Launched Here launch playbook: before, during and after
Read it once before you launch and come back on the day. Launched Here keeps the list short and practical.
Getting ready
Fill in the details
Complete the listing and the founder profile now, while there is time. Clear words and a named founder do more than a long list of features.
Make it easy to see
Use a sharp logo and a few screenshots of the real product. A short demo video helps people understand it in seconds.
Plan around your diary
Look for a quiet week in your own schedule. Being there to answer questions is part of the launch.
Line up your announcement
Let your team, users and supporters know the date. Have your posts drafted so you only need to add the link.
The day you go live
Share the page
Post your listing link on X, LinkedIn and Bluesky, pin the post to your profile and put the link in your bio for the week.
Let your subscribers know
Send a short email to your users and subscribers with the listing link, and add the launch to your welcome email for new sign-ups.
Join the conversation
Check your listing and your posts through the day and reply to everyone, including the critical comments.
Find the right forums
Communities welcome makers who take part, not drive-by links. Follow each group's rules, and keep Show HN for a product people can use now.
A word on votes: one person, one vote. Votes can never be bought, and asking friends to vote from extra accounts or swapping votes is not allowed.
Launch week
Embed the badge
Add the launch badge to your website footer or launch post. It links to your listing, so visitors can see the launch for themselves.
Update the page
Turn feedback into small edits: a clearer tagline, a new FAQ, a better screenshot. Each one helps the next visitor.
Follow up your first post
Post on LinkedIn again after the first day with new detail. A behind-the-scenes note works better than a reminder.
Use more launch directories
Choose a handful of directories that suit your product, rather than all of them. The list below is a good place to start.
Later on
Look after your listing
Keep the listing accurate over time. Fresh screenshots and current pricing help anyone who finds it later.
Review the results
Read your analytics a week later. Tagged links show which places were worth the effort for your next launch.
Plan your next launch
Relaunch after a major release or a milestone. Lead with what is new since the first launch.
More directories for your launch
To choose where else to list, Best Launch Directories sets out launch and startup directories side by side: Domain Rating, price and link type for each.
Extras that can help
Want us to do more? Here is what Launched Here offers, with each price. None of it is required.
- Featured launch $19
Featured on the homepage for 7 days from your launch week, marked Featured, and never counted as a vote.
- Multi-site bundle $99
One listing, written once by you: we put it live on 49 other launch and discovery sites in different words for each, and every edit you make later updates all of them automatically.
- Done-for-you listing $149.99
We list you on 49 other launch and discovery sites for you, write a different description for each one, and email you every link once they are live.
- Landing page niche $49
Your company in the homepage's Sponsored slot for 7 days, with logo, tagline and a link to your site.
- Category niche $19
7 days at the top of your category page, marked Sponsored.
- Newsletter niche $29
One weekly newsletter issue with your company in its Sponsored place.
- Billboard from $5
The more a company has contributed, the higher it sits; the top place goes to the highest total. It is paid placement, never a vote.
- Product review $19
A structured product review, made from your website pages and your listing, shown on your listing with a label saying the maker commissioned it. It counts as no vote or rating.
- Editorial founder feature $29
An article about the founder from the facts you gave, edited by one of our editors. Nothing in it is made up.
Prices are in US dollars; VAT is added where it is due.
Questions
- Is it worth using several launch directories?
- Pick directories that match what you have built, compare their price and link type, and give each listing its own description.
- When should I share my launch?
- Launch day first, while you can answer questions, and again during the week with feedback or a change you made.
- Can I encourage people to vote?
- Invite people to look and vote if they like it. Votes can never be bought, and using extra accounts or vote-trading groups is not allowed.
- How do I follow up after launching?
- Measure where sign-ups came from, keep the page current, and plan a relaunch around your next big update.
Keep this page handy for launch day. The Launched Here help centre has the details on each step. Open the help centre