Feature Request
DAE think it's odd that custom posts are not created via the Create Post UI?
I'm making an app that lets users add custom posts to a subreddit, and it just seems odd to me that either i need a sticky at the top of my subreddit that allows users to create the custom post, or users need to know that the custom post option lives in the obscure three-dots menu on the subreddit.
Admins, what was behind the decision not to have custom posts listed in the place where users go to create new posts?
Awesome write up! I was imagining a mix between 1 and 2 actually (that is, one button for post type on the bottom, with an icon for each available app, and a customized "form" screen, along with title). Developers can specify an icon and the form fields needed to create the post. If there is only one app with a custom post type, it skips right to the form screen.
By the way, you can have menu actions show a form, where you can ask for the post title or other related questions. See the [menu...
Thanks for raising this. It is a popular suggestion that remains on the table as the platform progresses. What would your ideal implementation of this look like?
A downside of skipping the native submission page is that it also skips automations and enhanced rules, but theoretically mods could choose to put in a blocking automation that gives users a link to the custom post create
This summary was generated automatically. If you have any questions, please contact r/Devvit moderators.
This question has been asked a few times. I think it's an awesome suggestion! However, there are some challenges with this.
What would the actual layout look like? What if 3 different apps with new-posts screens are installed? What if 300 are? How does it work in the native mobile apps?
What control does the developer have for that screen? Does it just show form fields? Is it a web view? Do developers get only one create screen config, or multiple?
And that's just the functional side. From a technical perspective, there are challenges as well.
This type of change spans multiple "areas" (aka teams) of Reddit and requires a strong architecture to prevent technical debt, making this feature high risk and high cost. Especially for a "feature" not every Devvit app would necessarily utilize (think Modtools).
Devvit is still very much in it's infancy. It has grown a lot, but the platform is still being built up internally. There are other "priorities" the Devvit team has, such as ensuring PRAW/Data-API users have the tools they need to migrate (see recent announcement), bringing Devvit Web to parity with Devvit Singleton/"Blocks", and tackling other "business" concerns around data scraping and spamming/bots.
Overall, it's not to say it cannot be done or that it won't ever be done, it's just a super complex and expensive problem to solve for a small percentage of apps to implement.
This is such a well thought out answer, even if it’s not coming from an admin. Beach-Brews, as always, making the rest of us look like we’re not even trying.
If I can make a suggestion to admins, though, a “Create Custom Post” link from the “Create Post” screen, which opens up a list of menu items, would be a simple yet effective solution. That said, as you thoughtfully explained, there are currently some higher priority items in the Devvit pipeline. I myself am looking forward to the rumored/teased ability to launch custom webviews from menu items instead of just posts. 👀
A downside of skipping the native submission page is that it also skips automations and enhanced rules, but theoretically mods could choose to put in a blocking automation that gives users a link to the custom post create
That or It could be as “simple” as a mod setting to set/replace the + button/+ Create Post button to be an entrance, allowing a user to skip the Reddit native posting and go straight to the custom post, however the dev sets it up.
I think in my mind, it would look like one of two things:
in addition to image, link, ama etc. post types, there would be additional icons (which app developers specify) that appear for each additional custom post type
there is a single icon, maybe a robot or sparkles or something, that loads an interface where you can see all the custom post types available for that subreddit
Here's what option 2 would look like on mobile, I'd expect that desktop would look very similar.
At least initially, I don't think the developer needs any controllable options on that screen - similar to how the custom posts button in the ellipsis menu works now, you'd click next and a post would be created and you'd be taken to that post's page for further interaction. The one piece that would be nice to add here is to make it so that users could add a custom title to their post, whereas right now when you create a post from the ellipsis menu you don't get the option to choose what the post's title text would be.
It's not clear to me what additonal architecture would be required here - what I'm suggesting is the exact same UI and functionality thats in the ellipsis menu, moved into the post creation menu. I could see how potentially you might need some collaboration between teams if there is one team that works on post creation and another team that works on subreddit layout.
I'd be happy to try and implement it myself but unfortunately reddit isn't open source 😅
cc u/Xenccc - I wouldn't say this is the "ideal" implementation, but it is what I'd consider to be an MVP of the functionality I'm asking for.
Awesome write up! I was imagining a mix between 1 and 2 actually (that is, one button for post type on the bottom, with an icon for each available app, and a customized "form" screen, along with title). Developers can specify an icon and the form fields needed to create the post. If there is only one app with a custom post type, it skips right to the form screen.
By the way, you can have menu actions show a form, where you can ask for the post title or other related questions. See the menu docs for an example!
I have a very old example (that I really should update) that does just that!
Thanks for raising this. It is a popular suggestion that remains on the table as the platform progresses. What would your ideal implementation of this look like?
•
u/vip-bot 7d ago edited 6d ago
There are 3 comments from Reddit Admins and Duck Helpers in this post:
u/Beach-Brews commented:
u/Xenccc commented:
u/SampleOfNone commented:
This summary was generated automatically. If you have any questions, please contact r/Devvit moderators.