Directory List — Full Reference
Canonical list of directories organized by tier. DR values are approximate and drift over time — verify via Ahrefs or Moz before building a plan around them.
Column legend:
- DR — Domain Rating (Ahrefs). Higher = more link equity passed.
- Dofollow — Whether the backlink passes SEO value. Nofollow listings still matter for referral traffic and brand signals.
- Cost — Free unless noted.
Tier 1 — Flagship Launch Platforms
Submit only during launch week. These are time-sensitive with limited re-submission windows.
| Directory | DR | Dofollow | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product Hunt | 91 | Yes | Free | The anchor event. Requires 3-week warm-up. 2026 algorithm weights comment quality over upvotes. Launch Tue/Wed/Thu at 12:01 AM PT. |
| Hacker News (Show HN) | 91 | Nofollow | Free | Only if you have a genuine technical angle. Post title format: "Show HN: [Product] — [hook]". Moderator death penalty for hype. |
| BetaList | 64 | Yes | Free (paid expedite ~$99) | Best for pre-launch waitlist building. Submission → 2–4 week queue unless expedited. |
| Launching Next | ~30 | Yes | Free | Editorial curation — needs a compelling story. |
| Fazier | ~30 | Yes | Free | Daily ranking with much lower competition than PH. Achievable #1. |
| Uneed | ~40 | Yes | Free | Curated, smaller audience, quality backlink. |
| Microlaunch | ~30 | Yes | Free | Month-long visibility vs one-day spike. |
| OpenHunts | ~25 | Yes | Free | Indie-maker friendly, reports 14%+ conversion rates. |
| DevHunt | ~35 | Yes | Free | Dev-focused. Best fit for developer tools and technical products. |
| PeerPush | ~25 | Yes | Free | Similar to Fazier. Low competition. |
| LaunchVault | ~20 | Yes | Free | Anti-VC positioning. Good for bootstrapped narrative. |
| Firsto | ~25 | Yes | Free tier | Sustained discovery, not one-day spike. |
| GetByte | ~20 | Yes | Free | Lightweight listing + promotional support. |
| Tiny Launch | ~20 | Yes | Free | Lightweight, fast approval. |
| PitchWall | ~25 | Yes | Free | Indie-hacker friendly. |
Tier 1B — Indie launch sites (the badge economy)
A wave of small launch sites trade listings for a badge on your site. They're cheap to work through and can move DR fast, but read them carefully:
- Judge by traffic, not DR. Many show DR 50–80 with close to zero organic traffic. That DR comes from badge-swap link rings, so it passes little real value and can disappear.
- Free often means reciprocal. The dofollow link frequently lasts only while their badge stays on your site. Decide up front whether you'll keep badges in your footer.
- Use the exact domain below. Two of these have lookalike
.comdomains that are for sale. A lapsed lookalike is a ready-made phishing page.
Domains verified live on 2026-10-02. Re-check before submitting (see the safety gate in SKILL.md).
| Directory | Domain | DR | Traffic | Cost / link terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twelve Tools | twelve.tools | ~83 | ~1.8k/mo | Free (≈72h review), 1 dofollow link; $36 Pro |
| Turbo0 | turbo0.com | ~81 | ~0 | Free with a backlink to them (3 dofollow links); paid from $29.90 |
| Findly | findly.tools | ~81 | ~0 | Login required; terms unverified |
| Tinyshelf | tinyshelf.co | ~73 | ~0 | Google login, reviewed listings. Not I1 |
| Launch Llama | tools.launchllama.co | ~73 | — | Free listing in the directory of a newsletter (claims ~55k readers) |
| ScrollLaunch | scrolllaunch.com | ~71 | — | Free, dofollow only while their badge stays up; $19/$39 premium |
| Acid Tools | acidtools.com | ~68 | ~0 | Login required; terms unverified |
| Better Launch | betterlaunch.co | ~63 | ~0 | Free listing; sells $149–$199 submission packages |
| LaunchPanda | launchpanda.dev | ~61 | — | Free, dofollow with their badge. Never launchpanda.com (for sale) |
| DanielLaunches | daniellaunches.com | ~59 | ~0 | Login required |
| Stork | stork.ai | ~53 | ~19k/mo | $49, or free with their "Verified" badge. Also sells a backlink service |
| Noonlaunch | noonlaunch.com | ~52 | — | Paid spots $11–$99; free tier unclear |
| Launch Streak | launchstreak.dev | ~51 | — | Free account, dofollow claimed. Never launchstreak.com (for sale) |
| ConfettiSaaS | confettisaas.com | ~47 | — | Appears free; email approval |
| IndieTool | indietool.io | ~46 | — | Submit flow unverified |
Tier 2 — Startup / SaaS / Software Directories
Submit during launch week and continue rolling submissions thereafter.
