The product launch video checklist

Before you publish a launch video, check five things: it shows the product in the first seconds, every claim is true today, it makes sense with the sound off, you have the right format for each channel, and you have the right to use everything on screen. The full checklist below is ordered by when to do each step.

Use this however you make the video, whether you record it, hire someone or use a tool. The timings suit a small team and are only a suggestion. If you have less time, keep the accuracy and rights sections, since mistakes there cost the most to fix after posting.

Two weeks before: decide the message

• Write down who the video is for, in one sentence.
• Pick one main action or result to show. Leave the rest for your site.
• Choose where it will be posted, so you know which formats you need.
• Decide what you want viewers to do afterward, and make sure that page is ready.
• Pick the kind of video you need. See launch video vs demo vs explainer if you are unsure.

Ten days before: script and accuracy

• Draft the hook, product section, specifics and call to action. The script template gives a structure.
• Write at least three hooks, so you have alternatives.
• Beside every factual statement, paste the line on your site that supports it.
• Remove any number you cannot source.
• Make sure you have permission before using any customer name, logo or quote.
• Check the price, plan names and feature names against what will be live on launch day.

One week before: produce it

• Use real screens with realistic sample data, and do not show real customer data.
• Hide notifications, bookmarks, private tabs and personal details.
• Show the product within the first few seconds.
• Keep each on-screen line short enough to read at normal speed.
• Make sure the interface in the video matches what people will see on launch day.
• Keep your logo brief. It is not the reason anyone is watching.

Format check

The formats guide gives platform limits and sources. Each format needs its own layout where possible, because cropping a wide video to vertical tends to cut off your interface.

Three days before: review

1. Watch it on a phone with the sound off. Can you tell what the product is?
2. Watch it with the sound on. Does the music fit, and is any voice clear?
3. Show it to someone who does not know the product, then ask them what it does and who it is for.
4. Read every word for spelling, including your product name.
5. Click the link you will send people to, on a phone.
6. Ask someone else to check every claim against your site.

Rights and permissions

• You own or have a license for the music, for every place you plan to use it, including paid ads if relevant.
• You have the right to show any third-party logos and screenshots.
• Fonts and stock images are licensed for commercial use.
• If you are promoting a client's product, you have written permission to use their brand.
• If you used AI-generated people or voices, check that the platform's disclosure rules do not apply, or follow them if they do.

Two days before: upload and schedule

• Upload to YouTube first, so processing is done and the link is ready.
• For Product Hunt, check its current media rules. Launches go live at 12:01 AM Pacific, so plan your own posts around that. Our Product Hunt steps go into detail.
• Upload natively to each social platform when you can, instead of pasting a link.
• Write the captions and alt text for each post now, while you have time.
• Keep the original files somewhere safe. Do not rely on a tool or a person to store them. LaunchTrailer, for instance, removes finished videos 90 days after rendering.

Launch day

• Post the video where your audience already is, then answer every comment you can.
• Check the first post on a phone, in case a platform has cropped or compressed it badly.
• Pin the best-fitting version to your profile for the day.
• Do not ask outright for Product Hunt upvotes. Its guide says this can get a launch disqualified.

The week after

• Note which hook got the most watch time and clicks on each platform, using each platform's own analytics.
• Fix anything that turned out to be wrong, even small things.
• Add the best version to your landing page, if it still fits.
• Save the script and your notes for next time. Your next launch will start from a better draft.
• Cancel any subscription you only needed for the launch. Keep your downloaded files.

The short version

If you can only do five things, show the product first, confirm every claim, test it on mute, make the right format for each channel, and check your link on a phone. With LaunchTrailer, the review screen puts the source quote beside each claim, and you confirm they are accurate before anything renders. A free preview of your own product needs no card, so you can see your draft before you commit to anything.

Sources

Checked on November 1, 2026. Prices and limits change, so confirm them with the source.

• Product Hunt: How to post a product
• Product Hunt: Launch guide

Read next

• How to make a Product Hunt video
• Video formats and lengths by platform
• All posts