Needle Directory is the public product catalog on Needle (/directory). Builders list their SaaS or tools; visitors browse, search, and open listing pages with your positioning, media, and links.
It is not the same as Search or Trending Problems:
| Area | Job |
|---|---|
| Search | Find conversations in public communities (Reddit, Hacker News, GitHub, and others - by plan). |
| Trending Problems | See topics gaining momentum across communities. |
| Directory | List your product so people exploring Needle can find you in one curated place. |
Browse and discover
- Open Needle Directory to browse by category, search by name or tagline, and see top listings where the product shows them.
- Each listing has its own URL for sharing.
- The Directory header includes Home (Needle marketing site) plus Discover, Browse, Launch, and Pricing.
Submit your product
The owner flow is three steps:
1. Basics (/directory/submit)
Collect everything needed for your public page:
- Product name, slug, and website URL
- Tagline and description
- Primary and secondary categories, pricing model, and stage
- Optional support email, tags, social links, and demo video (YouTube, Vimeo, or Loom)
2. Setup (/directory/:slug/setup)
- Upload a logo (required before launch)
- Add optional screenshots
3. Launch (/directory/:slug/launch)
- Choose Community (free, next queue slot) or a Spotlight plan (paid, pick your UTC launch day)
- Complete backlink verification on Community, or use bundled skip on Spotlight
- Schedule launch - listings publish automatically on the chosen day
Incomplete or misleading listings are more likely to be rejected or removed during review.
Optional paid add-ons
- Spotlight launch plans - paid launch window with pin placement and verification skip bundled
- Verification skip - Community-only shortcut past badge verification
- Sponsored ad packs - home, browse, category, and product-surface placements (after go-live)
- Directory Reach - 700+ startup directories catalog + manual submission service (at
/directory/reach)
None of these replace a Search subscription.
How Directory works with Search
- Use Manual search to hear how people talk about the problem space and competitors.
- Turn on Auto Search for your brand so Needle checks again on its own on the schedule and sites you pick, with optional chat/webhook digests (Slack, Google Chat, etc. - plan-dependent) when there is something new.
- When you add competitors in Settings, matching posts can show competitor mentions so you spot comparisons faster.
Use Directory when you want a stable Needle page for your product - not instead of talking to customers in threads.