I shared a free website I built to help front-end developers track which web features have become newly available or widely available, along with five practical examples from my latest issue. I tagged it for Showcase Saturday because the description seemed to fit, but the post was removed. I'm confused about what separates an acceptable project showcase from promotional content and would appreciate some guidance on how to present it properly.
3 Answers
Some moderators may remove anything with a link if it resembles self-promotion, especially when they don’t have time to read the full explanation. A clearer project write-up, screenshots, technical details, and a direct request for feedback could help distinguish it from an advertisement.
It may have been removed because the post came across as promoting a newsletter or product rather than showcasing a project. Even if the tool is free and useful, the way it’s framed matters—focus more on what you built, how it works, and what kind of feedback you want, instead of primarily directing people to the site.
That makes sense. I was mainly trying to share something useful, but I can see how the wording may have sounded promotional. I’ll rework the post around the project itself and ask for specific feedback.
Showcase events usually work best when the post demonstrates a meaningful project rather than simply announcing a resource. Sharing a link is fine in context, but the main content should explain the problem, your implementation, and why the project is interesting. If it still looks like a newsletter promotion, it may not qualify.
I was hoping to get feedback because I’m genuinely proud of what I built. I’ll try making the project and the feedback request much more prominent next time.