Startup Launch Checklist

Polish onboarding for first-time users

Test the path from landing page to first "aha" moment. Aim for under 60 seconds with no friction.

Verify the site and product work on mobile

Most directory traffic is mobile. Check homepage, signup, and product on iOS Safari and Android Chrome.

Install analytics and conversion tracking

Plausible, GA4, or Posthog plus a clear signup event. You will not learn anything from launch traffic without it.

Run a Lighthouse / PageSpeed audit

Aim for 90+ performance and clean Core Web Vitals. Slow homepages convert badly when launch traffic spikes.

Set up uptime monitoring

A free UptimeRobot or BetterStack monitor avoids the worst case: launch day downtime nobody noticed.

Add a support inbox or chat

A simple support@ alias and a one-click contact form on every page. Users will email you on launch day.

Write a one-line tagline (under 60 chars)

Most directories enforce 50 to 80 character tagline limits. Write the short version first.

Write product descriptions in 3 lengths

Short (60 chars), medium (160 chars), long (500 chars). Reuse them across directories, OG tags, and ads.

Define the ideal customer in one sentence

Who exactly is this for, what problem, what alternative are they leaving. Pin it on the homepage hero.

Pick 3 to 5 primary categories / tags

Used everywhere: directories, Product Hunt topics, G2 categories, AlternativeTo tags, SEO content.

List 10 to 20 SEO keywords you want to rank for

Mix of brand, category, and "[competitor] alternative" terms. Drives directory choice and content plan.

Prepare logos in multiple formats

SVG, transparent PNG, square PNG (1024x1024), and a light + dark variant. Most directories want square.

Ship a clean favicon and Apple touch icon

A 32x32 favicon, a 180x180 apple-touch-icon, and a manifest. Looks lazy if missing on launch day.

Take 4 to 6 product screenshots

Show the product, not the dashboard chrome. Use real-looking demo data. 16:9 and square crops.

Design an Open Graph / social card

1200x630 OG image with logo and tagline. Tested in the Twitter/X and LinkedIn preview tools.

Record a 30 to 60 second demo video

Used on the homepage, Product Hunt, and YouTube. Loom export or a clean Screen Studio recording is enough.

Write a 2-paragraph press / launch summary

Reusable as Product Hunt body, BetaList copy, founder LinkedIn post, and outreach to journalists.

Write unique titles and meta descriptions

Every public page needs its own title (under 60 chars) and meta description (under 160 chars).

Generate and submit a sitemap.xml

Submit it to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. Otherwise indexing crawls slowly.

Add a robots.txt with sitemap reference

Allow crawling, link the sitemap, block staging or admin paths.

Add Organization and SoftwareApplication schema

JSON-LD on the homepage. Rich results for brand searches, and required by some AI directories.

Confirm Domain Rating and backlink baseline

Run an Ahrefs / DR check before launch so you can measure the lift directories give you.

Add internal links from blog and footer

Pricing, features, alternatives, and use-case pages should all link to each other.

Build a shortlist of 60 to 140 directories

Mix of authority hubs (G2, Capterra), launchpads (Product Hunt, BetaList), and niche directories.

Add 10 to 20 niche-specific directories

Vertical directories convert better than generic ones. SaaS, AI, no-code, FinTech, etc.

Decide which paid listings are worth it

Some paid directories outperform free ones on traffic. Filter by DR and link type before paying.

Estimate time required for manual submissions

Most founders underestimate. 100 directories typically takes 25 to 40 hours of focused work.

Decide: DIY, automated, or mixed

Take the submission quiz to find the right approach for your time, budget, and stage.

Track submissions in a spreadsheet

Columns: directory, status, submit date, listing URL, login, paid/free, link type. Audit-ready in week 2.

Plan a Product Hunt launch (optional but high-impact)

Pick a Tuesday or Wednesday, line up hunters and supporters, prep all assets at least a week ahead.

Collect a pre-launch waitlist

Even 100 emails is enough to make launch day not feel empty. Capture from the homepage and beta forms.

Build in public on X / LinkedIn for 4+ weeks

Daily or every-other-day posts about the build. Drives organic followers who actually show up to launch.

Identify 5 to 10 relevant communities

Subreddits, Indie Hackers, Slack groups, Discord servers. Read the rules and contribute before launching.

Pitch 3 to 5 newsletters in your niche

Smaller newsletters convert better than huge ones. Personal outreach 2 weeks before launch.

Line up 5 to 10 supporters for launch day

Beta users, friends, fellow founders. Ask in advance for upvotes, comments, and shares.

Post the launch on X, LinkedIn, and email

Same morning. Include the link, screenshot, and one clear ask (sign up, upvote, or share).

Submit to Product Hunt at 12:01 AM PT

If you decided to launch on PH, schedule it the night before and engage with every comment.

Post in the communities you prepared

Tailor the message per community. Show up, answer questions, do not paste-and-run.

Block 4 to 6 hours to respond to comments

Reply to every PH comment, every X reply, every email. Engagement compounds throughout the day.

Monitor signups, errors, and uptime

Have logs and analytics open in tabs. Catch broken signup flows before users complain.

Thank early supporters publicly

A short shout-out post, individual replies, or DMs. Builds momentum and reciprocity for next launches.

Write a launch recap with metrics

Signups, traffic, top sources, conversion rate. Public recap posts get more reach than launch posts.

Collect feedback from first 50 users

5-question survey or 15-minute calls. Find the wedge to double down on.

Finish the long tail of directory submissions

The top 10 are launch day. The other 100 happen across weeks 1 to 4 for ongoing SEO and discovery.

Ship the first 3 SEO blog posts

Target your priority keywords. Pillar post + 2 supporting posts gives Google something to rank.

Ship one product improvement per week

Visible progress retains the audience you just built. Even small UI fixes count.

Review what worked and plan launch 2

Most products need 3 to 5 launches over 12 months. Schedule the next one before momentum fades.