Launch day is where your prep pays off, but the work doesn't stop at midnight. This article covers both halves: how to make the most of the day itself, and how to turn the attention into lasting results.
During launch day
Show up and be present
The most important thing you can do is be there. Reply to comments quickly and honestly, and walk people through how and why you built the product. The goal is real conversation and useful feedback, not a vote count.
Answer every comment you can, as close to real time as possible.
Split the day with your team if you have one, so someone is always online, including overnight in your time zone.
Engage like a human. Thank people, answer the hard questions, and invite feedback.
Lean into your story. Share what makes your product different and what you learned building it.
If you can use your own product to answer questions, even better. A quick demo video reply or a live link to try something lands better than a long paragraph.
Track your launch
Your launch day dashboard shows how the day is going: your position, points and comments in one place. You can reply to the latest comments right from the dashboard and grab badges to drive traffic from your website.
Understanding the leaderboard
The leaderboard moves throughout the day based on upvotes, comments, time since launch, and other signals. That's why a launch with fewer upvotes can sometimes rank above yours. We don't share the exact formula, because that would make it easier to game.
If your launch seems to drop suddenly, we may have detected and removed suspicious activity on it. If you have questions about your ranking, email us at hello@producthunt.com.
Report spam
If you see spam on your launch or anyone else's, click the three dots next to a comment or review and select Report. Our team will review it.
After launch day
Keep the conversation going
People keep finding your launch for days afterward. Keep replying to comments the same way you did on launch day.
Follow up with the people who showed interest
Reach back out to the users, prospects, and partners who engaged with you. Thank them, remind them of your Product Hunt offer if you had one, and keep the relationship going.
Measure against your goals
Compare your results with the goals you set before launch. Signups, feedback, traffic, conversations: whatever you picked, write down what worked and what didn't. You'll want it for your next launch.
Turn feedback into improvements
Go through every comment and pull out the feedback worth acting on. Share it with your team, and ship the best ideas. When you launch again, tell the community how their feedback shaped the product.
Share your results
Post your launch results on social media and thank the people who supported you. If you earned an award, such as Product of the Day, we'll email you a badge you can add to your website.
Grow your Product Page
Your launch page covers launch day. Your Product Page is the permanent home for your product on Product Hunt. It collects all your launches, reviews, awards, and followers in one place.
Collect reviews
Reviews help future visitors decide whether to try your product. Ask your happy users to leave one, and add a Leave a review badge to your website. Respond to reviews as they come in.
Post updates in the Forums
Shipped something new? Announce it in the Forums to reach new users between launches.
Want more visibility?
If you want to stay in front of the Product Hunt audience after your launch, you can advertise on Product Hunt. Ads are separate from the leaderboard.
Next up
Shipped a major update? Find out how to launch again.