The Directory Submission Checklist

Product name (exact, consistent capitalization)

Decide once whether you write "MyApp", "MyApp.io", or "MyApp - Tagline", then use that on every directory.

Tagline / one-liner (50–80 chars)

Used by Product Hunt, BetaList, and most modern directories. Lead with the outcome, not the features.

Short description (150–200 chars)

Used in directory cards and search snippets. Include your primary keyword once, naturally.

Long description (500–1000 chars)

Used on the directory profile page. Explain who it's for, what it does, and why it's different.

Extended description (1500–2500 chars)

Some directories (G2, Capterra) ask for a longer pitch. Cover use cases, pricing, and key features.

Square logo (512×512 PNG with transparent background)

Most directories accept this. Some need 256×256, 1024×1024, or favicon-only, so keep variants ready.

Wide logo / banner (1280×640 or 1200×630)

Used as the social share image and on directory hero sections.

At least 3 product screenshots (1920×1080 PNG)

Crop to remove browser chrome. Annotate the most important UI element on each one.

15–30 second product demo video (optional)

Boosts conversion on Product Hunt, AlternativeTo, and G2. MP4 ≤ 50MB or YouTube/Vimeo URL.

Founder / team photo (optional)

Required by some launch platforms (BetaList, Indie Hackers). Square 400×400.

Primary category

E.g. "Productivity", "AI", "Marketing". Pick the single category your buyers search.

3–5 secondary categories / tags

Improves discoverability inside the directory. Don't exceed limits because over-tagging looks spammy.

Pricing model

Free, Freemium, Paid, Subscription, One-time, Open Source. Be consistent across directories.

Pricing tiers (if asked)

List starting price, top tier, and free trial duration. Match what's on your pricing page exactly.

Target audience

B2B / B2C / SMB / Enterprise / Indie / Agency. Helps directories surface you to the right users.

Canonical product URL

Always submit the bare canonical (e.g. https://myapp.com), not a UTM-tagged URL.

UTM-tagged variants (for your own analytics)

Build per-directory UTM URLs and store them in a spreadsheet. Use them only inside your own tracking, not as the submission URL.

Pricing page URL

Some directories link this separately from the homepage.

Demo / sandbox URL (if applicable)

Increases approval odds for review sites like G2 and Capterra.

Affiliate / referral program URL (optional)

Some directories prefer products with affiliate links because they monetize via your program.

Business email on your domain

gmail.com / outlook.com submissions get rejected on stricter directories. Use founder@myapp.com.

Contact name + role

Use a real human name and title (e.g. "Founder", "CEO"). Helps approval on curated directories.

Phone number (optional, but speeds B2B directory approval)

G2, Capterra, GetApp ask for this. International format: +country-area-number.

Country & timezone

Used by directories to filter regional results.

Founded date / launch date

Used by BetaList, Product Hunt, Launching Next, and most launch platforms.

Twitter / X handle

Required by Product Hunt, BetaList, and many launch platforms.

LinkedIn company page

Required by G2, Capterra, GetApp, and most B2B review sites.

GitHub URL (for dev tools / open source)

Boosts trust on AlternativeTo, Toolify, and dev-focused directories.

Customer count or notable users

E.g. "2,000+ teams", "Used by Stripe, Linear, Notion". Powerful on review sites.

3–5 testimonials with name + company

Required for full G2 / Capterra profiles. Get permission first.

Confirm DoFollow vs NoFollow before you submit

Use our Link Type filter to prioritize DoFollow directories because they pass the most SEO authority.

Sort directories by Domain Rating descending

Submit to top-DR directories first. The first 20 submissions give you most of the SEO benefit.

Avoid spammy, auto-approval link farms

A single bad neighborhood backlink can cancel out 20 good ones. Stick to vetted lists like ours.

Vary your anchor text naturally

Mix brand name, URL, and 1–2 keyword variations. Don't use the same exact-match anchor everywhere.

Set up Google Search Console + Ahrefs / Semrush

So you can actually measure DR change, indexed backlinks, and referral traffic.

Submission tracker spreadsheet

Columns: directory, URL, submission date, status, approval URL, DR, link type, notes.

Password manager entry per directory

Use a unique password each time. Store in 1Password / Bitwarden under a "Directories" vault.

Email folder / filter for approval emails

Auto-route "approved", "submission received", "review pending" into a single folder.

Calendar reminder to follow up

2 weeks for re-submissions, 8 weeks for indexing checks. Most directories take 2–8 weeks to index.

Quarterly audit

Check that listings are still live, info is current, and broken links get fixed.