LaunchReel AI / Launch topics / Product Hunt
Product Hunt launch day: what to post and what the video must do
Product Hunt launches run on a daily cycle, so the work is done the days before, not on the day.
On launch day you will be too busy answering comments to make anything, so everything the page needs has to exist the day before. This page is a plan for what to post and what the gallery video must do, for founders launching on Product Hunt. LaunchReel AI can make the film from your site's address ahead of time: a 16:9 film of about 30 seconds in your own colours and type, with short cuts for the posts around it.
What to have ready the day before
Treat launch day as a list of things that are already finished. The list is short, and each item has an owner, even if the owner is you.
- The tagline and the first paragraph of the description, written in the viewer's words.
- The gallery video, uploaded and linked, with a thumbnail that matches the tagline.
- A maker comment that opens on the same problem as the film.
- A short cut for the launch post on X and the email to your list.
What the gallery video must do
The video is the first item in the gallery and often the only one a visitor opens. It has one job: make someone stop scrolling and understand what the product does within the first few seconds. Open on the viewer's problem, show three concrete things the product does on your own screens, and close with the address.
Product Hunt takes the video as a link, so most makers upload a 16:9 file to YouTube and paste the address. Check Product Hunt's current guidance before the day, because the specs of the gallery can change.
How to make the film beforehand
Paste your site's address into LaunchReel. It reads the home page and up to three inner pages, writes a brief and a storyboard, and draws the film. You then change any shot by chat; only that shot is redrawn, and every version is kept. The longer guide, Product Hunt launch video: what to show and how long, covers the structure second by second, and the product launch video template lays out the shots.
On the day itself
Post the launch, reply to comments, and use the short cuts where they play natively. If a comment shows that one line of the film is unclear, you can pin that shot and rewrite it in a few minutes, without touching the rest. For the audience-specific version of this flow, see launch videos for Product Hunt and the use-case pages.
A checklist for the morning
On the morning itself there should be nothing left to make. Use this list to confirm that, and spend the day on replies.
- The video link opens and plays on a phone with the sound off.
- The thumbnail, tagline and the first line of the maker comment say the same thing.
- The short cut for X is uploaded and the post is drafted.
- The address on the last frame is the one on the Product Hunt page.
Why a short film beats a long demo on launch day
Launch-day visitors arrive from a list, with many tabs open and a few seconds of patience. A 30-second film respects that: it answers what the product is before they decide to leave, and it leaves the longer demo, the docs and the pricing to your own site, where the interested visitor goes next. A long video in the gallery mostly gets abandoned halfway.
Questions
How long before launch day should the video be ready?
At least a day, so the thumbnail, tagline and maker comment can be written to match it. Short cuts for the posts should be ready at the same time.
What length works best in the gallery?
About 30 seconds: enough for a hook, a reveal, three beats and a close, short enough to be watched through.
Can I change the video during the launch?
Yes. Pin the shot, say what to change, and only that shot is redrawn; you re-upload the new version and update the link.
Paste your link
Paste the address of your page and the first film is drawn from it. You can change any shot afterwards in the chat.