| Directory | DR | Dofollow | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AlternativeTo | 79 | Nofollow | Free | Massive SEO value despite nofollow. Submit as alternative to your top 4 competitors. |
| SaaSHub | 77 | Yes | Free | Ranks well for "[tool] alternatives" queries. High intent. |
| G2 | 92 | Yes | Free listing | 10 reviews required for Grid appearance. Paid badges start at $2,999/yr. |
| Capterra | 93 | Yes | Free listing | Owned by G2 (acquired Feb 2026). Reviews drive everything. |
| GetApp | 78 | Yes | Free | Auto-syncs from Capterra in some cases. Owned by G2. |
| SourceForge | 92 | Yes | Free | Legacy but still high DR. Trivial to list. |
| Slashdot | ~88 | Yes | Free | Legacy but high DR. Company profile submission. |
| Startup Stash | ~50 | Yes | Free | Curated, organized by startup need. |
| SideProjectors | ~35 | Yes | Free | Discovery + marketplace. Community-driven. |
| F6S | 65 | Yes | Free | Startup platform used by accelerators. |
| Stackshare | ~60 | Yes | Free | Dev-centric. Show your tech stack. |
| Resource.fyi | ~40 | Yes | Free | Curated for designers/devs/marketers. |
| Shipybara | ~30 | Yes | Free | Shows which companies use your tool. |
| TrustRadius | 72 | Yes | Free | Smaller but respected B2B review platform. |
| Crozdesk | ~55 | Yes | Free | Feeds into Gartner ecosystem. |
| Software Advice | 88 | Yes | Free | Gartner property. Auto-syncs with Capterra in some categories. |
| TheSaaSDirectory | 88 | Yes | Free | SaaS-specific directory. Good categorization. |
| Tech.co | 80 | Yes | Free | Startup/SaaS directory + media. |
| Taalk | 80 | Yes | Free | Startup directory. |
| Startup Fame | 77 | Yes | Free | Startup showcase directory. |
| Indie Hackers | 76 | Yes | Free | Build-in-public community + product directory. |
| Slant | 75 | Yes | Free | "What is the best..." recommendation platform. |
| Gust | 75 | Yes | Free | Startup/investor platform. Profile with links. |
| Inc42 | 75 | Yes | Free | Indian startup media + directory. |
| Wefunder | 76 | Yes | Free | Equity crowdfunding. Product profile with links. |
| Startups.com | 68 | Yes | Free | Startup community + resources. |
| IndieHustles | 66 | Yes | Free | Indie SaaS directory. |
| SaaSWorthy | 65 | Yes | Free | SaaS review/comparison site. |
| ToolsFine | 65 | Yes | Free | SaaS tool directory. |
| Bizcommunity | 65 | Yes | Free | Business news + directory. |
| StartUs | 62 | Yes | Free | Startup directory + insights. |
| Today Launches | 60 | Yes | Free | Daily launch directory. |
| StartupBuffer | 57 | Yes | Free | Startup promotion platform. |
| Feedough | 55 | Yes | Free | Startup resources + directory. |
| Indie Hacker Tools | 55 | Yes | Free | Tools for indie hackers. |
| Open Launch | 55 | Yes | Free | Product launch directory. |
| New SaaSly | 52 | Yes | Free | New SaaS product directory. |
| Business Software | 49 | Yes | Free | Business software directory. |
| Promote Project | 47 | Yes | Free | Project promotion directory. |
| FiveTaco | 47 | Yes | Free | SaaS tool directory. |
| Cuspera | 45 | Yes | Free | SaaS comparison platform. |
| BetaBound | 45 | Yes | Free | Beta testing community + directory. |
| Makerthrive | 45 | Yes | Free | Maker community + tools. |
