To make a Product Hunt video, cut a short wide video that shows your product working, upload it to YouTube as public or unlisted, and paste the full YouTube link into your submission. Product Hunt says only YouTube links are supported, so a direct file upload will not work.
This post covers the steps and the listing rules. If you want a tool to produce the video from your page, see our separate Product Hunt launch video maker page. Rules below were checked on November 1, 2026 against Product Hunt's help center. They can change, so look at the current form before launch day.
What Product Hunt asks for
| Item | Rule or recommendation | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Video link | Only YouTube links are supported, and short links will not load | How to post a product |
| Video privacy | Upload before launch and make sure it is not set to private | How to post a product |
| Gallery images | 1270 by 760 recommended, and at least 2 images before the gallery shows | How to post a product |
| Thumbnail | Square, 240 by 240 recommended, GIFs under 3 MB | How to post a product |
| Go-live time | 12:01 AM Pacific on your scheduled date | Launch guide |
Product Hunt's launch guide describes the video simply as a quick demo of the product doing its thing. We could not find a required length or resolution for it in Product Hunt's help pages.
Step 1: Decide what the video has to do
Your listing already has a name, a tagline, a description and images. The video has one job those cannot do, which is to show the product moving. Pick the single action that makes someone understand it. For an invoicing tool, that could be turning tracked hours into a finished invoice. For a bug tracker, it could be a report arriving in the inbox. Write that action down in one sentence before you open any editor.
Step 2: Write a short script
Plan four parts: a hook, the action, two or three specifics, and what to do next. Put each line on screen as large text, because many people will watch before they turn on sound. We go through this in detail, with worked examples, in the launch video script template.
Step 3: Prepare the product
- Use a clean account with realistic sample data. Empty dashboards do not show what the product does.
- Remove real customer names, emails and invoices from anything on screen.
- Hide browser bookmarks, notifications and other tabs.
- Set your display to a size that keeps text readable when the video plays in a small window.
Step 4: Produce the video
You have three realistic options. You can record and edit it yourself with a screen recorder, hire a person, or use a template tool. The cost comparison shows what each costs. Whichever you choose, export a wide 16:9 MP4. The recommended gallery images are landscape, and a vertical video would leave much of a wide player empty. For YouTube, its recommended settings are an MP4 container, H.264 video and AAC audio.
Step 5: Upload to YouTube and test the link
- Upload the 16:9 file to YouTube at least a few days before launch, so processing is finished.
- Set it to public or unlisted, not private.
- Write a title that names your product, and add a link to your site in the description.
- Copy the full URL from the address bar. Do not use a shortened link, since Product Hunt warns these will not load.
- Paste it into your draft, then open the link in a private window to confirm it plays without signing in.
Step 6: Fill in the rest of the gallery
Prepare at least two gallery images at 1270 by 760 that show different screens, with a short caption if it helps. If your product is easier to understand by clicking, Product Hunt also lists interactive demo tools, including Arcade, Storylane and Supademo, that can generate a link for your gallery at no cost. A clickable demo can sit alongside a video, so you do not have to choose only one.
Step 7: Reuse it on launch day
Your listing is one placement. You will probably also announce on LinkedIn, X and your own channels, where vertical and square versions usually fit better. Our guide to video formats by platform lists what to use where. Prepare those versions before launch day, since you will be busy answering comments once you are live.
One warning from Product Hunt's guide: never ask outright for upvotes, in the video or anywhere else. It says that breaks the rules and can get your launch disqualified. End your video with what the product does and where to try it.
A quick final check
- The first few seconds show what the product is, not a logo animation.
- Every claim on screen is true today, including the price.
- It makes sense with the sound off.
- The link plays in a private window, and the video is not private.
- You have watched it on a phone, where small text fails first.
To see a set made from your own page, start a free preview. You get your hooks, copy and storyboard with no card, and you can decide from there. Our launch video checklist covers the wider preparation.
See it on your own product
Paste your URL and get your own hooks, copy and storyboard in a few minutes. Free, no card needed. Subscribe at $49 a month only if you want the videos.
Sources
Checked on November 1, 2026. Prices and limits change, so confirm them with the source.