Question 1

How does the invitation system work for new users?

Accepted Answer

Lobsters operates on an invite-only basis to maintain a high signal-to-noise ratio and foster a focused technical community. Existing, trusted members are periodically granted invitation codes which they can distribute to individuals they believe will contribute positively. There is no public registration page, and direct requests for invites are generally discouraged.

Question 2

What are the guidelines for submitting links, and what content is considered off-topic?

Accepted Answer

Submissions should be high-quality, technical articles, blog posts, or projects relevant to programming, systems, and related fields. Content that is purely news, marketing, or non-technical opinion pieces is typically considered off-topic. Self-promotion is generally discouraged unless it's a significant technical contribution and clearly disclosed. Moderators actively enforce these guidelines to keep discussions focused.

Question 3

Can I follow specific tags or users to customize my feed?

Accepted Answer

While there isn't a direct 'follow user' feature, you can subscribe to RSS feeds for specific tags to get updates on new submissions in your areas of interest. You can also view individual user profiles to see their past submissions and comments, but there's no personalized 'my feed' based on explicit follows within the web interface itself.

Question 4

How does the moderation process handle controversial or low-quality submissions?

Accepted Answer

The community's upvote/downvote system is the primary filter for content quality. Additionally, human moderators actively review submissions and comments, especially from newer users or those flagged by the community. They enforce the site's guidelines, remove off-topic content, and address disruptive behavior to maintain a focused and respectful environment.

Question 5

Is there an API available for programmatic access to Lobsters data?

Accepted Answer

Lobsters does not currently offer a public, officially supported API for programmatic access to its data. The primary interaction method is through the web interface and its RSS feeds. Any scraping or automated access beyond standard RSS consumption is generally discouraged and may be blocked to protect server resources and data integrity.

Lobsters Website Full Guide (2026)

Introduction

Key Features

Use Cases

Discovering Niche Technical Article

How to Use Lobsters

Browse the Front Page or Specific Tag

Lobsters Alternatives

Indie Hackers

Hashnode

Kbin

Lemmy

About Lobsters

Official Website

Video Mentions

Lobsters Status