We all know a good instructable when we see one, right? We get hooked by a title, image, or both. We take a second look, skim the first sentence or two, feel ourselves being pulled in, thinking, I could do that! Before we know it, we've read to the very end. This happens when an instructable answers two burning questions:

How? (How can I do what the author did?) and,

Why? (Why did the author do that?)

When we feature your Instructable, it's our way of saying "You are awesome, and we love your Instructable!"

So, you may be wondering, "How do I get my project featured?" That's a great question!

This intro step is a quick overview of the guidelines we use when determining whether to feature a project. There are currently two tiers of featuring we use to promote great content and reward our awesome authors:

Category Feature:
Your Instructable will appear on the category page and in the Featured Feed in the category you published it. For instance, if you published a circuits project, it will be featured on the main Circuits page.

Homepage Feature:
Your Instructable will appear featured on the homepage of the site, the category page that your project was published, and in the homepage Featured Feed

For an Instructable to be category featured, the main criteria we look for are excellent documentation and reproducibility. These break down into the following points:

The title fits and explains the project.
The introduction should state what the project is, and the reason or motivation behind it.
All photos should be original, bright, clear, and in-focus.
Projects should be broken into enough steps to be easy to follow, with sufficient photos and explanatory text to allow the reader to understand the process.
Grammar and spelling should be good enough so as to not be distracting.
Projects should be complete and contain all the information needed so others could reasonably duplicate the project (if the reader were to have the necessary skills and access to similar tools and materials.)
Lists should be included of parts/materials/ingredients/tools used, with links to sources as needed, as well as links to references.
Whenever possible, the inclusion of downloadable files, PDF patterns, and so forth is desirable.
Video content (youtube videos, etc.) must be accompanied by photos and written step-by-step instructions, as outlined in the points above.

To be featured on the Homepage, here are some additional things we look for:

Overall stellar documentation
A beautiful and original cover image
Content that is highly reproducible
The project itself often has a "Wow! Awesome!” factor

Why wasn't my project featured?

Featuring is done at the editorial discretion of the site admin team.

Instructables that meet the criteria as outlined above may be featured, however some things may still stand in your way.

Instructables is not an advertising platform.

Including an excessive amount of affiliate-type links may be viewed as distasteful or "spammy," which may result in a project not being featured.
Instructables that promote specific products or services (for example, "sponsored" projects with discount codes for PCBs, etc.) will likely not be featured.
Withholding key information or linking offsite to payment-required "full" detailed plans will likely result in your project not being featured.

It is strongly discouraged to contact site admins for the purpose of requesting to be featured, or to question why your project was not featured.

The following steps cover these guidelines in more detail with tips and ideas for how you can improve the presentation of your project.

Step 1: Choose a Title That Explains Your Project Well

Your title is your first and biggest opportunity to make an impression and get potential readers to read further. If your title doesn't plainly state what your project is about, potential readers aren't likely to take a second look. Here's why:

If I had named this instructable "An Editor's Secrets Revealed," would you be reading it? That title may fit, but it's vague. It doesn't tell you whether the information in the instructable will be useful to you. A better title, and the one I went with, is: "How to Write a Feature-Worthy Instructable." This title helps you, my potential reader, make a good guess about whether reading on is likely to provide you with the information you want.

One more point to add here: Just because a title is straightforward doesn't mean it has to be boring. It's often wise to include descriptive words that help explain why your project is special or unique, especially if other people have already posted projects on the same topic. Consider "How to Boil an Egg Perfectly Every Time" vs. "How to Boil an Egg." Which one would you click to read?

Step 2: Write an Introduction That Explains the Why

You don't have to be a great writer to write a good intro. But you should be able to communicate something interesting about the story behind your project. What's special and unique about it? Why did you make it? Why are you sharing it?

Maybe you're sharing the formula for perfect boiled eggs because you eat one a day to stave off a rare disease that runs in your family. Or maybe you worked the breakfast shift at a diner for twenty years, tried every egg boiling technique known to short order chefs, and can assure us that this one is the absolute best.

Whatever the reason, your readers will enjoy your project more if you give them some insight into its backstory. So in your introduction, share the "why."

Step 3: Include Photos That Are Original, Bright, Clear, and in Focus

Let's break this down:

1. Original: Include only photos that belong to you. Don't grab, re-use, or steal images that you didn't create yourself.

2. Bright: If readers have to strain their eyes to make out what's in your images they will quickly move on. Make sure your subjects are well lit when you take your photos.

3. Clear: Images in an instructable should work almost like diagrams, helping readers understand how you made your project.

4. In Focus: Keep the main subject of your image in focus at all times so that it's easy to understand at a glance the step or technique the photo is demonstrating.

For more detail, check out this instructable on taking and editing great photos.

Step 4: Break It Down Into Replicable Steps

The best instructables are replicable. Take the time to break your project down into the steps that will help your readers really understand the whole process, using at least one photo or diagram plus explanatory text for each step. What do readers need to know to be able to copy you?

Make sure your project contains all the information a reader would need to duplicate it. (You can assume your reader has the necessary tools, materials, and basic skills.) If the project is very advanced let your readers know that upfront, and when possible, link to resources that cover the more basic skils needed.

Step 5: Aim for Good Grammar and Spelling

You don't have to be able to speak or write perfectly to create a good instructable, but instructables that are full of spelling and grammatical mistakes are less likely to be featured. That's because they can be hard to understand, and readers don't always have the patience to struggle through, even if the project is great. Aim to avoid distracting your readers with grammar and spelling mistakes.

If you're not sure you can nail that, use a spell and grammar checker or ask a friend to proofread.

Step 6: List Materials and Tools

List the parts, materials, ingredients, and tools used, with links to online sources if possible. Your materials and tools list can be part of your introduction or the dedicated Supplies step.

Step 7: Include Patterns and Files

While this isn't necessary to be featured, it's a plus. Readers really appreciate it when you include a PDF pattern or activity rubric, an STL file, or other downloadable resources that will help them make the project themselves.

Sharing patterns and files makes your project highly replicable, and you'll get amazing feedback from people who you've empowered to click the "I made it!" button on your instructable.

Requiring payment for "full" plans that are available offsite is discouraged, and will typically result in not being featured.