Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Directory Submissions Planner agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The Directory Submissions Planner is an agent skill, a packaged set of instructions and reference files that an AI coding or chat agent loads when it recognises a matching request. Once it is installed, the agent plans where to list your product (startup, SaaS, AI, agent/MCP and review directories), in what order, and with what wording for each one. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it, and what to watch for.
Directory Submissions Plannercoreyhaines31/marketingskills · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download and unzip. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it to get the directory-submissions folder.
- 2Place the skill. Move the folder to ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or to .claude/skills/ in one project. Alternatively, upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
- 3Prepare your landing pages. Make sure your product is publicly accessible, with a pricing page, privacy policy, terms, logo assets and alternative and use-case pages live.
- 4Ask for a readiness check. Send a request such as 'run the readiness check for my product' and answer the nine questions honestly.
- 5Request a tiered plan. Ask for a plan for your category, for example AI directories or MCP registries, and receive the tier order and timing.
- 6Generate positioning variants. Ask for a description for each directory type, using the positioning library, so no two listings have identical copy.
- 7Track and review. Log each submission in the CSV tracker and review which listings bring traffic and leads.
What is an agent skill, and what does this one do?
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file plus optional reference files. When your request matches the skill's description, the agent reads those instructions and follows them, so you get a consistent workflow instead of generic advice.
The directory-submissions skill is built around the idea that directory listings are the foundation layer of distribution, not the whole strategy. Its goal is to help you build backlinks and discovery that actually lead to signups rather than vanity links.
- Checks that your website is ready before any submission, since directories should only link to live, complete landing pages.
- Supplies a tiered directory list, from flagship launch sites to agent/MCP registries and review sites.
- Provides positioning variants so each directory gets a description suited to its audience.
- Includes a CSV template for tracking submissions.
Install the directory-submissions skill
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it. Then choose one of the two install locations below, or upload the skill through the Claude apps.
For a personal install that applies across your projects, place the unzipped folder in ~/.claude/skills/. To limit it to one project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder instead.
If you use the Claude apps, open Settings, go to Capabilities, and upload the skill under Skills.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: .claude/skills/ inside your project
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills (upload)
Check the files before you rely on the skill
The package contains SKILL.md, three reference files (directory-list.md, positioning-variations.md and submission-tracker-template.csv) and an evals/evals.json file. Read SKILL.md first, since it sets the workflow and rules the agent will follow.
The directory list is a snapshot. The skill notes that domain rating values are approximate and drift over time, so verify them in Ahrefs or Moz before building a plan around them.
- SKILL.md: the workflow, hard rules and tier summary
- references/directory-list.md: the full directory catalogue by tier
- references/positioning-variations.md: lead sentence patterns per directory type
- references/submission-tracker-template.csv: tracking sheet
- evals/evals.json: evaluation cases
How do you trigger the skill with natural requests?
You do not need a special command. Describe what you want in plain language. The skill's description lists trigger phrases such as 'submit to directories', 'list my product', 'submit to Product Hunt', 'MCP registry', 'publish my MCP server', 'G2 listing', 'AI directories' and 'directory tracker'.
Give the agent context about your product, such as its category, whether it is an MCP server or agent tool, and whether you are launching or running an ongoing campaign. The skill's readiness questions will then shape the plan.
- "Help me plan directory submissions for my no-code form builder."
- "Which directories should I submit my MCP server to, and in what order?"
- "Write me a positioning variant for AlternativeTo and one for TAAFT."
- "Set up a submission tracker for my launch directories."
- "Run the readiness check before I list my SaaS anywhere."
What the skill asks you before it plans
Before recommending directories, the skill runs a readiness assessment of nine questions. Any 'no' on the first seven is a hard block, meaning the skill will help you build the missing piece first. The last two are soft blocks: you can still launch, but you lose some review value.
