---
name: sales-awesomeindie
description: "Awesome Indie platform help — curated startup and indie product directory by Diogo Capela. Covers submission process, editorial queue, listing optimization, backlink details (DR ~19-31, dofollow status unconfirmed), and category selection. Use when your indie product isn't getting enough directory visibility, want to get listed on Awesome Indie but not sure how, listing isn't standing out, or wondering if Awesome Indie is worth submitting to. Do NOT use for multi-directory launch strategy (use /sales-launch-directory). Do NOT use for Product Hunt launches (use /product-hunt-launch)."
argument-hint: "[describe what you need help with on Awesome Indie]"
license: MIT
version: 1.0.0
tags: [sales, product-launch, startup, directory, platform]
github: "https://github.com/awesomeindie"
---

# Awesome Indie Platform Help

Helps the user submit to, optimize listings on, and get the most from Awesome Indie — a curated directory for indie products, micro-startups, and side projects.

## Step 1 — Gather context


If `references/learnings.md` exists, read it first for accumulated knowledge.

Ask the user:

1. **What do you need help with?**
   - A) Submitting a product to Awesome Indie
   - B) Optimizing an existing listing
   - C) Understanding if Awesome Indie is worth submitting to
   - D) Comparing Awesome Indie with other directories
   - E) Something else — describe it

2. **What's your product?**
   - A) SaaS / software tool
   - B) Mobile app
   - C) API / developer tool
   - D) No-code / low-code tool
   - E) Something else

3. **Have you submitted to other startup directories already?**
   - A) Yes — which ones?
   - B) No — this is my first
   - C) Planning a multi-directory launch

**If the user's request already provides most of this context, skip directly to the relevant step.** Lead with your best-effort answer using reasonable assumptions (stated explicitly), then ask only the most critical 1-2 clarifying questions at the end.

## Step 2 — Route or answer directly

If the request maps to a different skill, route:
- Multi-directory launch strategy → `/sales-launch-directory`
- Product Hunt launch → `/sales-producthunt`
- Email marketing to subscribers → `/sales-email-marketing`
- Landing page optimization → `/sales-checkout`
- Audience growth strategy → `/sales-audience-growth`
- Other specific directory platforms → hand off to that platform's skill

Otherwise, answer directly from the Awesome Indie reference below.

## Step 3 — Awesome Indie platform reference

### Platform overview

| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| URL | awesomeindie.com |
| Founded | May 2022 (launched on Product Hunt — #1 of the day, 271 upvotes) |
| Creator | Diogo Capela (fullstack developer, Portugal) |
| Model | Curated editorial directory — submit, review, queue, listed |
| Pricing | Free only — no paid tiers |
| Backlink | DR ~19-31 (sources conflict), dofollow status unconfirmed (one source says dofollow, another says nofollow — verify after listing) |
| Traffic | ~103 monthly visitors (very low — value is primarily the backlink) |
| Launch cycle | 1-3 products listed per day |
| Queue | Unknown length — editorial review required |
| Categories | AI, productivity, SaaS, developer tools, and more |
| Target audience | Indie makers, solo founders, bootstrapped startups, small teams |
| API | None |

### Submission process

1. **Create an account** on awesomeindie.com
2. **Fill out the submission form** — product name, description, URL, screenshots, category
3. **Wait for editorial review** — Awesome Indie curates manually, so there's a queue
4. **Check status** on the "my products" page
5. **Once approved**, your product enters the listing queue and goes live within the daily 1-3 product cap

### Submission requirements

- Product must have a dedicated website
- Must be made by a solo maker or small bootstrapped team
- Must be a real product (not a concept or landing page only)

### Backlink details

**Important: Backlink type is unconfirmed.** Sources conflict:
- One source (beehiiv newsletter) reports **dofollow, DR 19**
- Another source (LaunchDirectories) reports **nofollow, DR 27-31**

**Recommendation**: Submit regardless — even a nofollow backlink from a curated directory has value for discovery and referral diversity. After your listing goes live, inspect the HTML to confirm dofollow/nofollow status.

### How Awesome Indie compares

| Aspect | Awesome Indie | Open Launch | ProductBurst | SoloPush |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free / $12 premium | Free | Free |
| DR | ~19-31 | DR65 | DR46 | DR46-47 |
| Backlink | Unconfirmed | Dofollow (conditional free) | Dofollow | Dofollow |
| Queue | Editorial, unknown length | Queue (free) / next day ($12) | None — instant | None — instant |
| Traffic | ~103/mo | Higher | Higher | Higher |
| Paid option | None | $12 / $59 | Featured fee | None |
| Best for | Free backlink, indie credibility | Guaranteed backlink, rankings | Instant listing, daily ranking | No-pressure launch |

### Listing optimization tips

1. **Lead with the problem you solve** — Awesome Indie's audience is indie makers who appreciate clear, honest descriptions
2. **Include quality screenshots** — show the product in action, not marketing graphics
3. **Pick the right category** — browse existing listings in your category to see what performs well
4. **Keep it authentic** — this is an indie community, not an enterprise directory. Speak like a maker, not a marketer
5. **Add your maker story** — indie directories reward founder narratives

## Step 4 — Actionable guidance

Based on the user's situation, provide specific recommendations:

