Should I use a video or an interactive demo for a Product Hunt launch?

Both, but lead with the demo. Launch visitors are triaging dozens of products and a video asks for committed attention before they know if you are relevant, while a clickable demo answers that in two clicks. Use a video export of the same demo for the gallery.

Where should the demo link go on Product Hunt?

In the first two lines of your own first comment, and above the fold on the landing page it points to. Launch traffic will not scroll to find it and will not book a call to see it.

How do I prepare a demo for launch day?

Record it a week early, watch it on a phone since much of the traffic is mobile, and open it in a private window to confirm it works logged out. Also prepare a second short demo of the feature people ask about most, so you can answer with a link.

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Using an Interactive Demo for a Product Hunt Launch

August 18, 2026

Product Hunt traffic is wide, shallow and impatient. People are scrolling a list, they have no context, and they will give you seconds rather than minutes.

That rules out almost every asset except one: something that shows the product working, immediately, with no signup.

What goes where

Gallery image 1: the product doing its main job, cropped tight. Not a logo, not a tagline over a gradient.
The first comment (yours): a demo link in the first two lines, before anyone stops reading.
Your landing page: the demo above the fold. Launch traffic that clicks through should not have to scroll to find it.
A short video in the gallery if you have one, exported from the same demo so they match.

Why a demo beats a video here

Launch day viewers are triaging dozens of products. A video asks them to commit attention before they know if it is relevant; a clickable demo lets them find out in two clicks and leave if it is not.

The counter-intuitive part is that letting people leave quickly is good. The ones who stay have self-selected, and they are the ones worth having in your signup numbers.

Prepare before launch day, not during

Record the demo a week early and watch it on a phone, because a large share of launch traffic is mobile.
Check it logged out, in a private window. A demo that requires your session is the classic launch-morning disaster.
Make the link short and memorable, since you will paste it into dozens of comments.
Have a second, shorter demo for the one feature people keep asking about -- they will, and answering with a link is faster than typing.

After the launch

The demo keeps working long after the launch traffic is gone, which is more than can be said for the launch page itself. It becomes the homepage asset, the cold-email link and the answer to "what does it do".

Launch day is a good forcing function for building one, which is arguably its main benefit for most products.

Frequently asked questions

Should I use a video or an interactive demo for a Product Hunt launch?: Both, but lead with the demo. Launch visitors are triaging dozens of products and a video asks for committed attention before they know if you are relevant, while a clickable demo answers that in two clicks. Use a video export of the same demo for the gallery.
Where should the demo link go on Product Hunt?: In the first two lines of your own first comment, and above the fold on the landing page it points to. Launch traffic will not scroll to find it and will not book a call to see it.
How do I prepare a demo for launch day?: Record it a week early, watch it on a phone since much of the traffic is mobile, and open it in a private window to confirm it works logged out. Also prepare a second short demo of the feature people ask about most, so you can answer with a link.

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