How to Get a Free Dofollow Backlink from Claude AI Directory

If you have built an MCP server, a Claude skill, or an app made with Claude, there is a free directory that gives each launch its own page and a link back to your site. The catch is that the link is only dofollow if you show the directory's badge. This guide covers how it works, based on a post from a builder who checked several live launches, and on the directory's own submission page.

What is Claude AI Directory?

Claude AI Directory lists things built with or for Claude. Its launch page says you can submit web apps, MCP servers, skills, agents (subagents for Claude Code), Claude Code plugins and workflows. A launch gets its own page where people can upvote and comment, a post on the community feed, a share image for X and LinkedIn, and basic analytics (impressions, page views and clicks).

DR and link attributes

Domain Rating: the source post doesn't give a DR figure, and I don't have a verified one, so I'm not quoting a number. Check the domain in your own SEO tool.
Link type: it depends on the badge.
- With the badge verified on your site, the link from your launch page is dofollow. The directory says this on its submission page.
- Without the badge, the launch is published for free with a nofollow link and listed below the others.
What the post observed: the author checked 7 launches. The 4 that showed the badge had dofollow links and the 3 without it had nofollow links.
Cost: free. The directory also mentions that you can upgrade later. I didn't verify what the upgrade costs or includes.

Step-by-step: how to get listed

Step 1: Open the submit page

Go to claudeai.directory/launches/submit.

Step 2: Paste your website URL

The directory reads the page and fills in the name, pitch, description, topics and a first comment for you to review.

Step 3: Choose the type

Pick what you're launching: MCP server, skill, agent or web app (the directory also lists plugins and workflows).

Step 4: Add the badge to your site or README

Put the Claude AI Directory badge in your site footer or in your GitHub README, as the source post suggests. The directory says either a site or a README works. Use the badge code the directory gives you during submission. I couldn't find a public badge page to link to, so I'm not going to guess at the snippet.

Step 5: Publish

Publish the launch. The directory says that with the badge, the launch goes live as soon as it finds the badge on your page. After that, the website button on your launch page turns dofollow, according to the post. You can edit everything except the website address from your dashboard later.

Caveats and common pitfalls

No badge, no dofollow. Without it you still get a free page, but the link is nofollow.
It has to be findable. The badge must be on a page the directory can find, so don't hide it behind a login.
The badge is a link back. You are agreeing to a mutual link. One badge in a footer or README is common practice, but don't treat it as a scalable tactic.
Verify the result. After your launch is live, inspect the website button for rel="nofollow", ugc or sponsored. Directory markup can change.
The sample was small. The 4-versus-3 observation comes from one person checking 7 launches.
Be honest about the product. The directory is for things built with or for Claude.

Which sites is this good for?

MCP servers, Claude skills, Claude Code plugins and agents, especially open-source projects that already have a GitHub README.
Web apps built with Claude or the Claude API.
Developer tools that want exposure to people browsing for Claude-related projects.
A poor fit for products with no connection to Claude.