Frequently Asked Questions
Answers about free tool listings, our review process, public ratings and reviews, featured placement, community activity and discovery.
What is The Tool Directory?+
The Tool Directory helps people discover and compare useful software, SaaS products, AI tools and focused online utilities. Profiles are designed to explain what a product does, who it is for, how it is priced and what other users think.
Is it free to submit a tool?+
Yes. Standard tool submissions are free. Every submission is reviewed before publication, and paid featuring is completely optional.
What kinds of tools can be listed?+
We welcome active online tools, software products, SaaS platforms, AI products and focused web utilities with a clear purpose and a public product website.
Does every submission get published?+
No. Free does not mean automatic approval. Our team reviews submissions for legitimacy, clarity, duplication and usefulness. We may edit unclear copy or decline products that are misleading, unfinished, unsafe, spam-focused or too thin to assess.
Why do you review tools before publishing them?+
The review step helps keep the directory useful. We would rather publish fewer profiles with enough context to help someone make a decision than fill the site with scraped links and vague promotional pages.
Can people leave ratings and reviews?+
Yes. Signed-in members can upvote, rate and leave written reviews based on their own experience. Public feedback is separate from paid promotion.
Can a maker pay for a better rating?+
No. Sponsored placement can buy extra visibility only. It cannot buy positive reviews, a higher rating, fake votes or a better organic community position.
What does Trending mean?+
Trending highlights tools receiving meaningful recent activity such as upvotes, follows, ratings, reviews, discussion and verified updates. It is designed to show what people are noticing now rather than only lifetime popularity.
Can makers rate or upvote their own tool?+
No. Verified makers cannot rate or upvote their own tool. This helps keep community signals more useful for people comparing products.
Can I claim an existing tool profile?+
Yes. Create an account and submit a claim using a work email or another verifiable connection to the product. Once approved, the profile can be connected to your account.
Can I update my tool after publication?+
Yes. Verified makers can keep key product details current and publish updates. The editorial description may still be edited for clarity and consistency across the directory.
What do the paid feature plans include?+
The 7-day plan costs US$15 and the 30-day plan costs US$40. Eligible tools can receive temporary homepage and category visibility plus a permanent dofollow website link.
Does the dofollow link expire?+
No. Once the permanent dofollow benefit has been enabled for an approved paid tool, it remains after the temporary featured placement ends.
What is the difference between Sponsored and Top Rated?+
Sponsored placements are paid promotional visibility and are labelled clearly. Top Rated is based on ratings from signed-in members. Paying for a feature does not create ratings, upvotes or awards.
How does The Tool Directory help search engines and AI systems understand tools?+
Profiles use consistent fields such as categories, use cases, audiences, platforms, pricing and ownership details. Public data is also available through read-only interfaces so automated systems have clearer context.
Does listing here guarantee an AI recommendation?+
No. Search engines and AI assistants decide independently what they crawl, cite or recommend. We can make public tool information easier to understand and measure observable access, but we cannot promise inclusion in a private AI answer.
What do the AI read numbers mean?+
AI reads are observable requests for public tool profiles or structured tool data from recognised AI crawlers, agents or compatible clients. They do not mean a tool was recommended, cited or endorsed inside an AI conversation.
How can I report incorrect information or a problematic review?+
Use the Contact page and include the tool name, profile URL and the detail that needs attention. We review correction requests and reports of spam, abuse or manipulated community activity.