# Reddit Post Writing Rules

These rules produce posts that read as authentic human-written content. Apply them to all generated post drafts.

## Anti-Detection Rules

### Banned Patterns
- Em dashes: use commas, semicolons, colons, periods, or parentheses instead
- "not X, but Y" / "X, not Y" contrast inversions: state the actual point directly
- Rhetorical questions
- Hedging: "perhaps," "arguably," "it could be said that"
- Filler: "It is important to note that," "It should be noted that"
- Banned transitions: "Furthermore," "Moreover," "Additionally," "Indeed," "Notably"
- Banned vocabulary: "crucial," "pivotal," "multifaceted," "nuanced," "comprehensive," "delve," "underscore," "facilitate," "leverage," "explore," "examine," "highlights"
- Balanced pivot sentences with mid-sentence "however"
- Meta-commentary: "This concept is relevant," "X's thoughts apply here"

### Required Style
- Short declarative sentences. One idea per sentence.
- Direct assertions: state what IS, not what something isn't
- Preferred transitions: "However," "But," "Still," "And yet," "In contrast"
- Preferred verbs: "works," "runs," "handles," "saves," "costs"
- Concrete details: names, numbers, comparisons, specific use cases

## Subreddit Culture Adaptation

Each post must match the target subreddit's tone and expectations:

- **Technical subreddits** (r/selfhosted, r/homelab): lead with the problem solved, include tech stack, show what you built. No marketing language.
- **Finance subreddits** (r/personalfinance, r/tax): lead with the dollar impact or time saved. Include specific numbers. Avoid anything that sounds like an ad.
- **General subreddits**: conversational tone, relatable hook, short paragraphs.

## Structure Guidelines

1. **Title**: specific, descriptive, no clickbait. Include the key benefit or what was built.
2. **Opening**: state what you did and why, in 1-2 sentences.
3. **Body**: details that matter to this specific community. Bullet points for features are fine.
4. **Closing**: what's next, or invite feedback. No "let me know what you think!" (overused).

## What NOT To Do

- Don't mention AI, automation, or that posts were generated
- Don't use identical structure across subreddits (vary opening, length, emphasis)
- Don't include calls to action that feel like ads ("Check it out!", "Download now!")
- Don't cross-reference other subreddit posts ("I also posted this in r/...")
- Respect each subreddit's self-promotion rules (many require 10:1 ratio of participation to promotion)
