Product Hunt is a community where makers share what they've built and people come to discover what's new. Every day, new products launch, and the community upvotes, comments, and talks with the people who made them. This article covers the basics you should know before you plan your own launch.
Who Product Hunt is for
The community is made up of early adopters, makers, product people, founders, investors, and people who just love trying new things.
A maker is anyone who builds with technology. It doesn't matter if you're a solo developer, a designer at a big company, or a marketer on a five-person team. If you had a hand in building it, you can share it here.
Why makers launch here
Most makers launch on Product Hunt to get their product in front of people who are actively looking for something new. The most common reasons:
Distribution. Reach a global audience of early adopters in a single day.
Feedback. Get honest reactions from people who try new products for a living.
Validation. See if the idea lands before you invest more in it.
Social proof. Collect reviews and a launch record you can point to later.
Connections. Meet users, other makers, investors, and future teammates.
Companies like Loom, Cursor, and Clubhouse used Product Hunt as their launch pad.
How a launch works
Anyone with a personal account can submit a product. When you submit your own product, you're both the hunter (the person who posted it) and a maker. You don't need anyone else to post it for you.
You can also hunt products you didn't build. If you come across something great that you think the community would love, share it! Any product can be hunted, as long as it follows our Community Guidelines.
Every launch goes live at 12:01 AM Pacific Time on the day you schedule. From there:
Your launch gets its own launch page, where people can upvote, comment, and visit your product.
Our team reviews every launch and hand-picks which ones to feature on the homepage leaderboard. Our Featuring Guidelines explain what we look for, but featuring is an editorial decision: meeting them doesn't guarantee a spot.
Featured launches compete for the day's ranking, including Product of the Day.
When the day ends, your launch lives on through your Product Page, the permanent home for your product on Product Hunt.
Every launch on the leaderboard shows its points, which come from upvotes and other engagement. Your position depends on your points, comments, time since launch, and other signals. We don't share the exact formula, because that would make it easier to game. What matters most is real engagement from real people.
Product Hunt is free
Launching costs nothing. You can submit a product, comment, and reach Product of the Day without spending a cent.
Never pay for upvotes or use services that promise them. Inauthentic upvotes are easy for us to spot, and they can get your launch removed and your account banned.
Use a personal account
Product Hunt is a community of people, not logos. Company and brand accounts can't submit launches or comment. Sign up with your own name, and ask your co-makers to do the same so they can be credited and join the conversation.
To submit a launch, your account also needs a verified email address.
Fill out your profile before launch day: your name, a short headline, your website, and your social links. People who find your launch will click through to see who's behind it.
Get involved early
The best launches start weeks before launch day. Spend time on Product Hunt first: comment on launches you like, upvote what impresses you, and join conversations in the Forums.
This does two things. You learn how the community works, and you build relationships that show up for you on the day.
Next up
Now that you know the basics, find out what kind of products get featured.