Launch catalog / Playbook
AINewTool
Conditional free route ai-directory
Researched from public pages — no submission was run · sources read 2026-09-25. Rules change — recheck the platform's own pages before submitting.
What the free route requires
- Free plan ($0) gives 1 dofollow link but REQUIRES badge verification: you must embed the AINewTool badge on your site and 'keep badge permanently - check regularly & unpublish if removed'
- Free submissions are 'reviewed within 30 days'
- Pro plan ($9.9 one-time) removes the backlink requirement and lists immediately ('List right now, publish whenever you want'), with >=3 dofollow links, featured placement, and newsletter/social sharing; Sponsor ($19.9/mo) adds site-wide banner promotion
Requirements
- AI tool / startup directory - submit via /submit after registering at /auth/register (registration page is a JS app; sign-in appeared on the submit flow)
- For the free tier: embed their badge/backlink on the submitted website and keep it live permanently
- Product fields typical of this directory family: name, URL, description, categories/tags (the site organizes by categories like AI, Productivity, Development, etc.)
Prepare before opening the form
- Account email (and possibly Google/GitHub OAuth - sister sites on the same stack offer these)
- Product name, URL, description, category picks
- Placement spot for their badge/backlink on your site if taking the free route
- Pro plan decision upfront if you don't want the permanent badge obligation
Workflow
- Register an account at https://ainewtool.site/auth/register
- Go to https://ainewtool.site/submit and fill the product form
- Choose the free plan (add their badge to your site before/after submitting; they verify it) or pay Pro $9.9 for badge-free instant listing
- Free route: wait for review within 30 days; keep the badge live - 'check regularly & unpublish if removed' means they re-crawl and delist if the badge disappears
Watch for
- Badge obligation is permanent and monitored - removing the badge gets the listing unpublished
- Promo banner: '50% OFF for PRO & SPONSOR ... EB50 ... Only 4/5 left' - a scarcity-style upsell
- Registration/submit pages are JS-rendered - text-only fetches return empty shells
- Sister-stack pattern: ainewtool.site shares its layout/badge model with newtool.site and similar directories - same traps apply
What counts as live
The tool has a public detail page on ainewtool.site and appears in Latest Products/category browsing
Not verified
- Exact badge HTML/placement requirements
- Whether free-tier review ever exceeds 30 days
- Whether the account supports OAuth providers