GlossaryLaunching
What is an upvote?
Also called: votes, product hunt upvotes
Definition
An upvote is a vote of support for a launch on a platform like Product Hunt. Upvotes largely decide where a launch sits on the leaderboard for its day or week.
Upvote, explained
On most launch platforms, visitors or members can upvote products they like. The leaderboard orders launches by those votes, and many platforms don't publish exactly how each vote is weighted. Top positions bring more visibility: homepage placement, newsletter features, badges like "Product of the Day".
Because upvotes are visible and competitive, they attract gaming. Platforms fight back. Product Hunt's launch guide puts it plainly: you cannot ask people directly to upvote your product; ask them to visit and comment instead. Platforms can discount votes that look coordinated, and launches caught gaming the board can be penalized. Buying upvotes is against the rules on every serious platform.
The upvote count itself matters less than it looks. What you actually want from a launch is people who try the product, give feedback and remember you. Comments and real conversations tend to produce those. A launch at number eight with thirty thoughtful comments is often worth more than one at number three with silent votes.
The honest way to do well: tell your existing users, newsletter and communities that you're launching and link to the page, answer every comment quickly and specifically, and have a clear offer or reason to try the product today. Weekly platforms give more time for this than daily ones.
On LaunchRanked, weekly leaderboards use ISO weeks, and upvotes decide the order within a week. Your followed link doesn't depend on votes; it depends on passing human review.
Why it matters for founders
Chasing upvotes with tricks risks your launch being penalized and doesn't bring users. Knowing how votes work lets you put the effort into comments and follow-up, which is where launches actually pay off.
Example
Instead of messaging friends "please upvote us", a founder posts "We're live on the weekly board today, would love your honest feedback on onboarding" with a link. People visit, comment, and some choose to upvote.
Common mistakes
- Asking directly for upvotes where the rules forbid it.
- Buying votes or using vote-exchange groups.
- Launching without a list of people to tell.
- Ignoring comments while watching the vote count.
Sources
Checked
Related terms
- Launch platformA launch platform is a website where makers post new products for a community to discover, vote on and discuss, usually on a daily or weekly cycle with a leaderboard. Product Hunt is the best-known example.
- MakerA maker is a person who built the product being launched, such as a founder, developer or designer, and is listed as such on a launch platform. A hunter is whoever submits the launch, who may not be a maker.
- Launch weekA launch week is either a week-long cycle on a weekly launch platform, where products compete on one leaderboard for seven days, or a company's own week of announcing a new feature every day.
- Badge backlinkA badge backlink is a small "Featured on" image with a link back to a launch platform or directory, placed on your site. Some platforms make their followed link to you conditional on keeping it.