### For users considering whether to submit
- **Yes, submit** — it's free, takes 5 minutes, and adds a directory listing to your backlink profile
- **Set realistic expectations** — with ~103 monthly visitors, this won't drive significant traffic
- **Value is in the backlink** (if dofollow) and the credibility of being listed in a curated directory
- **Submit to higher-traffic directories first** — SoloPush, ProductBurst, Open Launch, then Awesome Indie as part of a broader sweep

### For users submitting
1. Prepare your listing: product name, one-line tagline, 2-3 sentence description, URL, screenshots
2. Create an account at awesomeindie.com
3. Submit and add UTM tracking: `?utm_source=awesomeindie&utm_medium=directory&utm_campaign=launch`
4. After listing goes live, verify backlink type (dofollow vs nofollow) by inspecting the HTML

### For multi-directory launchers
hand off: "This is a launch directory strategy question — run: `/sales-launch-directory {your question}`" for the full sequencing strategy. Awesome Indie fits into **Phase 3 — Free editorial queues** as a set-and-forget submission.

## Gotchas

*Best-effort from research — review these, especially items about backlink type and traffic that may change.*

- **Backlink type unconfirmed.** Sources conflict on dofollow vs nofollow. Always verify after your listing goes live.
- **DR varies by source and date.** Reported as DR 19, DR 27, and DR 31 across different sources and time periods. DR fluctuates — don't rely on exact numbers.
- **Very low traffic.** ~103 monthly visitors means negligible referral traffic. Submit for the backlink and credibility, not for user acquisition.
- **No paid fast-track.** Unlike Open Launch ($12) or OpenHunts ($9.90), there's no way to skip the queue. You wait for editorial review.
- **Queue length unknown.** No published data on how long the editorial queue takes. Could be days or weeks.
- **JS-rendered site.** The Awesome Indie website is heavily JavaScript-rendered (Next.js), which means some SEO tools may not correctly read your backlink. Use Google Search Console to verify indexing.

- **Self-improving**: If you discover something not covered here, append it to `references/learnings.md` with today's date.

## Related skills

- `/sales-launch-directory` — Coordinates submissions across 10+ startup directories with sequencing, backlink stacking, and budget allocation
- `/sales-openlaunch` — Open Launch platform help (open-source PH alternative, DR65 backlinks)
- `/sales-productburst` — ProductBurst platform help (daily/weekly rankings, instant listing)
- `/sales-solopush` — SoloPush platform help (no-pressure indie maker community)
- `/sales-openhunts` — OpenHunts platform help (weekly launch cycle, DR50 backlinks)
- `/sales-firsto` — Firsto platform help (fair launch platform, sustained SEO discovery)
- `/sales-producthunt` — Product Hunt platform help (largest launch platform, DR91 dofollow, 5M+ visits/mo)
- `/sales-do` — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install:
  `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do`

## Examples

### Example 1: Submit a product to Awesome Indie
**User says**: "I want to submit my SaaS tool to Awesome Indie"
**Skill does**:
1. Walks through the submission form requirements
2. Recommends optimizing the description for indie maker audience
3. Provides UTM tracking parameters to add
4. Reminds to verify backlink type after listing goes live
**Result**: Product submitted with optimized listing and tracking in place

### Example 2: Evaluate if Awesome Indie is worth it
**User says**: "Is Awesome Indie worth submitting to or should I skip it?"
**Skill does**:
1. Explains that it's free and takes 5 minutes — low cost, low risk
2. Notes the very low traffic (~103/mo) means minimal referral value
3. Recommends submitting as part of a broader directory sweep, not as a standalone strategy
4. Suggests prioritizing higher-impact directories first (SoloPush, ProductBurst, Open Launch)
**Result**: User understands where Awesome Indie fits in the directory hierarchy

### Example 3: Compare Awesome Indie with other free directories
**User says**: "What's the difference between Awesome Indie and SoloPush? Both are free."
**Skill does**:
1. Compares: SoloPush has instant listing, higher DR (46-47), confirmed dofollow, more traffic
2. Awesome Indie has editorial curation (more exclusive feel) but unconfirmed backlink type and lower traffic
3. Recommends submitting to both — SoloPush first (instant), Awesome Indie as a set-and-forget queue submission
**Result**: Clear comparison with actionable recommendation

## Troubleshooting

### Listing not appearing after submission
**Symptom**: Submitted days/weeks ago but product isn't listed
**Cause**: Awesome Indie has an editorial review queue. With 1-3 products listed per day, the queue can back up.
**Solution**: Check the "my products" page for status. If still pending after 2+ weeks, try reaching out via Twitter @awesomeindiehub. There's no paid fast-track option.

### Can't verify if backlink is dofollow
**Symptom**: Listing is live but unsure about backlink type
**Cause**: Sources conflict on dofollow vs nofollow status
**Solution**: Right-click your product link on Awesome Indie → Inspect Element → check for `rel="nofollow"` attribute. If no `rel="nofollow"`, the link is dofollow. Alternatively, use Ahrefs or Moz Link Explorer to check.

### Very low referral traffic from listing
**Symptom**: Listed on Awesome Indie but getting almost no traffic
**Cause**: Awesome Indie has ~103 monthly visitors. Even a prominent listing will drive single-digit monthly visits.
**Solution**: This is expected. The value of Awesome Indie is the backlink (if dofollow) and directory credibility, not traffic. For traffic, focus on higher-traffic directories like Product Hunt, Hacker News, or Open Launch. Use `/sales-launch-directory` for a full multi-directory strategy.