How to write a great submission

Every startup featured on BetaList is manually reviewed by our editorial team. The closer your submission follows the guidance below, the less we'll edit — and the more your listing will read the way you intended.

For eligibility, see submission criteria. Or read this guide as Markdown.

Product name

Just the product name as it appears on your homepage — nothing else.

Aim for

  • The actual name your customers see.

Common pitfalls

  • Tacking on a tagline or extra keywords after the name.
  • Including the domain extension (.com, .io) unless that's literally how you brand the product everywhere.
  • Emoji or unusual unicode characters.

Pitch

A single, plain sentence that makes it immediately obvious what your product does. Your pitch sits right next to your product name in the listing — visitors decide whether to click in about a second, so clarity beats cleverness.

Aim for

  • One sentence, concrete and specific.
  • If you can, hint at what makes you different from existing alternatives.

Common pitfalls

  • Cramming multiple sentences into one with an em dash, semicolon, or “…and.” A packed-in pitch is the single most common edit we make, and it's hard to fairly distill back to one sentence — please write a real single sentence from the start.
  • Including the product name (we already show it next to the pitch).
  • Slogans or taglines. “Think different” works for Apple, not for new startups.
  • Empty words like innovative, best, better, revolutionary.
  • Abstract or “creative” pitches that leave the reader unsure what your product actually does.
  • Emoji or unusual unicode characters.

Description

One or two short paragraphs of plain prose describing your product, who it's for, and why it's worth their time. Talk like a person.

Aim for

  • One or two short paragraphs.
  • Starting with the product name. (A good default, not a strict rule.)

Common pitfalls

  • Bullet lists.
  • Many one-line “paragraphs” stacked on top of each other.
  • One huge wall of text.
  • Markdown or HTML formatting — we render plain text.
  • Extra URLs. Only the website URL field should link out; readers can click through for more.
  • Emoji or unusual unicode characters.

Website URL

Link to your home page. We automatically add tracking parameters so you can see in your analytics how much traffic we send.

Aim for

  • Your home page on your own domain.
  • Optionally, your own UTM parameters — just make sure the URL still works.

Common pitfalls

  • URLs that 404, redirect to something unrelated, or break when parameters are appended.
  • Direct links to App Store, Google Play, Kickstarter, or social profiles. (See criteria.)

Icon

A simple icon or logomark — the kind of thing you'd use as your social avatar on X or LinkedIn.

Aim for

  • An icon, symbol, or logomark.
  • A solid background, circle, or rounded square.

Common pitfalls

  • Your full product name baked into the image.
  • Fully transparent backgrounds — they often look broken in light or dark mode.
  • A marketing banner or screenshot used as an icon.

Topics

Specific almost always beats generic. It's tempting to pick broad topics because more people browse them — but broad topics also have far more competing startups, so your listing gets buried. A specific topic with fewer products gives you a much better chance of being noticed by exactly the right user: the one who'll actually try your product.

Aim for

  • Topics that match what your ideal user would actually search for.
  • Up to five topics, ordered by relevance.

Common pitfalls

  • Generic catch-all topics that don't really describe your product.
  • Padding the list with loosely related topics.

Promotion (optional)

Only fill this in if you actually have a real, redeemable offer — a coupon code or a separate signup link that grants a discount or special access.

Aim for

  • Short, plain, matter-of-fact wording. Example: “Use coupon code BETALIST for $10 off.”
  • A maximum number of redemptions if you want to cap it.

Common pitfalls

  • Urgency phrases like “Act now!” or “Limited time!” — we'll rewrite them.
  • A deadline, unless you've picked a paid plan that features you within days. Most submissions wait days or weeks before publishing, so dated offers often expire before they go live. A redemption cap is usually a better choice.
  • Vague benefits with no actual code or link to redeem them.