Launch catalog / Playbook
AI Tool Center
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): review in 5-7 days and a 'DR:51 dofollow link' - but ONLY 'as long as you maintain our backlink': you must add their link (<a href="https://aitoolcenter.com/" title="AI Tool Center">AI Tool Center</a>) to your site's footer and keep it
- Starter plan ($9.9 one-time): review in 36 hours, dofollow link, NO backlink required
- Pro plan ($29.9/mo): homepage + site-wide footer placement and multiple dofollow links
Requirements
- AI tools/products only (directory of 2,000+ AI websites/tools)
- Sign-in required: 'Please continue by logging in' with Google - and the login only works in Chrome, Edge, or Safari per the page's own warning
- Submit form fields: Tool Name, Tool URL, Your Email, plus a captcha
- Free tier explicitly requires embedding their footer backlink code before/after submitting ('To get a free dofollow link, you need to add and keep a backlink to aitoolcenter.com on your website')
Prepare before opening the form
- A Google account usable in Chrome/Edge/Safari for login
- Tool name, URL, and email
- The footer backlink snippet ready to place on your site if taking the free plan
- Or a payment method for Starter $9.9 (one-time) to skip the backlink
Workflow
- Open https://aitoolcenter.com/submit in Chrome, Edge, or Safari
- Sign in with Google (the page insists other browsers won't work for login)
- Fill Tool Name, Tool URL, Your Email, and complete the captcha
- For free: paste their footer link code onto your site, acknowledge 'I Understand', submit, and keep the link - review in 5-7 days
- For paid: use 'Submit Pack' / pricing (Starter $9.9 one-time, Pro $29.9/mo) for faster/no-backlink listing
Watch for
- Reciprocal-link condition: the dofollow backlink lasts only 'as long as you maintain our backlink' - removing it forfeits the listing's value
- Browser-locked Google login - the site itself says to use 'Chrome', 'Edge', or 'Safari'
- Captcha gate on the form
- Footer spam-links galore ('Friends' link swaps) - typical of this directory family; no extra requirements implied
- Pro plan is a subscription ($29.9/mo) while Starter is one-time ($9.9) - pick deliberately
What counts as live
The tool has a public detail page on aitoolcenter.com after review (5-7 days free / 36h paid)
Not verified
- Whether the backlink is verified automatically or manually, and how often re-checked
- Whether the captcha/login is enforced on the paid path too
- Rejection criteria beyond the backlink check