How to reply when someone asks for a recommendation
A recommendation request is the cleanest buying signal on Reddit: someone named a job, asked what to use, and is waiting for options. The mistake is treating that as an invitation to drop a landing page. The thread already has a shape — constraints, budget, what they already tried — and the comments that rank are the ones that map those constraints to a choice. If you sell in the category, you can still reply. You just answer the question first, disclose in the same breath if you name your product, and leave the DM for later. This playbook is for that thread, not for a rant, not for an X vs Y fight, and not for a Show HN. PainHuntr labels these as actively-asking so you do not mix them with mentions.
When this is real
It is real when the post contains a job to be done plus a constraint: budget, stack, team size, or a tool they already hate. Phrases like 'what are you using for', 'looking for an alternative to', and 'need something that does X without Y' are the tell. Commenters asking follow-up questions are still in discovery. If they listed three named products, you are actually in a comparison thread — use that playbook instead.
When to skip
Skip 'any free alternative?' with no stack, no volume, and no pain. Skip homework posts from students. Skip threads where the OP already marked an answer and left. Skip anything older than a couple of weeks unless a new comment revived it. If the subreddit bans affiliate or vendor comments outright, do not test the mods with a clever disclosure. And skip if you cannot answer the question without your product existing in the sentence — that means you do not have a useful reply yet.
The angle
Answer the question they asked using their constraints. Mention a product only if it maps to what they named, and disclose affiliation in the same sentence. Do not add yourself as a surprise fourth option at the end.
How to reply
- 01
Restate the constraint, not the category
Open by proving you read the post. If they said they are a solo founder on $3k MRR who cannot pay Algolia, your first line is about that bill, not about 'search for modern teams.' People downvote replies that could have been written without opening the thread.
- 02
Give a usable answer even if you sell nothing
Name the tradeoff: hosted vs self-hosted, cheap vs supported, simple vs complete. Point at two options that are not you if those options genuinely fit. The thread will trust the next sentence more if the first two were honest. This is also what PainHuntr's drafts try to do before they ever mention the user's product.
- 03
Disclose in the same sentence as the name
If your product is a fit, say so plainly: 'I make X, so discount accordingly.' Do not bury it under 'happy to chat.' Reddit has seen every soft CTA. A one-line disclosure plus a specific fit ('this only helps if you already have docs in markdown') is enough. Then stop. Do not attach a calendar link.
- 04
Stay in the comments
If they reply, answer there. Do not move them to a Notion, a Loom, or a 'quick call.' Recommendation threads are public evaluation rooms. The next lurker is the customer you actually want, and they will never see a DM. Follow-up questions in-thread are the whole funnel.
Example replies
Same thread, three outcomes. PainHuntr drafts toward the first one and away from the other two.
- Good
If you are trying to stay under $50/mo and you already have docs in a repo, the usual fork is Algolia (easy, bill shock) vs something self-hosted you have to babysit. I make a hosted search box for that middle — disclosing because it is mine — but only if you do not want to run Docker. If you do, Typesense is the honest cheap path.
It restates the budget, gives a non-self option, discloses, and tells them when not to buy. Lurkers can use the comment without clicking anything.
- Too salesy
We built exactly this! Would love to hop on a 15-minute call and show you how our AI-powered platform can 10x your workflow. DM me for a demo code.
It ignores the constraint, invents a meeting they did not ask for, and sounds like every SaaS bot on the internet. It will be downvoted and possibly reported.
- Gets you banned
Check this out, it changed my life: bit.ly/our-tool-special (use code REDDIT20). Also we are hiring evangelists.
Shortlinks, coupon codes, and fake first-person stories are how subreddits write the vendor-ban list. Several default subs auto-remove this pattern.
Gotchas
- Self-promo days still require a real answer. A landing page with 'happy to answer questions' is not an answer.
- If someone already recommended a competitor, acknowledge it. Pretending you did not see that comment reads as sneaky.
- Do not reply from a brand-new account with a product in the username. Wait until the account looks like a person.
- Affiliate links in recommendation threads get you tagged even if you disclosed in a footnote nobody reads.
Frequently asked questions
Can I mention my product at all?
Yes, if they asked for a tool in your category and your product actually fits the constraint they wrote. Disclose in the same sentence. If you need a paragraph of setup before the name makes sense, you are forcing it — answer without the product.
What if my product is the best fit but they asked for free?
Say the free options and the limit that makes people pay. Then, if you have a free tier that honestly covers their volume, mention it with disclosure. Do not argue them out of 'free' in the first comment.
Should I upvote my own comment from alts?
No. Reddit's spam filters and the community's memory are both better than you think. Vote manipulation is a faster ban than a clumsy pitch, and it can take the whole account with it, not just the comment.
How is this different from a comparison thread?
A recommendation request is 'what should I use?' A comparison thread already named two or three products and wants a referee. If they listed Mixpanel vs PostHog vs Amplitude, use the tool-comparison playbook. Mixing the two is how you accidentally insert yourself as option four.
How does PainHuntr use this?
When a scan finds an actively-asking conversation, the reply generator is instructed to answer the question, skip the demo offer, and disclose if it names your product. This page is the public version of that rule.
Related playbooks
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