SaaS launch checklist 2026
Everything you need before, during, and after launch to maximise traffic and sign-ups.
Pre-launch (16 tasks)
Set up analytics (Google Analytics 4 + Posthog or Mixpanel)
Technical
Configure error tracking (Sentry or similar)
Technical
Test sign-up / onboarding flow end-to-end
Technical
Set up a custom domain with HTTPS
Technical
Configure email deliverability (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
Technical
Add FAQ schema to your landing page for LLM discoverability
SEO
Write meta title and description for every page
SEO
Create a sitemap.xml and submit to Google Search Console
SEO
Publish a public llms.txt with citation guidance
SEO
Set up Open Graph and Twitter Card images
SEO
Submit to BetaList for pre-launch waitlist
Launch
Schedule Product Hunt launch date
Launch
Build a list of 20+ friends/supporters to upvote on launch day
Launch
Prepare announcement copy for X, LinkedIn, Hacker News
Marketing
Write a founder story post for Indie Hackers
Marketing
Identify 5 niche subreddits where your audience is active
Marketing
Launch day (10 tasks)
Submit to LandingRank (free — reviewed within 24h)
Directories
Publish Product Hunt launch
Directories
Post 'Show HN:' on Hacker News (if technical product)
Directories
Submit to Uneed and MicroLaunch
Directories
Post announcement thread on X/Twitter
Social
Publish LinkedIn launch post (1,200+ words for maximum reach)
Social
Share in niche subreddits following each sub's rules
Social
Notify email list (if pre-launch waitlist was built)
Message friends and supporters to vote on Product Hunt
Community
Reply to every comment on all platforms within the first 2 hours
Community
Post-launch (10 tasks)
Publish launch results blog post (numbers, lessons)
Content
Write Indie Hackers milestone post with revenue / sign-up numbers
Content
Submit to AlternativeTo (if replacing existing software)
Directories
Submit to G2, Capterra, and GetApp (B2B SaaS)
Directories
Submit to There's An AI For That and Toolify.ai (if AI tool)
Directories
Start collecting customer reviews on G2 and Capterra
Reviews
Reach out to 5 journalists / newsletter writers with launch story
PR
Set up a referral programme if retention is proven
Growth
Publish first SEO blog post targeting a long-tail keyword
SEO
Monitor ChatGPT and Perplexity: does your product appear in answers?
LLM
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first when launching a SaaS product?
The most impactful first steps are: (1) ensure your landing page has a clear value proposition and sign-up form, (2) submit to LandingRank and Product Hunt on launch day for immediate discovery, (3) post on Hacker News Show HN if the product is technical. These three steps alone can generate 500–5,000 visitors in the first week.
How long before launch should I start preparing?
Ideally 2–4 weeks. Two weeks out: submit to BetaList, schedule Product Hunt, build your upvote community. One week out: prepare social posts, announce on X and LinkedIn to build anticipation. Day before: set up all your profiles and test the entire sign-up flow.
How do I make my SaaS appear on ChatGPT and Gemini?
Three actions help: (1) Submit to directories with structured schema markup — LandingRank adds FAQ and AggregateRating schema to every listing, making it AI-citable. (2) Add FAQ schema and a public llms.txt to your own site. (3) Get your product mentioned on high-authority sites (Product Hunt, G2, Indie Hackers) that AI training data and search results include.
What's the most common SaaS launch mistake?
Launching without an audience. Founders who spend 4 weeks building a launch community on X and Indie Hackers before launch day consistently get 5–10x more day-one votes and sign-ups than those who launch cold. The product matters, but distribution is the launch.
Do I need to pay to launch on directories?
No. LandingRank, Product Hunt, Hacker News, Indie Hackers, and Reddit are all free. BetaList is free (slow review) or $129 for fast track. G2 and Capterra have free vendor listings. The best launch stack in 2026 costs €0 in submission fees.
Start with LandingRank
The single highest-ROI launch task: submit your live product to LandingRank for free. You get a permanent listing with community votes, SEO backlink, and AggregateRating schema that makes your product appear in ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity answers.