How to Launch Your AI-Built App on Product Hunt

Product Hunt is still one of the best places to launch a new app. A strong launch can generate hundreds of signups in a single day, get you press coverage, and provide social proof that lasts for months.

But launching a vibe-coded app on Product Hunt has unique challenges. Here's how to prepare.

Before you launch: technical readiness

Product Hunt traffic hits hard and fast. If your app isn't ready, you'll convert visitors into frustrated users instead of fans.

Performance

• Load test your app before launch day. Simulate 100 concurrent users and see what breaks. Common failures: database connection pool exhaustion, slow queries, and rate limit triggers.
• Optimise your landing page for speed. Product Hunt visitors are browsing dozens of products. If your page takes 4 seconds to load, they're gone.
• Cache aggressively. Anything that doesn't change per-user should be cached.

Security

• Run a security audit before exposing your app to thousands of strangers. Our vibe coding security checklist covers the 15 most critical items. Product Hunt traffic includes security researchers and curious hackers who will poke at your app.
• Ensure rate limiting is configured on all public endpoints, especially login and signup.
• Double-check that user data is properly isolated. A security incident during your launch will end it.

Reliability

• Set up error monitoring (Sentry or similar) so you can see issues in real-time during launch.
• Have a rollback plan. If something breaks badly, you need to be able to revert within minutes.
• Test your signup flow end-to-end, including email verification if you have it. Broken onboarding during a launch is catastrophic.

Preparing your launch

Assets you need

• Thumbnail (240x240) — Your app icon or logo, clean and recognisable at small sizes
• Gallery images (1270x760) — 3-5 screenshots showing your app's key features. Include captions.
• Tagline (60 characters max) — One line that explains what your app does and who it's for
• Description (260 characters) — Expand on the tagline with your key differentiator
• First comment — This is your chance to tell the story. Why you built it, what problem it solves, what's next. Be authentic.
• Maker video (optional but recommended) — A 1-2 minute demo. Screen recording with voiceover works fine.

Timing

• Launch on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday — These days get the most engaged traffic
• Launch at 00:01 PT — Products are ranked by upvotes within a 24-hour window starting at midnight Pacific Time. Launching at the start gives you the full window.

Building support

• Tell your network before launch day. Email friends, post in relevant communities, message people who've expressed interest.
• Don't ask people to "upvote" — that violates Product Hunt guidelines and can get your launch penalised. Instead, share the link and let people decide.
• Prepare social media posts in advance so you can share immediately at launch.

Launch day

The first hour

• Post your launch link on Twitter, LinkedIn, and any relevant communities
• Respond to every comment on your Product Hunt page within minutes
• Monitor your error dashboard. If something breaks, fix it immediately.

Throughout the day

• Keep engaging with comments. Product Hunt's algorithm factors in discussion activity.
• Share updates on social media as milestones happen ("We hit #3 Product of the Day!")
• Monitor your signup flow. If conversion drops, investigate immediately.
• Don't obsess over the ranking. Focus on the conversations and feedback.

What to watch for

• Signup failures — The most common launch-day disaster. Test your flow one more time at launch.
• Performance degradation — Traffic patterns on Product Hunt are spiky. Watch your response times.
• User feedback — Product Hunt users give direct, honest feedback. Listen to it.

The week after launch

Launch day gets you attention. The week after determines whether that attention converts to retention.

• Follow up with every user who signed up. A personal email from the founder goes a long way.
• Fix the top 3 issues users reported on launch day.
• Publish a launch retrospective — What worked, what you'd do differently. This content performs well on social media and builds credibility. Before writing it, run through our production readiness checklist to make sure nothing slipped through the cracks.
• Set up analytics funnels to track: visitor → signup → activation → retention. Identify where users drop off.

Common mistakes

1. Launching before the app is stable. A buggy experience during your one shot at Product Hunt attention is a waste. Fix the bugs first.
2. No landing page. Sending Product Hunt traffic to your app's login screen instead of a page that explains what it does.
3. Ignoring comments. Product Hunt rewards engaged makers. Respond to everything.
4. Expecting Product Hunt to be your entire launch strategy. It's one channel. Plan for the channels that will sustain growth after launch day.

Get launch-ready

If you've built your app with vibe coding tools and want to make sure it's ready for the Product Hunt spotlight, request a free audit. We'll identify what needs fixing before you expose your app to thousands of potential users.

Or book a discovery call and we'll walk through your launch plan together.