SnagFrogThe short answer: a release is a launch only if people hear about it. Tell the people who asked for it first, then tell everyone else where they already are, and a week later check whether it worked. SnagFrog gives every release a Release Day page that walks through each step and drafts what it can.
The launch day checklist
- Tell the people who asked: reporters of the bugs it fixes and voters of the features it ships.
- Post the story on X: a thread that leads with the problem it solves, not the version number.
- Email your subscribers, with a newsletter drafted from the release notes.
- Submit to launch directories you are not listed on yet.
- Answer Reddit threads where people ask for an app like yours.
- Reply to mentions on Hacker News, Bluesky, Mastodon and elsewhere.
- Ask for testimonials from the people the release helped.
- Read the week-one report card and compare it with the last launch.
Step 1: Publish the release
Publish the release on the app's Releases tab with the reports it fixes and the roadmap items it ships. That covers step 1: reporters and voters are emailed, and it goes on the public changelog. Then open the release's Release Day page.
Step 2: Draft the X thread
Release Day drafts a story-first X campaign from the release notes. The drafts open on the campaign's page, where you edit what doesn't sound like you and press Schedule. Nothing posts until then. See how to plan and schedule X posts.
Step 3: Email subscribers
If the app takes newsletter signups, Draft from the release starts a newsletter from its notes. Send yourself a test, then send it or schedule it.
Step 4: Post where it helps
Release Day lists, best first:
- launch directories that don't list the app yet, with their cost and authority;
- Reddit threads that Google shows for your searches;
- recent mentions of the app and its competitors.
Each opens the page that does the job. Tick a step done, or skip it.
Step 5: Ask for testimonials
The page lists the reporters the release helped. They are the people most likely to say something kind, right now. See how to collect testimonials.
Step 6: Read how it went
During launch week the page shows visits, errors and reports since the release, and release health says whether the new version is worse. A week later it keeps a report card against the previous release, so each launch teaches you something about the next.
Questions
What should I do on launch day for a new app version?
Tell the people who reported the bugs and voted for the features first. Then post the story of the release on X, email your newsletter, submit to launch directories you are not on yet, answer the threads where people ask for an app like yours, and ask the people the release helped for a testimonial. A week later, compare the launch with the last one.
Does SnagFrog post for me?
No. Release Day drafts the X thread and lists the directories, Reddit threads and mentions worth posting to, but you press every button. X posts go out only when you schedule them, and SnagFrog never posts, votes or messages on Reddit or in directories for you.
What is the week-one report card?
A week after the release, Release Day freezes how the launch went: visits from Google Analytics, errors and bug reports, against the release before. Later releases are compared against it.
Do I have to do every step?
No. Each step can be ticked done or skipped, and the page remembers. The X step counts as done once its campaign is scheduled.
Related guides
- How to publish a changelog for your app
- How to tell if a new release made your app worse
- How to add a public roadmap with feature voting
- How to collect testimonials from your users
All 21 guides, from an idea to a launched app.
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