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Reddit is one of the few places where people already talk openly about tracking their moods, and it costs nothing to show up. The catch is that most mental health subreddits ban self-promotion, so the posts below lead with honesty and usefulness, not a pitch. Read each subreddit's rules before posting, and only post where the template fits the rules.

All guidesFor founders of a mood tracker

1. The honest builder post

Title: I built a mood tracker because [specific problem you had]. Looking for 10 people to try it and tell me what's wrong with it. Body: Hi r/[SideProject or alphaandbetausers]. I'm [first name], solo founder. I tracked my mood in [Notes app / Daylio / a spreadsheet] for [time period] and kept quitting because [real reason, e.g. it took too many taps]. So I built [app name], which [one-sentence core feature]. It's free right now. I want 10 people who've tried mood tracking before to use it for a week and tell me where it annoys them. Comment or DM and I'll send a link. Use this first, in builder communities where launch posts are explicitly allowed.

2. The question post (no link)

Title: People who stuck with mood tracking for 3+ months, what made it stick? Body: I'm building a mood tracker and keep seeing people quit after a week, including me. For those who kept going: [question 1, e.g. did you log once a day or whenever your mood shifted?] [question 2, e.g. did seeing charts help, or was writing the note the useful part?] I'm not linking anything, just trying to build the right thing. Use this in r/selfimprovement, r/getdisciplined or r/QuantifiedSelf to learn and to find people you can follow up with by DM, without breaking promo rules.

3. The QuantifiedSelf data post

Title: [Number] days of mood data vs [variable, e.g. sleep hours]: what I found in my own logs. Body: I logged my mood [1-5 / 1-10] every [frequency] for [time period] alongside [variable]. Here's the chart: [image]. What surprised me: [one honest finding from your own data]. What I'm unsure about: [limitation]. I built a small app to make this easier for myself, [app name], happy to share if anyone wants it, but mainly curious whether others see the same pattern. Use this in r/QuantifiedSelf, where real personal data gets attention and a light mention of your tool is usually tolerated.

4. The comparison answer

Comment, not a post. Search Reddit for 'Daylio alternative', 'best mood tracker app' or 'mood journal app recommendation' and reply to recent threads: I've used [Daylio / Bearable / How We Feel] and [what each does well]. Full disclosure, I'm building one called [app name], it's different because [one concrete difference, e.g. it logs in one tap from a widget]. If you want something established, [competitor] is solid for [use case]. Use this in r/Anxiety, r/bipolar or r/ADHD only where the subreddit allows app recommendations in comments. Disclose every time.

5. The niche use-case post

Title: Built a mood tracker for [specific group, e.g. people tracking mood around their cycle / shift workers / people starting a new medication], want feedback from people in that situation. Body: Generic mood apps didn't handle [specific need, e.g. logging alongside cycle day / irregular sleep / dose changes to show a doctor]. [App name] does [the feature]. I'm not a clinician and it's not medical advice, just a log. Would anyone who deals with this try it for two weeks? Use this in a niche subreddit like r/PMDD, r/nightshift or r/ADHD after checking that its rules allow feedback requests, or ask the mods first.

6. The mod permission message

Message to r/[subreddit] mods. Subject: Permission to post a feedback request for a free mood tracker? Body: Hi, I'm [name], solo founder of [app name], a mood tracker for [use case]. I've read your rule on self-promotion. Would you allow one post asking members for feedback? I'd disclose that I'm the founder, keep it free for testers, and stay in the thread to answer questions. If not, no problem, thanks for keeping the sub clean. Use this before posting anywhere sensitive, especially mental health communities.

7. The 30-day follow-up post

Title: A month ago I asked you to break my mood tracker. Here's what [number] of you told me and what I changed. Body: Top complaints: [complaint 1], [complaint 2], [complaint 3]. What I shipped: [change 1], [change 2]. What I didn't do and why: [decision]. Still free for anyone who wants to try it: [link]. Thanks to everyone who replied. Use this in the same subreddit as your first post, about a month later, to turn testers into a story that brings in new users. Hulby, an AI cofounder, runs this kind of outreach every day for founders, finding the threads and drafting the replies.

Mistakes to skip

  • Dropping a link in r/depression or r/Anxiety without reading the rules. You get banned and lose that community for good.
  • Making health claims like 'improves your mental health'. Say what the app does, not what it cures.
  • Posting and leaving. Reply to every comment in the first few hours or the post dies.
  • Hiding that you're the founder. Redditors check post history, and undisclosed promotion kills trust fast.

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Questions

Which subreddits work best for a mood tracker?

Start with r/SideProject and r/alphaandbetausers for launch posts, r/QuantifiedSelf for data posts, and niche communities like r/ADHD or r/PMDD only where the rules allow it.

Do I need karma before posting?

Many subreddits filter new accounts. Spend a week leaving genuinely helpful comments before your first post.

Should I include the link in the post?

Only where the rules allow it. Otherwise offer to DM it. That also tells you exactly who is interested.

How many subreddits should I post in per week?

Two or three. Tailor each post to the community instead of pasting the same text everywhere.