Sign up for a free account
- Who acts
- You
- The clock
- None stated
- If nobody acts
- You can read the forum, and you stay a reader [3]
Founder community · How it works guide
How Indie Hackers Works
A free Indie Hackers account cannot post straight away. It waits through an anti-spam period, no length is stated, and that wait decides your first week. IH+ members post from day one. Product listings and milestone posts come after you can post. [1] [2]
Add Omnitwine as a preferred source on GoogleOn this page
Joining and posting, step by step
Wait out the anti-spam period
- Who acts
- Indie Hackers
- The clock
- Length not stated
Pick one group and write your post
- Who acts
- You
- The clock
- None
List your product in the Products directory
- Who acts
- You
- The clock
- None stated
- If nobody acts
- Your product is not listed [3]
Post a milestone with a number
- Who acts
- You
- The clock
- None
- If nobody acts
- No milestone appears on your profile [3]
Choose IH+ (optional)
- Who acts
- You
- The clock
- Billed annually at $198; 30-day pro-rated refund, per one reviewer
- If nobody acts
- You keep the free account and its wait [1]
| Step | Who acts | The clock | If nobody acts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign up for a free account | You | None stated | You can read the forum, and you stay a reader[3] |
| Wait out the anti-spam period | Indie Hackers | Length not stated | You cannot post yet[1] [2] |
| Pick one group and write your post | You | None | A post in the wrong group can lose visibility, one guide says[3] |
| List your product in the Products directory | You | None stated | Your product is not listed[3] |
| Post a milestone with a number | You | None | No milestone appears on your profile[3] |
| Choose IH+ (optional) | You | Billed annually at $198; 30-day pro-rated refund, per one reviewer | You keep the free account and its wait[1] |
The anti-spam wait decides your first week
Free accounts must wait through an anti-spam period before they can post. IH+ members can post from day one. No length is stated, so you cannot plan around a number. If you have a launch date, sign up well before it. [1] [2]
Read, wait, then post in one group
Sign up, read the forum while your account waits, and choose one group that fits the post. A guide lists Growth, Building, Marketing, Money, Launch and Self-Care, and says posting in the wrong group can hurt visibility. Write a title and a body of 800 to 2,000 words, and keep any product mention to two sentences at the end. The tips page has the rest. [3]
Listing a product and posting a milestone
The listing asks for a name, a tagline, a website URL, a description of 200 to 500 words, the tech stack, optional monthly revenue and the founders. Milestone types are Launch, First Customer, MRR Milestone, Press and Other. One 2026 guide gives this field list. [3] [2]
Where people get stuck
Three traps come up: posting before the wait ends, choosing the wrong group, and posting a launch announcement with no numbers. Vendor guides say specific numbers draw the most useful replies. Features covers the Products directory's revenue ranking. [4] [2]
Bibliography
Sources
- Profitable Founder, “Is Indie Hackers Worth It? An Honest 2026 Review” (25 Sept 2026) (independent)
- SaaSCity, “Best Indie Hacker Communities in 2026” (30 Oct 2026) (independent)
- Where To Submit, “How to Post on Indie Hackers and List Your Product (2026)” (4 Sept 2026) (independent)
- Distribution Base, “Indie Hackers for SaaS distribution” (3 May 2026) (independent)