AStarted by AXIS Editorial
Asked by makers — answered by AXIS. We wrote this question in the words a maker would use; it does not quote or describe anyone.
The question: "I submitted my app a few days ago and it isn't live yet. What is the process, and what gets submissions rejected?"
The answer.
Every submission is checked automatically, usually within the hour. One that passes every check is approved; anything the checks can't settle goes to a person, who decides within 48 hours. You get one of two outcomes, emailed to the address you give on the form: listed, with the link to your live page, or not listed, with the specific reason and how to fix it.
Not every submission is listed, and the bar is published on the launch page. The reasons a submission is turned down:
- No working public URL on the product's own page. The app must be reachable. A waitlist, a code repository or an app-store page on its own is not the product's page.
- Hype or claims nobody can check. "10,000 users" with nothing behind it sends the submission to a person, who turns it down unless the claim goes or the proof comes.
- Category mismatch — usually fixable, we suggest the right one.
- Anything the never-listed rules cover — equity or token sales, income guarantees, adult content, gambling, tools for deception, malware or scams.
Rejection is not a judgment on your company. It is a statement that the listing, as submitted, would not help a buyer or user evaluate you. Fix the specific thing named in the rejection email and resubmit; resubmitting is free, like every listing.
What is not required: revenue, a company entity, or a minimum age. A pre-revenue app is eligible. The bar is "real, reachable, honestly described."
If you were rejected and the reason given doesn't match this list, message Jonathan Arvay on LinkedIn with your submission date — the reason should always be specific enough to act on.
Follow-up question: "Will you rewrite my listing copy?"
No. A listing you submit goes up with the name, tagline, description and story you wrote; the story appears under "In the maker's words". What the checks look for is copy that describes the product instead of pitching it: superlatives like "revolutionary" and "game-changing" send a submission to a person instead of straight through, because a directory where every app is "revolutionary" helps nobody. Specifics do the work: "$900 MRR after 4 months, built on Claude plus a fine-tuned clause classifier" beats any adjective. To change your copy once it is live, reply to the email that told you it was listed.
The reviewer's-eye view, from the person every submission the checks can't settle goes to: the fastest path to approval is a listing nobody has to research. A working public URL, a one-sentence description that names the user and the task ("contract review for solo attorneys"), and a maker story that says plainly how the app was built. The form at /launch asks for exactly those and nothing else: no screenshots, no pricing sheet. A submission where someone has to work out what the app even does waits for a person instead of going straight through, and that is the whole difference.
Follow-up question: "If my app is rejected, is that on the record anywhere? I'm worried a buyer could find out later."
No. Rejections are private — logged internally for consistency, never published. Only published listings exist publicly. Resubmissions are reviewed fresh; we do not hold a prior rejection against you.
Follow-up question: "Can I pay for a faster review or a better chance of approval?"
No, and this matters: there is nothing to pay for. Every listing is free, every submission goes through the same checks, and anything those checks can't settle goes to a person, who decides within 48 hours (see pricing). The approval criteria are the same for everyone. If paying changed the answer, the curation would be worthless.
One fixable rejection worth naming: a primary URL that is a waitlist, a GitHub repository or an app-store page. Point it at the product's own page, the one where someone can see what the app does or start using it, even if that page is plain. It is the cheapest fix on the list.
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