199 Startup Directories to Submit Your Product in 2026 (With DR Scores)

Why directory submissions matter in 2026#

Every directory listing is a backlink. Backlinks compound into higher domain authority. Higher domain authority means better Google rankings for everything you publish, every landing page you create, and every keyword you target.

This is not theory. We see it every week at RankInPublic, where founders who invest time in directory submissions consistently outrank competitors who skip this step. One founder saw their domain rating jump to 26 within days of listing on multiple directories, with organic signups following immediately after.

We maintain this list because we run a launch platform and a directory submission service. We submit products to 140+ directories every week, so we know which ones are active, which ones approve listings, and which ones actually pass link equity.

How to use this list#

Not all directories are equal. The domain rating (DR) of each directory determines how much SEO value its backlink passes to your site. Here is how to prioritize:

Short on time? Our directory submission service handles 140+ directory submissions for you. One form, and we do the rest.

Tier 1: High-authority directories (DR 50+)#

These are the most valuable directories on this list. Every backlink from a DR 50+ site carries significant weight. Prioritize these first.

That is 32 directories with DR 50 or above. Each one of these backlinks carries real SEO weight.

Tier 2: Strong directories (DR 30-49)#

These directories have established authority and active communities. They form the backbone of your backlink profile by giving you volume and domain diversity.

That is 78 directories in the DR 30-49 range. Combined with Tier 1, you now have 110 high-value submission targets.

For a deeper look at other launch platforms, check our guides on Product Hunt alternatives and where to launch your product in 2026.

Tier 3: Emerging directories (DR 10-29)#

These directories are building authority and growing their user bases. Submitting now means you get a backlink that appreciates in value as the directory grows. Many of these also send meaningful referral traffic.

That is 58 emerging directories. The early mover advantage here is real. These sites are growing, and your backlink grows with them.

Tier 4: New directories (DR under 10)#

These are the newest directories in the ecosystem. Their DR is low today, but many are actively building their authority. Submitting to these adds referring domain diversity to your backlink profile, which is a ranking factor in its own right.

That is 31 new directories. Even at low DR, each one adds a unique referring domain to your backlink profile.

Running total: 199 directories across all four tiers.

What to prepare before submitting#

Before you start submitting, prepare these assets once and reuse them across every directory:

• Startup name and URL. Obvious, but make sure your landing page is ready before you start listing.
• Short description (100-200 words). One clear paragraph that explains what your product does, who it is for, and why it matters. This is the single most reused field across directories.
• Logo (square, at least 512x512 pixels). PNG format with a transparent background works best. Some directories require 1024x1024.
• Screenshots (16:9 aspect ratio). At least two screenshots showing your product in action. Clean, annotated screenshots convert better than raw UI dumps.
• Pricing information. Free, freemium, free trial, or paid. If paid, include the starting price. Directories that display pricing get more clicks from qualified visitors.
• Founder name and social links. Most directories want a founder profile. Have your X handle, LinkedIn URL, and a short bio ready.
• UTM-tagged URLs for tracking. Use a consistent format for every directory submission so you can measure which ones send traffic.

UTM template#

https://yoursite.com?utm_source=[directory-name]&utm_medium=directory&utm_campaign=listing

Replace [directory-name] with the slug of each directory (for example, crunchbase, saashub, stackshare). This lets you track referral traffic from every submission in your analytics.

The compounding effect of directory submissions#

Here is how it works:

1. You submit to directories. Each approved listing gives you a backlink from a unique referring domain.
2. Your referring domain count increases. Google uses the number and quality of referring domains as a primary ranking signal.
3. Your domain rating rises. As you accumulate backlinks, your overall domain authority increases. Tools like Ahrefs, Moz, and Semrush measure this as DR, DA, or Authority Score.
4. Everything you publish ranks better. Higher domain authority means every page on your site benefits. Blog posts, landing pages, and product pages all rank higher in search results.
5. The cycle repeats. Better rankings bring more organic traffic, which brings more natural backlinks, which further increases your authority.

This is why founders who invest in directory submissions early consistently outperform those who skip this step. The earlier you start, the longer your backlinks have to compound.

Track your progress. Use our free domain rating checker to monitor your DR as you submit to directories.

Don't want to do this manually? Our directory submission service handles 140+ directory submissions for you. One form, we do the rest. You get a detailed backlink report with every submission tracked.

FAQs#

How many directories should I submit to?#

As many relevant ones as you can. Each directory adds a unique referring domain to your backlink profile. We recommend starting with the Tier 1 (DR 50+) directories and working your way down. If you can only do 20, focus on the highest-DR directories. If you can do all 199, do all 199. More referring domains means faster domain authority growth.

Are free directory submissions worth it?#

Yes. The majority of directories on this list accept free submissions. A backlink from a DR 70 directory is valuable regardless of whether you paid for the listing. Paid listings sometimes get faster approval or better placement, but the SEO value of the backlink itself is the same.

Do directory backlinks help SEO?#

Absolutely. Directory backlinks increase your referring domain count, which is one of the strongest ranking signals Google uses. Each directory listing is a backlink from a unique domain. The higher the directory's DR, the more authority that backlink passes to your site. This is why we sort the list by DR: so you can prioritize the directories that will have the biggest impact on your rankings.

How long does it take to see results from directory submissions?#

Most founders see measurable DR movement within 2-4 weeks of submitting to 20-30 directories. Organic traffic improvements typically follow 4-8 weeks after that, as Google recrawls and reindexes your backlink profile. The key is consistency. Submit to a batch of directories, wait for approval, then submit to more. The compounding effect accelerates over time.

Should I submit to directories with low DR?#

Yes, for two reasons. First, referring domain diversity matters. Google wants to see backlinks from many different domains, not just a few high-authority ones. Second, directories grow. A directory with DR 10 today could be DR 40 in a year, and your backlink grows with it. The cost of submitting is a few minutes of your time, and the upside is real.

What is domain rating (DR)?#

Domain rating is a metric developed by Ahrefs that measures the strength of a website's backlink profile on a scale from 0 to 100. Higher DR means the site has more and better backlinks pointing to it. When a high-DR site links to you, some of that authority transfers to your site. This is why backlinks from DR 90 directories like CrunchBase are so valuable. For a deeper explanation, see our guide on domain rating vs domain authority.