finally found a use case :D
btw, does anyone know if new posts get approved on w/ends?
@taniabell My were approved but we need a bigger sample.
Product Hunt
@taniabell they do! we have fewer people online then so it may be a moment as they work on other tasks.
Currently, the rules are quite generic, and I think they will improve over time. I asked Rajiv (founder of PH) about this during Forum launch, as a couple of my posts were not approved, and here is his response.
"We're working on better notifications but if you email hello@producthunt.com with examples we can give you feedback."
@gamifykaran Some site with No-No posts and good posts maybe helped. I think that concern is maybe in the fact that there used to be a lot of posts from fake accounts (they were a low quality) so at the beginning they can be suspicious. That's why it is important to show up every day and be visible as well.
My discussions have been rejected every time since the new update, which is frustrating as a user. I reviewed the guidelines but didn’t find anything helpful or any reason why the rejection happened, leaving me with no choice but to stay inactive for now.
@felix_sattler Have you contacted the support?
@busmark_w_nika Yes, but they only told me to check the guidelines again – which I already did a couple of times (even before posting), but I don't see any issues with my posts at all.
@felix_sattler Have you tried to create another account and test it from there?
@busmark_w_nika haven't tried that yet, as I hoped that I could keep the profile I already built. But if there's no other option, I will try that this week.
I certainly like the changes PH made to the forums, topics make discussions much more organized. That said, the stricter rules seem to add friction, making it feel a bit restrictive compared to platforms like Reddit, where you can post more freely.
@ash_grover do you perceive that restriction as good / bad?
@busmark_w_nika It can be both good and bad depending on the amount of members a community has. If a community has less members, it's better to be less restrictive. If it has more then it can be beneficial to have slightly more restrictions. The goal is to keep the ratio of number of high quality posts to low quality posts high.
Graphify
I actually think it’s a great approach, but I had to get used to it at first since it’s quite specific. It definitely makes the discussions more valuable, but it also means you can’t just post any random thought, you have to put more effort into making it engaging and unique. That being said, I like that it encourages deeper conversations rather than just surface-level posts. 🚀
@hussein_r It is hard to create something that will get through and it seems I need to prepare in advance. Still at a risk that my discussions despite of preparation will not be shown.
Might be a bit limiting but it makes the convo way better overall!
@cameron96 Do you have any suggestions for improving the discussion posts (forums)?
Great insights on the evolving Forum dynamics! 🎯
It’s clear that Product Hunt is prioritizing quality over quantity—which, honestly, is a good thing. More curation means fewer “noise” posts and more meaningful discussions that actually drive engagement and learning. 🚀
Yes, it might feel a bit tougher to start a discussion now, but that’s the challenge that pushes better, more valuable content. Instead of just posting, the focus is now on sparking real conversations. A few thoughts on making discussions stand out:
✅ Make it interactive – Instead of statements, ask thought-provoking questions.
✅ Tie it to real-world trends – How does a new product, AI breakthrough, or market shift impact makers?
✅ Go beyond the obvious – If it’s something that can be Googled in 2 seconds, it probably won’t gain traction.
✅ Leverage product insights – Share use cases, pain points, and improvements—this is a community of builders, after all!
Re: "I also find it harder to come up with a new topic that is unique while sticking to the rules, but I assume it raises the bar."
While it may be more challenging to come up with unique topics, raising the bar could spark creativity and lead to innovative discussions. It's an opportunity to think critically and potentially uncover insights that could drive product improvements or new ideas.
@nikkielizdemere Sure thing, that's why it is harder. In AI era when I give ChatGPT prompt: "Hey, create some constructive arguments." it is difficult to cover things that ChatGPT will not cover. And I think that exactly this type of conversation is needed there. Because 95% of things can be discussed with ChatGPT. And I am trying to find and apply those 5% here.
I think stricter discussions can be a double - edged sword, but overall, I see more benefits.
The Upside of Stricter Discussions
Quality Over Quantity: By setting rules against "egocentric" posts and those that are easily replicable, Product Hunt is aiming for higher - quality conversations. When discussions are more focused on bringing value, like sharing new knowledge or unique experiences, it makes the platform more appealing to serious users. For example, if I'm looking for in - depth insights about a particular product's usability or the latest trends in a niche industry, I'm more likely to find it in a forum where posts are carefully moderated.
Engagement of Real Users: The hope of attracting and engaging active, real users is a great goal. When the environment is filled with valuable and unique discussions, it encourages users who are genuinely interested in the topics to participate. It's like building a community of experts and enthusiasts who are there to have meaningful exchanges, rather than just a place full of random chatter.
Raising the Bar: You mentioned that it's harder to come up with new, unique topics while following the rules, but this actually raises the bar for everyone. It challenges users to think more creatively and deeply about the topics they want to discuss. This can lead to a more intellectually stimulating environment, and over time, users will become better at formulating interesting and valuable discussion points.
The Potential Downsides
Initial Adjustment Period: It's true that in the short - term, it can be difficult to adapt to the new rules. As you said, coming up with unique topics that meet all the criteria can be a struggle. This might lead to a temporary decrease in the number of posts as users figure out how to navigate the new guidelines.
Risk of Over - Moderation: There's a small risk that the moderation could be too strict, which might stifle some creativity or prevent potentially interesting discussions from happening. For example, a post that might seem a bit too "egocentric" at first glance could actually spark a great conversation if given a chance.
Overall, though, I believe that the benefits of stricter discussions on Product Hunt outweigh the potential drawbacks. It has the potential to transform the platform into a more high - quality, engaging community for product - lovers, marketers, and innovators alike.
As for creating discussions, I'll definitely follow your tips. Asking questions about my experiences with new products or reacting to industry - related news seems like a great way to start meaningful conversations. What's your most successful type of discussion topic so far under the new rules?
The stricter discussions on Product Hunt can be both good and bad. On the positive side, it filters out low - quality posts, ensuring that discussions are more valuable, educational, and unique. This encourages real engagement among active users. However, it's also a challenge. It's harder to come up with compliant topics, which might limit the number of posts. But overall, the long - term gain in discussion quality likely outweighs the short - term inconvenience.
It's good to see that they are controlling the bot menace. I hope PH gets its glory back.