Product Hunt
Product Hunt is free to list on, gives a nofollow link, and is best used for launch & referral traffic — with a very high domain rating of 91.
Overview
Product Hunt is a launch-day discovery platform — not a permanent SEO directory. The value is a traffic spike, social proof, and founder network effects on launch day. Nofollow links, but the brand lift can be significant.
- Launch-day traffic spike
- Social proof badges
- Early adopter feedback
Product Hunt is a good fit for AI tools, SaaS products, indie projects, developer tools, design tools. Audience: Early adopters, buyers, and makers on launch day.
Nofollow links — treat as launch campaign, not backlink SEO
How to submit
- 1 Create a maker account
Sign up at producthunt.com with a real founder profile. Complete your bio and link your X/Twitter — active makers get more trust during launch week.
- 2 Prepare launch assets before you schedule
Have ready: product name, one-line tagline (≤60 chars), 2–3 sentence description, logo (240×240), gallery images or GIF, website URL, and a maker comment draft explaining why you built it.
- 3 Schedule your launch (don't post raw links early)
Use the “Submit” flow to schedule for 12:01 AM PT on your chosen Tuesday–Thursday. Avoid weekends. You can save a draft and refine copy before go-live.
- 4 Pick the right categories & topics
Choose 3–5 relevant topics (e.g. SaaS, AI, Productivity). Accurate tagging helps you reach buyers, not just upvote hunters.
- 5 Launch day: engage for 24 hours
Reply to every comment within minutes. Share your PH link on X, email list, and Slack communities. Momentum in the first 6 hours heavily influences ranking — this is a campaign, not a form submit.
Best practices
- Warm up your maker account by commenting on other launches 1–2 weeks before.
- Never ask directly for upvotes (PH rules) — ask for feedback instead.
- Have a dedicated landing page with UTM tracking to measure launch traffic.
Links are nofollow. Treat PH as referral traffic + credibility (badges, “#1 Product of the Day”), not a backlink play. The listing page itself can rank for your brand name over time.
Similar directories
All Product Hunt alternatives →| # | Directory | DR | Link | Price | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | BetaListBest for launch & referral traffic · betalist.com | 76 | Dofollow | Paid | RECOMMENDED |
| 31 | Startup StashBest for launch & referral traffic · startupstash.com | 66 | Dofollow | Free | TOP PICK |
| 39 | ScrollLaunchBest for launch & referral traffic · scrolllaunch.com | 69 | Dofollow | Freemium | WORTH IT |
| 42 | UneedBest for launch & referral traffic · uneed.best | 75 | Dofollow | Free | WORTH IT |
| 51 | TinyLaunchBest for launch & referral traffic · tinylaunch.com | 73 | Dofollow | Free | WORTH IT |
| 61 | Technology AdviceBest for launch & referral traffic · technologyadvice.com | 78 | Dofollow | Paid | RECOMMENDED |
Frequently asked questions
Is Product Hunt worth submitting to?
Product Hunt is a launch-day discovery platform — the spike in referral traffic, social proof badges, and buyer comments on launch day are the product; it is not a permanent SEO directory.
Does Product Hunt give a dofollow or nofollow link?
Product Hunt provides a nofollow link. It won't pass direct link equity, but it still drives referral traffic and helps brand discovery.
Is Product Hunt free?
Yes — Product Hunt offers a free way to get listed. Free listings are often reviewed manually, so approval can take from a few days to a few weeks.
What is Product Hunt's domain rating (DR)?
Product Hunt (producthunt.com) currently has a domain rating of 91 on Ahrefs' 0–100 scale — a very high score. Higher DR generally means a stronger backlink profile, which is one signal of how much weight a link from the site may carry.
What should I watch out for with Product Hunt?
Nofollow links — treat as launch campaign, not backlink SEO