Your launch, step by step: a playbook from What Is Launching
A launch goes better with a plan. These are the steps What Is Launching suggests, grouped by when to do them.
Before you launch
Make the listing complete
People decide quickly. Make sure the tagline and description are clear and current, the FAQs are answered and your founder profile is complete.
Ready your logo and images
Take fresh screenshots of the main screens and check your logo looks right at small sizes. A short demo video is worth adding if you have it.
Pick your launch week
Plan your launch for a week with room in it. You will want time to answer questions and thank people.
Warm up your contacts
A little notice helps. Tell the people who already use or follow your product, and prepare your posts ahead of time.
The first day
Use communities you belong to
Share in groups where your product is on topic and promotion is allowed by the rules. A Show HN post should link to something people can try.
Share your launch link
Use your own accounts: a post on X, LinkedIn and Bluesky with the link, pinned to the top of your profile, and the link in your bio.
Announce it by email
Write a brief launch email with the link and one line on what is new. Add a launch banner or link to your welcome email too.
Reply to every comment
Replies show there is a real person behind the product. Answer comments and questions quickly and kindly.
Share the launch and let people judge it. Votes cannot be bought, one person has one vote, and extra accounts or vote exchanges are not allowed.
In the days after going live
Act on feedback
Questions from launch day show what the page is missing. Add those answers and update anything out of date.
Use the badge
Place the badge somewhere visible, such as your footer. It links straight to your listing page.
Plan your next listings
Add your product to other launch directories that fit it. Write each listing properly instead of pasting the same text.
Post a follow-up
One post is easy to miss. Share again on LinkedIn mid-week with an update instead of repeating the first post.
After launch week
See what worked
Check your own analytics for each place you shared, and note what worked for next time. Tag your links before you post them.
Keep it accurate
Your listing stays up after the week. Keep the pricing, screenshots and description current so it stays accurate.
Launch again after a big update
Launch again later with a meaningful update, and explain what changed since last time.
Where else to launch
Best Launch Directories keeps a comparison of launch directories: what each costs, its Domain Rating and its link type. Start your shortlist there.
Extras for your launch
The playbook works on its own. These optional extras from What Is Launching add to it, at the prices listed.
- Featured launch $19
Your listing in the Featured spot on the homepage for 7 days from your launch week, labelled Featured. It never adds a vote.
- Multi-site bundle $99
Write your listing once. We launch it for you on the other 49 launch and discovery sites, reworded for each one, and any edit you make afterwards reaches every one of them automatically.
- Done-for-you listing $149.99
We place your listing on 49 other launch and discovery sites, each with a description of its own, and email you the links once they are live.
- Top page sponsor $49
7 days in the homepage's Sponsored slot with your name, logo, tagline and a link to your site.
- Category sponsor $19
The top of your listing's category page for 7 days, with a Sponsored label.
- Newsletter sponsor $29
Your company in the Sponsored place of one issue of the weekly newsletter.
- Billboard from $5
Money contributed decides the order, highest total on top. The Billboard says so, and it has nothing to do with votes.
- Product review $19
A commissioned, structured review of your product from your own public pages and listing. It is labelled as paid for by the maker and is never a rating or a vote.
- Editorial founder feature $29
One of our editors edits an article about you, the founder, written from your story and listing facts. Nothing made up.
Prices are in US dollars; VAT is added where it is due.
Questions
- Should I share on launch day or later?
- Post the moment you go live, reply to people that day, and follow up mid-week with new detail rather than a repeat.
- Should I submit to other directories too?
- Usually a handful that suit your product. Check each directory's terms, pricing and link type, and write each listing properly.
- What do I do once my launch is over?
- Learn from your analytics, keep pricing and screenshots current, and come back with a relaunch after a major update.
- Should I ask people for votes?
- You can ask real users to take a look. Each person votes once, votes can never be bought, and extra or shared accounts are against the rules.
Come back to this list whenever you launch. For anything specific, ask in the What Is Launching help centre. Open the help centre