| StartupTracker | 44 | Yes | Free | Startup tracking directory. |
| BusinessHunt | 43 | Yes | Free | Business product directory. |
| Launched.io | 40 | Yes | Free | Launch directory. |
| ProfitHunt | 40 | Yes | Free | Profitable startup directory. |
| 10words | 40 | Yes | Free | SaaS directory (10-word descriptions). |
| TrustMRR | 40 | Yes | Free | MRR-verified startup directory. |
| OpenClawDir | 35 | Yes | Free | Open directory. |
| Build Voyage | 33 | Yes | Free | Startup builder directory. |
| AlphaDigits | 32 | Yes | Free | SaaS directory. |
Tier 3 — AI Tool Directories
Relevant only for AI-native products. Submit during weeks 1–3.
Tier 3A — Flagship AI directories
| Directory | DR | Monthly Traffic | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| There's An AI For That (TAAFT) | 76 | 2M+ | Largest AI directory. Task-based search. Worth the effort to list well. |
| Futurepedia | 70 | 1M+ | 5,000+ tools, 54 categories. Matt Wolfe YouTube (2M+ subs) drives traffic. |
| Toolify.ai | 71 | 500K+ | 26K+ tools, 450+ categories. Tracks traffic trends. |
| Future Tools (futuretools.io) | 69 | 400K+ | Curated by Matt Wolfe. Smaller but influential. |
| AI Tools Neilpatel | 91 | n/a | Highest DR free AI directory. |
| Good AI Tools | 66 | n/a | Curated, quality over quantity. |
| NewTools.site | 51 | n/a | Dofollow backlink for every approved submission. |
Tier 3B — Mid-tier AI directories
| Directory | Est. DR | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| aitools.inc | ~66 | "10x your output" positioning. |
| AIStage | ~66 | Includes open source + news. |
| AItrendytools | ~69 | Comprehensive listing. |
| Grabon AI Directory | ~70 | High DR, broad audience. |
| TopAI.tools | ~60 | Task-based search similar to TAAFT. |
| Supertools | ~61 | Clean interface, good categorization. |
| AI Tools Directory (aitoolsdirectory.com) | ~55 | Curated; featured placement available. |
| AIChief | ~35 | Business-focused. |
| LogicBalls | ~40 | 3,500+ verified tools. |
| SaasAITools | ~30 | SaaS + AI crossover. |
| PoweredByAI | ~35 | Growing directory with newsletter reach. |
| TheAISurf | ~30 | Newer, actively promoting submissions. |
| AI Pedia Hub | ~40 | "Largest directory, updated daily." |
| Dofollow.Tools | ~30 | Explicitly free dofollow backlinks. |
| AIBacklinkList | ~25 | Aggregated list of 2500+ AI backlink opportunities. |
| AI Scout | ~25 | Emerging, less competition. |
| AI Tools Guide | 77 | Curated AI tools directory. |
| AIToolly | 69 | AI tool discovery. |
| All The AI Tools | 66 | Comprehensive AI tool listing. |
| Noxilo | 66 | AI tools directory. |
| AI Generation | 55 | AI tools directory. |
| Every AI | 55 | AI tool aggregator. |
| BAI.tools | 53 | AI tools directory. |
| The Rundown Tools | 40 | AI newsletter's tool directory. |
| AI NavHub | 38 | AI navigation directory. |
| WhatTheAI | 35 | AI tools directory. |
| ToolAI | 31 | AI tools directory. |
| LLM Relevance | 30 | LLM-focused directory. |
Tier 4 — AI Agent & MCP Server Registries
Relevant only if the product exposes agent capabilities or MCP servers. These are a real moat for AI-native tools — traditional SaaS products cannot list here.
