# Submission criteria

> Source: https://betalist.com/criteria
> A plain-text, LLM-friendly version of the BetaList submission criteria.

We feature around 20 new startups every day. These are the criteria our editorial team uses to decide what's a good fit — check them before you submit so your startup isn't rejected for something easy to avoid.

If you fit the criteria, see how to write a great submission: https://betalist.com/help/submitting

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## New to our audience

BetaList readers come here to discover what's *new to them*. That can be a waitlist, a beta, or a product that's already live — what matters is that most of our readers haven't come across it yet, not whether you've launched.

**Aim for:**

- A pre-launch landing page with a waitlist.
- A private or public beta.
- A launched product that's live but hasn't had much exposure yet.

**Common pitfalls:**

- A widely known product, or one that has already received significant press coverage.
- A familiar product re-released for a different platform without meaningful changes.

## Not featured on BetaList before

Each startup gets up to two opportunities to be featured: once pre-launch and once at launch. There should be at least a few weeks between the two posts so they feel like distinct moments to our audience.

**Aim for:**

- A pre-launch listing while you're still in private beta or building anticipation.
- A launch listing once your product is publicly available.

**Common pitfalls:**

- Submitting again so soon after a previous feature that nothing has visibly changed.
- Re-submitting the same launch hoping for a second post.

## A technology startup

Our audience comes to BetaList specifically to discover new technology startups. Other kinds of products — even great ones — tend to under-perform here, which isn't a good outcome for either of us.

**Aim for:**

- Software products (web apps, mobile apps, dev tools, AI tools, etc.).
- Hardware products and connected devices.
- Familiar ideas with a genuinely new twist.

**Common pitfalls:**

- Blogs, online courses, books, or newsletters.
- Subscription e-commerce or general online stores.
- Familiar ideas without substantial improvements over what already exists.
- Consultancies or agencies.

## A distinct, decent-looking landing page

Generic templates don't inspire confidence and reliably convert worse than a custom page. We're not expecting world-class design — just a page that clearly belongs to your product and gives visitors enough information to decide whether to sign up.

**Aim for:**

- A distinct design that visibly belongs to your product.
- A heavily customized template, if you started from one, so it no longer looks templated.
- Clear product information — what it is, who it's for, what it looks like.

**Common pitfalls:**

- An untouched free or paid template.
- Default Bootstrap or other off-the-shelf framework styles.
- A page whose only content is an explainer video.
- Hosted landing-page builders (LaunchRock, Unbounce, KickoffLabs, Carrd, etc.).
- Free hosting subdomains like `yourapp.vercel.app`, `yourapp.netlify.app`, or `yourapp.herokuapp.com`.
- A direct link to App Store, Google Play, Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or a Facebook page instead of a real landing page.

## Visitors can sign up or get access

The point of being featured is to get people into your product (or onto your waitlist). Make sure that path exists and is easy to find on your landing page.

**Aim for:**

- A custom email signup form.
- An embedded form from Mailchimp, ConvertKit, or similar.
- A download button or app store link.
- Sign in with Google, Apple, GitHub, etc.

**Common pitfalls:**

- "Follow us on X to get notified" as the only way to opt in.
- A landing page with no clear next step at all.

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## Ready to submit?

Submit your startup: https://betalist.com/submit

How to write a great submission: https://betalist.com/help/submitting