The questions cover public access, a pricing page (even 'free while in beta'), privacy policy and terms, logo assets in PNG, SVG, square and favicon formats, screenshots and a demo video, landing page structure, at least three alternative pages and three use-case pages, a template gallery or lead magnet if relevant, and at least 20 early users who could leave a G2 review.
- Hard blocks: questions 1 to 7 (access, pricing, legal pages, assets, landing pages, alternative and use-case pages)
- Soft blocks: questions 8 and 9 (template gallery or lead magnet, early user reviews)
Understand the tiers and the order of submission
The skill sorts directories into tiers and assigns each a timing window. Tier 1 flagship launch platforms (such as Product Hunt and Hacker News) are for launch week only. Tier 2 startup and SaaS directories (such as AlternativeTo, SaaSHub, G2 and Capterra) run in week one and on a rolling basis.
Tier 3 covers AI directories, Tier 4 covers agent and MCP registries, and Tier 5 covers no-code directories. Later tiers include best-of listicles, integration marketplaces, profile platforms, local business directories, forums and press release sites. The skill advises participating in forums before posting in them.
- Tier 1: launch week only
- Tier 2: week 1 and rolling
- Tier 3: weeks 1 to 3
- Tier 4: weeks 1 to 3, if MCP or agent-facing; the official MCP Registry comes first
- Tier 5: weeks 1 to 3, if no-code
Use positioning variants instead of copy-paste
The skill's rule is that you should never paste the same description everywhere. It recommends a different lead for each surface: outcome for startup directories, alternative framing for SaaS directories, AI-first architecture for AI directories, agent or MCP angle for agent and MCP registries, ease plus power for no-code, technical depth for developer directories, and ROI plus use case for B2B review sites.
The variants library includes lead sentence patterns with placeholders such as [product], [category] and [competitors] that you swap for your real values.
- Startup directories: lead with the outcome
- SaaS directories: lead with the alternative framing
- AI directories: lead with AI-first architecture
- Agent/MCP directories: lead with the agent or MCP angle
- B2B review sites: lead with ROI and use case
Track submissions with the CSV template
Open references/submission-tracker-template.csv in a spreadsheet tool, or ask the agent to adapt it for your campaign. Log each directory, its tier, the date you submitted, the positioning variant you used and the status. Tracking lets you see which listings produce referral traffic or leads, rather than counting links alone.
- Record the directory, tier, submission status and positioning variant used
- Review which listings bring referral visits, not just backlinks
What people use it for
- Planning a launch week that sequences Product Hunt, BetaList and Show HN against a readiness checklist.
- Publishing an MCP server by working through the official MCP Registry first, then other MCP and agent registries.
- Building a rolling backlink campaign for a SaaS product, tracked in a CSV sheet.
- Writing distinct listing descriptions for AI directories, startup directories and B2B review sites from one product.
- Deciding whether a product is ready to list, by working through the readiness questions first.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the directory submissions agent skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it. Place the folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload it in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Does the directory submissions skill require anything else?
The source lists no requirements. It does not run scripts and does not use the network, according to the skill's listing.
Is the directory submissions skill free?
The skill is published under the MIT licence. The directory list notes that most listings are free unless marked otherwise, but the source does not give pricing for every directory, so check each one.
Does the skill submit my product to directories automatically?
No. The files describe planning and manual steps rather than a submission script, so you submit to each directory yourself.
Which directories does the skill cover?
It covers startup, SaaS, AI, agent and MCP registries, no-code directories, review sites such as G2 and Capterra, best-of listicles, integration marketplaces, profile platforms, local directories, forums and press release sites.
How is this different from a general launch guide?
The skill focuses on the directory layer. The skill itself points to separate skills for the broader launch moment, programmatic SEO pages and AI citation optimisation.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you are a founder, marketer or developer planning the directory part of a launch or an ongoing backlink campaign, especially if you publish an MCP server or agent tool. Pick something else if you need a complete launch strategy or fully automated mass submissions, since the skill is a planning and manual-steps tool and says directories are only a foundation layer.
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