Tier 4A — Publish to the official MCP Registry first
The official registry at registry.modelcontextprotocol.io is the source other MCP directories build on. PulseMCP ingests from it (and isn't taking direct submissions as of 2026-10), and Glama builds on top of it. Publishing here first means several listings appear without separate submissions. Its own link passes little SEO value; the point is distribution. The registry is still labeled "preview," so data resets are possible.
- Publish the package first. The registry stores metadata only, so the server must already be on npm, PyPI, NuGet, crates.io, Docker/OCI, or MCPB. A remote server can skip this and list a Streamable HTTP URL under
remotes. - Mark the package as yours. npm:
"mcpName"inpackage.json. PyPI/NuGet:mcp-name: <name>in the README (visible text for crates.io). Docker: theio.modelcontextprotocol.server.namelabel. - Install the CLI and generate
server.json:brew install mcp-publisher, thenmcp-publisher init. Thenamemust match the package marker. - Prove the namespace:
mcp-publisher login githubgives youio.github.<user>/*(org namespaces need org Owner). Forcom.yourdomain/*, use a DNS TXT record or a key at/.well-known/mcp-registry-auth. - Publish:
mcp-publisher publish. Versions are immutable once published.
Source: modelcontextprotocol/registry docs.
Tier 4B — MCP directories (submit directly)
| Directory | Domain | DR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smithery | smithery.ai | ~79 | Web form or smithery mcp publish <url>; login. One of the most-used catalogs |
| Glama | glama.ai/mcp/servers | ~75 | Add from a GitHub repo. Security grades (A/B/C/F) matter, so optimize for a good grade |
| MCP.so | mcp.so | ~73 | Free form (server, remote, client, agent); $39 fast track. Doesn't appear to ingest from the official registry |
| MCP Servers | mcpservers.org | ~71 | Free review (~2 weeks); dofollow only on the $39 tier. ~41k visits/mo |
| MCP Market | mcpmarket.com | ~61 | Submit a GitHub repo; takes servers and skills. Free queue 4–6 weeks, $29 fast track. ~89k visits/mo |
| APITracker MCP directory | apitracker.io | — | 110+ servers, 90 official integrations |
| MCP Directory | mcp.directory | ~37 | Free form. Not I20 |
| AllMCPs | allmcps.com | ~36 | Low value. Not allmcp.com (unrelated business) |
| MCP Repository | mcprepository.com | ~21 | Free form, low value |
| AI Indigo | aiindigo.com | ~12 | Has an MCP section, low value |
Tier 4C — Agent directories
| Directory | Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AI Agents List (aiagentslist.com) | Agents | Hosts the 593+ MCP server directory. |
| AI Agent Store | Agents | Compare agents, platforms, frameworks. |
| AI Agents Base | Agents | All-in-one directory. |
| AI Agents Directory | Agents | Specialized, updated daily. |
| AgentHunter | Agents | "Discover the best AI agents." |
| Add AI Directory | Agents | Catalogs agents + tools. |
| AI Agents Live | Agents | Discovery + sharing. |
| AI Agents Marketplace | Agents | Organized by 300+ human role equivalents. |
Tier 4D — GitHub lists (open a PR)
GitHub marks README links nofollow, so these are for discovery and AI-search visibility, not DR. Check that a list is still merging PRs before spending time on it: a big star count with hundreds of open PRs and no recent merges means your PR will sit.
