SaaS launch checklist: before, on and after launch day
A good SaaS launch is a two-to-four-week campaign, not a day. Prepare your site, analytics and listing kit; launch with a press release and Product Hunt on the same day; follow with Show HN, communities and directories; and measure signups, brand search and AI answers afterward.
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Two weeks before
- Homepage says what it is and for whom in one sentence.
- Pricing page with real numbers; a free trial or free tier if you have one.
- Analytics with an AI referral channel: track AI traffic in GA4.
- Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools set up; sitemap submitted.
- robots.txt allows search and AI search crawlers: AI crawlers and robots.txt.
- Listing kit: name, tagline, descriptions, logo, screenshots. See best startup directories.
- Press release drafted: product launch template.
- Product Hunt page drafted and scheduled: how to launch on Product Hunt.
- Baseline AI visibility recorded: check what AI says about your brand.
Launch day
- Product Hunt live at 12:01 a.m. PT; maker comment posted.
- Press release distributed in the morning in your audience's time zone.
- Email to your list and users.
- Posts on X, LinkedIn and relevant communities.
- Reply to every comment, all day.
The week after
- Show HN if your product is technical: how to post a Show HN.
- Indie Hackers post with numbers from launch day.
- Peerlist, Uneed and other launch platforms: Product Hunt alternatives.
- Add the release links and outlet logos to your site, labeled as press releases: after your press release.
- Pitch five to ten journalists and newsletters with the release.
Weeks two to four
- Directory submissions, by hand or with a launch service.
- AlternativeTo, SaaSHub, G2, Capterra profiles: comparison directories.
- Ask early users for reviews.
- Re-run your AI visibility prompts and compare with the baseline.
- Write a launch recap with what worked.
Questions people ask
Should I launch on Product Hunt and send a press release the same day?
Yes. The release puts your launch on news sites, and both point to the same announcement.