How to launch your startup on 250+ directories — the free playbook
Everyone tells you to 'launch everywhere.' Almost nobody tells you which ones matter, in what order, or how to not waste a weekend.
1.The reality of directory launches
The honest math on 250+ directories: maybe 50 are real, maybe 15 are dofollow, and maybe 8 will ever send you a visitor. The value isn't volume — it's the dofollow links that compound into real domain authority over 90 days.
The playbook that works: one solid pitch (name + tagline + one-line hook), a consistent logo, and a submission log. Work the highest-DR spots first — the ones Google weights — and verify every accepted link is actually dofollow.
Key takeaway — 250 submissions is theater. 30 real, verified-dofollow submissions is a strategy.
2.The submission order that works
Week one: the instant-approval, high-DR spots. OnlyFoundrs (free, instant, dofollow), Dev.to, Peerlist, Stackshare, AlternativeTo. These are live same-day and start the backlink clock.
Week two: the curated directories. BetaList, Startup Stash, SaaSHub — they take review time, so submit early. Week three: the communities — r/SideProject, r/InternetIsBeautiful, r/AlphaandBetaUsers — post each as a real post, not an ad.
The whole sequencing is already built into the launch checklist at /launch — 65 vetted spots sorted by tier, DR, and link type, with the instant-approval ones first. Work top to bottom.
Key takeaway — Instant first for momentum, curated second for quality, communities last for real users.
3.Skip the manual work entirely
The checklist exists so you never touch a spreadsheet. Every spot shows its DR, link type, review time, and whether it needs a badge — you mark done as you go and the progress persists.
And if you'd rather not do it at all, the done-for-you service at /launch submits for you — an agent works through the checklist and emails you the live links. $99 gets you 30 submissions; the checklist itself stays free.
Key takeaway — Free checklist if you DIY, agent-done-for-you if you don't. Either way you skip the spreadsheet.
Start the checklist
65 vetted directories with real DR and dofollow data — free at /launch. First submission is OnlyFoundrs itself: instant, permanent, dofollow.
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