| List | Repo | Activity (2026-10) | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| public-apis | public-apis/public-apis | ~485k stars, active, ~2k open PRs | Only if you have a free public API |
| awesome-mcp-servers (TensorBlock) | TensorBlock/awesome-mcp-servers | ~870 stars, 200+ merges/30 days | MCP servers |
| awesome-mcp-list | MobinX/awesome-mcp-list | ~885 stars, ~130 merges/30 days | MCP servers |
| toolsdk-mcp-registry | toolsdk-ai/toolsdk-mcp-registry | ~190 stars, ~25 merges/30 days | MCP servers |
| xAI plugin marketplace | xai-org/plugin-marketplace | ~275 stars | Grok plugins; add an entry to .grok-plugin/marketplace.json. Mostly merges company submissions |
| awesome-mcp-lists | collabnix/awesome-mcp-lists | ~34 stars | Low value |
Skip jaw9c/awesome-remote-mcp-servers for now: ~1.1k stars but no merges since 2026-06 and 500+ open PRs.
Tier 4E — Agent & AI-search listings
Listings that agents and AI assistants read directly. Part of GEO more than SEO.
| Listing | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Claude plugin directory | claude.ai/directory/manage (listings at claude.com/marketplace/plugins) | Anthropic's official directory for plugins and connectors across Claude apps and Claude Code. Submit through the developer portal (paid Claude plan required); every listing is security-scanned and reviewed. Not a backlink play |
| ClawHub | clawhub.ai | Official registry for OpenClaw skills and plugins. Publish via CLI or web with GitHub login. Security caveat: 341 malicious skills were found on it in Feb 2026; screening was added since, but say so if you recommend it and keep your listing's source public |
| llms.txt directories | llmstxt.site, directory.llmstxt.cloud, llmstxthub.com | List your /llms.txt once it exists. llmstxthub's PR route is slow (400+ open PRs), so use its site form |
Tier 5 — No-Code Directories
Relevant for no-code platforms and builder tools.
| Directory | Est. DR | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| NoCodeFinder | ~45 | Accepts submissions. |
| No Code MBA Tools Directory | ~55 | Categorized by project type. |
| We Are No Code Tools Repository | ~40 | Curated. |
| NoCodeList | ~30 | — |
| NoCodeDevs | ~25 | — |
| NoCode.Tech | ~35 | — |
| MakerPad / Zapier | ~62 | Now owned by Zapier. No-code tool directory. |
| NoCodeFounders | ~45 | No-code community + forum. |
Tier 6 — "Best of" Listicles (Editorial Outreach)
Not directories per se — these are blog posts on high-DR domains that you get included in via cold outreach. Often more valuable than directories because they combine a dofollow backlink with editorial trust + in-market buyer traffic + AI citation weight.
Search patterns to find opportunities:
"best [category] tools" 2026"best [competitor] alternative""top AI [category]""[category] tools review"
Outreach template (short): > Hey [name], saw your post on [best X tools]. We launched [product] recently — thought it might be worth a mention. Happy to give you a free account + credits for readers. Here's a 60s demo: [link]. No worries if not a fit.
Target: 10 inclusions in 30 days. Each = dofollow backlink from DR 40–70 + referral traffic + AI citation fuel.
Tier 7 — Integration Marketplaces
Only relevant once the product has integrations. These are the highest-DR backlinks available — worth engineering effort just to land them.
| Directory | DR | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Zapier App Directory | 91 | Requires working Zapier integration. |
| HubSpot App Marketplace | 93 | Requires HubSpot app. |
| Slack App Directory | 89 | Requires Slack integration. |
| Airtable Marketplace | 82 | Requires Airtable integration. |
| Notion Integrations Gallery | 88 | Requires Notion integration. |
| Make (Integromat) | ~70 | Requires Make module. |
| Pipedream | ~70 | Requires Pipedream action. |
Tier 8 — Profile & Content Platforms
Create a profile or publish content on these high-DR platforms to earn a dofollow backlink. These are not traditional directories — they're content and identity platforms where your profile or published content links back to your site. Highest DR backlinks available without building integrations.
