firstthousandusers
  1. Idea and validation
  2. Waitlist
  3. Private beta
  4. Launch
  5. First 100 users
  6. First 1,000 users
Directories

List on pre-launch directories

Submit your waitlist page to directories that feature upcoming products, to collect early signups and your first links.

What's requiredOne to three hours for a first batch, then a few minutes a week to follow up.
Accounts
An email address for submissions, a SubmitMap account if you want to automate.
Assets
Waitlist page, logo, a 60-character tagline, a 160-character and a longer description, 1–3 screenshots or mockups.
Time
One to three hours for a first batch, then a few minutes a week to follow up.
Cost
Free for most listings. Some directories charge to skip the queue.
Prerequisites
A live waitlist page that works on mobile and collects emails.

What to do

  1. Make sure your waitlist page is ready to be judged. Reviewers and visitors decide in seconds. It needs a clear headline, a visual, a working email form, and a way to contact you. See the waitlist page guide first if it is not there yet.
  2. Write your listing copy once and reuse it. Put it in one doc: product name, URL, category, a tagline under 60 characters, a short description of about 160 characters, a longer description of 2–3 paragraphs, founder name, and links to your X or LinkedIn. Most forms ask for the same things in different order.
  3. Prepare images in common sizes. A square logo (at least 256 by 256), a 1270 by 760 or 1200 by 630 screenshot or mockup, and a founder photo. Having them ready saves most of the time spent on each form.
  4. Find directories that accept products before launch. Many startup directories only list live products, so check each one’s rules. Search "submit your startup" pre-launch, "coming soon" startup directory and "upcoming startups". BetaList is the best-known one that accepts pre-launch startups. Also look for niche directories for your category, such as lists of AI tools, no-code tools or developer tools, which often take upcoming products too.
  5. Submit to slow-review directories first. Some take weeks to review or have a free queue that moves slowly. Submit those on day one. Fast or instant ones can wait until later so listings go live around the same time.
  6. Tag your link for each directory. Use ?ref=betalist and similar on your URL so your analytics show which listings bring signups. Most bring few, and one or two bring most of them.
  7. Track every submission in a sheet. Columns: directory, date submitted, status, listing URL, whether the link is dofollow, and signups from it. Follow up after two to three weeks on any that have not responded.
  8. Engage when a listing goes live. Reply to comments, share the listing on your socials, and thank the site if it features you. Listings that get early activity sometimes get more prominent placement.

Automate submissions with SubmitMap

Filling 20–50 forms by hand takes most of a day. SubmitMap tracks 826 launch platforms and directories with their real eligibility rules, and lets the AI agent you already use do the submitting.

  • Connect your agent. Create a SubmitMap account, create a token, and add the SubmitMap MCP server to Claude, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or VS Code. There is no separate bot; the agent runs on your existing subscription.
  • Describe your product once. Name, URL, category and descriptions are stored and reused for every form.
  • Check eligibility. The agent checks all 826 platforms and tells you what disqualifies you. At the waitlist stage, many directories require a live product, so this filters the list down to the ones that accept coming-soon pages.
  • Plan the order. The agent puts slow-review platforms first, so your listings go live closer together.
  • Let it fill the forms. It fills each form in your own browser while you are signed in, and pauses for you on CAPTCHAs and logins.
  • Track results. Each submission goes on a dashboard with platform, date, what you wrote, listing status, and whether the link is dofollow.

Browsing and eligibility checks are free and unlimited. The free plan covers 1 product and 10 tracked submissions. Paid plans: Indie $9/mo (100 submissions a month), Studio $15/mo (3 products, unlimited), Unlimited $29/mo or $190/yr, or Lifetime $250. The manual steps above still work; SubmitMap is a shortcut, not a requirement.

Why it works

Pre-launch directories are browsed by early adopters, other founders and journalists who look for new things on purpose. Each listing is also a public page linking to your site, which helps search engines find your domain early. The work is done once and keeps sending a trickle of visitors for months.

How it gets users

Modestly. A typical pre-launch listing brings a handful to a few dozen signups; a featured spot on a popular one can bring more. Across 10–30 directories, expect tens of signups in total, with most coming from one or two sites. The links help your domain get indexed and build a small base for later SEO. Treat this as a one-time setup task, not a main channel.

Common mistakes

  • Submitting before the waitlist page is clear and working.
  • Rewriting the description from scratch for every form.
  • Submitting to directories that only accept live products and waiting for listings that never come.
  • Not tracking submissions, then forgetting where you listed.
  • Paying for many “skip the queue” upgrades before knowing which directories bring signups.

Next steps

This guide is connected to these guides on the map. Numbered ones come next.

01 Idea02 Waitlist03 Beta04 Launch05 First 10006 First 1kSet up a waitlist landing page1List on beta-testing platforms2Submit to startup directories3This guide02 Waitlist03 Beta04 LaunchSet up a waitlist landing page1List on beta-testing platforms2Submit to startup directories3This guide
  1. 102 Waitlist · Content and SEOSet up a waitlist landing pageOne page that states the problem and who it is for, and collects an email address, so you have people to contact when there is something to try.
  2. 203 Private beta · DirectoriesList on beta-testing platformsSubmit to sites that connect products looking for early testers with people who want to try new things.
  3. 304 Launch · DirectoriesSubmit to startup directoriesList your product on relevant startup and software directories for a steady trickle of visitors and links back to your site.