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StartupDirectory: requirements, how to submit, and what you actually get

Visit

A badge for a followed link, published instantly, once their sign-in lets you in.

startupdirectory.net
StartupDirectory homepage
Eligibility

Who StartupDirectory accepts

You need
An account, by Google, GitHub or email
Their badge on your site, for the free lane
You'll be rejected if
Anyone who will not carry a badge and will not pay the $9.99
SaaS productsAI toolsIndie productsDeveloper tools
What you actually get
A listing in one of their twelve category shelves, which held 164 products when this was written, with a followed link once the badge check passes. They say the link status updates within 24 hours of verification.

How to submit to StartupDirectory

  1. Sign in
    /submit redirects to /login, which offers GitHub, Google and an email form behind a Turnstile check.
  2. Add the badge
    The snippet is on /badge, light or dark, 300px wide, and they ask for it in the footer.
  3. Submit
    The free plan publishes on badge verification rather than after a review.

StartupDirectory requirements

An account on the site
Their badge
300px wide SVG, light or dark

Gotchas

Their Google sign-in was returning a 500 from their own auth callback when this was written, and the button silently did nothing on a second attempt, so the account may have to wait.
The badge snippet they hand out writes rel="dofollow", which is not a real link relation. The link is followed because nothing marks it nofollow, not because of that attribute.
They ask for the badge in your footer specifically, and say the upgrade to a followed link lands within 24 hours of verification rather than at once.

Let your agent submit to StartupDirectory

Connect SubmitMap to your AI over MCP and this page stops being something you read and copy. Your agent asks for the StartupDirectory playbook and gets the brief for this exact form, with the values already taken from your submission pack instead of placeholders you fill in by hand.

What it does for this platform
Checks your product against the 3 StartupDirectory rules above, so you find out you would be rejected before you open a tab.
Hands your agent all 2 fields this form asks for, none of them optional, already filled from your pack.
Warns you that StartupDirectory looks for its badge on your site, so it has to be live before you submit rather than after.
Tells you what paying buys here, so you pick it on purpose: free with their badge, and they say the listing goes live immediately after the badge is verified. Premium is $9.99 once for the same dofollow with no badge, plus featured placement above it.
Types it into StartupDirectory in your own browser, and stops for you when the form wants a sign-in.
Records what it sent, so the dashboard can answer "did I ever submit to StartupDirectory?".
Connect your agentHow this worksTools and endpointsWorks with Claude Code, Claude, Codex, Cursor, VS Code and Hermes.

StartupDirectory FAQ

How long does StartupDirectory approval take?
StartupDirectory's typical time from submission to going live is instant.
How much does it cost to submit to StartupDirectory?
StartupDirectory has a free submission option plus paid placement (Free with their badge, and they say the listing goes live immediately after the badge is verified. Premium is $9.99 once for the same dofollow with no badge, plus featured placement above it.).
Does StartupDirectory give a dofollow backlink?
Yes, a listing on StartupDirectory carries a dofollow link. The site has a domain rating of 45.
Does StartupDirectory require a backlink to your site?
Yes, StartupDirectory expects a link back from your site as part of listing.
What gets you rejected from StartupDirectory?
Anyone who will not carry a badge and will not pay the $9.99.