| Platform | DR | Category | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress.com | 100 | Any | Blog | Create a free blog, link to main site in posts and profile. |
| Blogger | 100 | Any | Blog | Google property. Free blog with dofollow links. |
| Tumblr | 99 | Design | Blog | Highest DR blog platform. Project blog or microblog. |
| GitHub | 98 | Tech | Code host | Profile + repo README links. Every software product should have this. |
| SoundCloud | 96 | Music | Profile | Niche — relevant for audio/music products. |
| Weebly | 95 | Any | Blog | Free site builder with dofollow profile link. |
| SlideShare | 95 | Any | Content | Upload pitch decks, guides, presentations. |
| Flickr | 95 | Photography | Profile | Product screenshot galleries with profile link. |
| GitLab | 94 | Tech | Code host | Profile link. Mirror repos if open source. |
| eBay Stores | 94 | E-commerce | Profile | Niche — relevant for physical/digital goods. |
| Etsy | 93 | E-commerce | Profile | Niche — templates, digital downloads. |
| Substack | 93 | Tech | Newsletter | Publish product updates, thought leadership. High-intent readers. |
| Bitbucket | 93 | Tech | Code host | Profile link. Atlassian property. |
| Scribd | 93 | Any | Content | Upload whitepapers, guides, case studies. |
| Disqus | 93 | Professional | Profile | Profile with website link. Comment on industry blogs. |
| Behance | 93 | Design | Profile | Portfolio/project links. Best for design-adjacent products. |
| Pastebin | 93 | Tech | Code host | Code snippets with profile link. |
| Patreon | 93 | Creator | Profile | Creator page with product links. |
| Imgur | 93 | Any | Profile | Image hosting with profile link. |
| Dun & Bradstreet | 93 | B2B | Directory | Business credibility. Feeds AI training corpora. |
| Ghost.org | 92 | Any | Blog | Publish content with dofollow links. |
| Evernote | 92 | Any | Content | Public notebooks with links. |
| Issuu | 92 | Any | Content | Upload marketing PDFs, brochures, reports. |
| CodePen | 92 | Tech | Profile | Front-end demos and profile link. |
| Kaggle | 92 | AI | Profile | AI/data science community. Notebooks with links. |
| Houzz | 92 | Home | Profile | Niche — home/interior products. |
| LiveJournal | 91 | Any | Blog | Legacy but high DR. Blog with dofollow links. |
| Bandcamp | 91 | Music | Profile | Niche — audio products. |
| Dev.to | 90 | Tech | Blog | Technical articles with dofollow links. Cross-post with canonical URL. |
| Gravatar | 90 | Professional | Profile | Profile with website link. Quick setup. |
| Replit | 90 | Tech | Code host | Profile link. Interactive demos. |
| CodeProject | 90 | Tech | Blog | Technical articles for dev audience. |
| Jimdo | 89 | Any | Blog | Free site builder with profile link. |
| Calameo | 89 | Any | Content | Digital publishing platform. Upload PDFs. |
| Buy Me a Coffee | 88 | Creator | Profile | Creator page with product links. |
| ArtStation | 88 | Design | Profile | Portfolio for creative/design products. |
| 500px | 88 | Photography | Profile | Product imagery with profile link. |
| IndiaMART | 87 | B2B | Profile | Indian B2B marketplace. Niche but high DR. |
| Strikingly | 87 | Any | Blog | Free one-page site with backlink. |
| Hashnode | 85 | Tech | Blog | Dev blogging. Custom domain support. Dofollow links. |
| About.me | 85 | Professional | Profile | One-page profile. Quick dofollow backlink. |
| Mixcloud | 85 | Music | Profile | Niche — audio/podcast products. |
| 4Shared | 85 | Any | Content | File sharing with profile link. |
| HubPages | 84 | Any | Blog | Article publishing platform. |
| AppSumo | 84 | E-commerce | Marketplace | SaaS deals marketplace. Great for launch visibility + backlink. |
| TeachersPayTeachers | 84 | Education | Profile | Niche — education products. |
| AuthorStream | 70 | Any | Content | Presentation sharing. |
| Model Mayhem | 72 | Design | Profile | Niche — creative industry. |
| Penzu | 60 | Any | Blog | Online journal with profile link. |
| Crevado | 50 | Design | Profile | Portfolio platform. |
| MyFolio | 55 | Design | Profile | Portfolio platform. |
Tier 9 — Local Business & General Directories
Relevant for products with a physical presence, local customer base, or business address. Also useful for any product wanting pure DR-building backlinks from established directories.
