Glossary
What is a featured launch?
A featured launch is a product a launch platform's team has chosen to show on its main ranked list for the day. Unfeatured launches still get a page but sit outside the homepage ranking, get little traffic and can't win daily awards. On Product Hunt, only a share of each day's launches is featured.
How featuring works
Product Hunt receives far more launches per day than it features. Its team reviews each launch and features the ones it judges useful, novel and well presented: a clear tagline, real screenshots, a working product and a maker who is present. Other launch platforms do the same with a smaller "featured" slot, sometimes paid.
Featured vs unfeatured
| Featured | Unfeatured | |
|---|---|---|
| Homepage ranking | Yes | No |
| Daily awards | Eligible | Not eligible |
| Traffic | Most of the day's visitors | Mostly your own audience |
| Product page and link | Yes | Yes |
How to improve your chances
Make the launch page complete: a specific launch tagline, three to five real screenshots in the launch gallery, a short demo video, a first comment that explains why you built it, and a product people can try without a sales call. Launch from a real maker account with some history on the platform. Products that are thin wrappers, unfinished or vague are the ones left unfeatured.
If you're not featured
The launch still gives you a permanent page and a link. Share it with your own audience, collect feedback, and plan a proper relaunch after a significant update. See Product Hunt relaunch rules.
FAQ
Can I pay to be featured on Product Hunt?
No. Featuring on Product Hunt is editorial. Some smaller platforms sell featured slots.
How do I know if my launch was featured?
If it appears in the ranked list on the homepage for its day, it's featured.
Is an unfeatured launch wasted?
Not entirely. You keep the page, the link and any feedback, and you can relaunch later after major changes.