| Directory | DR | Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manta | 76 | Local business | US business directory. Free listing. |
| ActiveSearchResults | 74 | General | Search engine directory. |
| Hotfrog | 72 | Local business | International business directory. |
| Spoke | 70 | B2B | Business profile directory. |
| Locanto | 70 | General | Classifieds + business listings. International. |
| MerchantCircle | 68 | Local business | US small business directory. |
| Just Landed | 65 | Local business | International directory. |
| Showmelocal | 64 | Local business | US local search directory. |
| Cylex | 64 | Local business | International business directory. |
| Brownbook | 63 | Local business | Global business directory. |
| Tupalo | 62 | Local business | European business directory. |
| WebWiki | 60 | General | Website directory with reviews. |
| iBegin | 60 | Local business | US business directory. |
| CitySquares | 55 | Local business | US local business directory. |
| eLocal | 55 | Local business | US service provider directory. |
| 2FindLocal | 53 | Local business | US local directory. |
| Chamber of Commerce | 50 | Local business | Business directory + resources. |
| FindUsLocal | 50 | Local business | Local search directory. |
| ezlocal | 50 | Local business | US local business listings. |
| Yellow Pages Goes Green | 49 | Local business | Eco-friendly business directory. |
| Where To? | 46 | Local business | Local discovery directory. |
Tier 10 — Forums & Communities
Create a profile and participate in relevant communities. Most give dofollow profile links. Value comes from both the backlink and referral traffic from genuine participation. Follow the 90/10 rule: 90% helpful, 10% promotional.
| Forum | DR | Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strava Clubs | 90 | Fitness | Niche — fitness/health products only. |
| Foursquare | 90 | Hospitality | Business listing with dofollow link. |
| SitePoint Forums | 89 | Tech | Web dev community. Genuine participation required. |
| Mumsnet Forums | 85 | Family | Niche — family/parenting products. Large UK audience. |
| Digital Point | 82 | Marketing | SEO/marketing forum. |
| WebmasterWorld | 77 | Marketing | SEO/webmaster community. High editorial standards. |
| BlackHatWorld | 77 | Marketing | SEO/marketing forum. Despite the name, has legitimate discussions. |
| GrowthHackers | 76 | Marketing | Growth marketing community. Dofollow articles + profile. |
| Warrior Forum | 73 | Marketing | Internet marketing community. |
| Apsense | 72 | Marketing | Business networking + marketing forum. |
| ActiveRain | 70 | Real estate | Niche — real estate industry. |
| Quibblo | 55 | General | Quiz/poll community with profile links. |
Tier 11 — Press Release, Article & Blog Directory Sites
Publish articles or press releases to earn dofollow backlinks. Best for product launches, funding announcements, major feature releases. Some accept any topic, others are PR-specific.
Article & Blog Directories
| Site | DR | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feedspot | 80 | Blog directory | Blog discovery + RSS aggregation. Submit your blog. |
| Alltop | 73 | Blog directory | Guy Kawasaki's blog aggregator. |
| ArticlesBase | 70 | Article | Article publishing platform. |
| Blogarama | 64 | Blog directory | Blog directory with categories. |
| Sooper Articles | 60 | Article | Article submission site. |
| OnToplist | 60 | Blog directory | Blog ranking directory. |
| BlogEngage | 55 | Blog directory | Blog promotion community. |
| BizSugar | 55 | Business | Small business content sharing. |
| TechPluto | 50 | Marketing | Tech/marketing blog directory. |
Press Release Distribution
| Site | DR | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PRLog | 80 | Free press release distribution. Good reach. |
| PR.com | 77 | Free + paid press releases. Business directory too. |
| OpenPR | 72 | Free international press release distribution. |
| 1888 Press Release | 69 | Free press release site. |
| NewswireToday | 65 | Free press release distribution. |
| PR Free | 62 | Free press release site. |
Marketing & General Directories
| Site | DR | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SubmissionWebDirectory | 61 | General web directory. |
| Site Promotion Directory | 46 | Marketing-focused directory. |
| Semfirms | 45 | Marketing services directory. |
| CabinetM | 45 | Marketing technology directory. |
| Cold Email Kit | 44 | Email marketing directory. |
| Directory LDM Studio | 40 | General directory. |
| Quality Internet Directory | 39 | General web directory. |
| ProofStories | 32 | Marketing stories/case studies. |
Tier 12 — Social Bookmarking & Curation
Bookmark or curate content with dofollow links. Lower effort than publishing full articles. Most useful for building diverse backlink profile.
| Platform | DR | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Scoop.it | 91 | Content curation platform. Create topic pages with links. |
| Diigo | 85 | Social bookmarking + annotation. Profile + bookmark links. |
| Pearltrees | 84 | Visual content curation. Organize links into collections. |
| BibSonomy | 70 | Academic bookmarking. Best for research/data products. |
| Folkd | 64 | Social bookmarking. Tag and share links. |
Tier 13 — Niche Vertical Directories
Industry-specific directories. Only submit if your product genuinely fits the vertical — forced listings get rejected and waste time.
Legal
| Directory | DR | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Justia | 85 | Legal services directory. |
| Lawyers.com | 82 | Legal directory. |
Home & Construction
| Directory | DR | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Porch | 80 | Home services marketplace. |
| BuildZoom | 73 | Construction/contractor directory. |
| Tradify (FreeIndex) | 55 | UK trades directory. |
| iBuildNew | 45 | Australian home building directory. |
Hospitality & Food
| Directory | DR | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AllMenus | 76 | Restaurant directory. |
Design & Creative
| Directory | DR | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| LandBook | 72 | Web design inspiration gallery. Submit landing pages. |
| Curated.design | 52 | Design inspiration directory. |
| Webdesign Inspiration | 45 | Website design showcase. |
Health & Fitness
| Directory | DR | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wellness.com | 60 | Health & wellness directory. |
| YogaTrail | 55 | Yoga/wellness directory. |
| MassageTherapy (AMBP) | 45 | Massage therapy directory. |
| Athlinks | 72 | Fitness/race results. Profile with links. |
| Fit Pro Directory | 40 | Fitness professional directory. |
Real Estate
| Directory | DR | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Placester | 60 | Real estate marketing directory. |
B2B & International
| Directory | DR | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sulekha | 73 | Indian business directory. |
| EU-Business | 46 | European business directory. |
Events
| Directory | DR | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Evensi Events | 62 | Event discovery platform. |
Education
| Directory | DR | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| (TeachersPayTeachers listed in Tier 8 — Profile Platforms) |
Verification
After a submission goes live, follow Verify the Actual Backlink. Inspect the product's destination anchor in fetched HTML or the rendered DOM and record its href and rel tokens, including nofollow, sponsored, and ugc. HTTP headers or a canonical tag do not establish a backlink. Record missing or inaccessible links separately from observed unqualified links; none guarantees ranking credit.
Catalog descriptions and tracker defaults are planning assumptions, not evidence for your particular listing. An SEO tool's backlink report can help find a listing, but verify the current anchor and timestamp the observation before reporting its link type.
Re-check liveness before each campaign. Domains in this list were live when added, but small directories lapse and lookalike domains get bought. Run dig +short <domain> and open the root URL before submitting.
Re-verify quarterly. Directories sometimes change all outbound links to nofollow without warning — if DR stops moving, check whether your biggest inbound links have silently flipped.