Track every directory submission as a record with evidence, not as a hopeful backlink. Your tracker should show where you submitted, what happened, whether a public listing is currently live, the publisher-assigned link attribute, who can access the listing, and when to check again.
Create one record for each directory
Use one row, card, or dashboard record per directory. A useful tracker includes the directory name, submission URL, submission date, status, approval URL, domain rating, link type, UTM source, and notes. The approval URL is evidence that a listing is live, while UTM parameters help identify referral traffic separately in your analytics tool. SubmitSaaS’s tracking guide distinguishes these two jobs.
Do not count a submitted form as a published listing. Publishers decide whether to approve a submission and which link attribute to assign. Ranks notes that one daily submission does not guarantee one live backlink per day.
- Directory and submission URL: identify the directory and exact submission route.
- Submission date: establishes the timeline for checks and follow-ups.
- Status: record the current observed state rather than an expected outcome.
- Live URL: add it after opening a public listing that resolves.
- Link attribute: record the publisher-assigned attribute observed on the listing.
- Credentials or access method: retain the information needed to update the listing when access is available.
- Next follow-up: enter a specific date and action.
| Field | What to record | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Directory | Directory name and submission URL | Lets teammates locate the source and submission route. |
| Submission date | Date the form was sent | Drives a repeatable follow-up schedule. |
| Status | Pending, Approved, Rejected, or Stale | Keeps submissions separate from live listings. |
| Live URL | Public URL that resolves | Provides evidence of a current listing. |
| Link attribute | Observed publisher-assigned attribute | Separates link classification from approval status. |
| Access | Login or managed-email access method | Supports edits where the directory permits them. |
| Next follow-up | Date plus next check | Keeps unresolved entries visible. |
Use statuses that mean one thing
Give each status an observable meaning. Approval is a publisher decision you have observed. A live URL is evidence that a public page currently resolves. Record both when possible instead of assuming that one observation proves the other.
Keep link attribute in its own field, not in the status. An approved listing can carry a publisher-assigned dofollow, nofollow, UGC, or sponsored attribute, and that classification does not alter the approval outcome.
- Pending: submitted, with no observed approval or rejection.
- Approved: publisher approval has been observed and listing evidence is recorded.
- Rejected: a publisher rejection has been observed.
- Stale: the follow-up window passed without a recorded resolution. It is unresolved, not rejected.
- Live-listing audit: confirm the public URL resolves, verify the expected link attribute, and review whether the description is current.
The submission date is recorded, but no approval or rejection has been observed.
Publisher approval and listing evidence have been recorded.
A publisher rejection has been observed and noted.
The follow-up window passed without a recorded resolution.
Schedule follow-ups instead of relying on memory
Set the next follow-up as you create the record. One documented cadence is to mark a new submission Pending on day 0, check email confirmation around day 7, check for approval or rejection around day 14, follow up around day 30 when appropriate, and mark the record Stale around day 60 if it remains unresolved. SubmitSaaS also recommends quarterly audits of live listings.
A quarterly audit helps detect silent changes that no notification has reported. Open the recorded live URL, verify that it resolves, inspect the observed link attribute, and compare the description with current positioning. Record the observation date to distinguish current evidence from an earlier result. Adjust the audit cadence based on the listing’s value and your team’s available time.
- Day 0: create the record, mark it Pending, and schedule the day-7 check.
- Around day 7: check the submission inbox or confirmation message and log what you observe.
- Around day 14: check for approval or rejection. Add a live URL only when a public listing resolves.
- Around day 30: use an appropriate follow-up route if the directory provides one.
- Around day 60: mark unresolved records Stale while retaining submission history.
- Quarterly: independently audit live listings and timestamp the observation.
Record the directory, destination URL, date, Pending status, and next check.
Review confirmation and approval or rejection evidence on scheduled dates.
Open the public URL and record the current link attribute and listing details.
Audit valuable listings periodically and timestamp each new observation.
Keep access details useful and controlled
Directories handle account access differently. Record whether a listing uses a login, a managed email-link workflow, or another access method. Keep sensitive credentials in your approved secure system rather than a broadly shared spreadsheet. Also note whether editing is available for that particular listing.
Ranks records saved directory listing credentials when possible. Some directories use managed email links instead of passwords, and editability depends on the directory. An access-method field is therefore more accurate than assuming every listing has a reusable username and password.
- Record the account email or access owner so approval messages can be located later.
- Link to the secure credential location instead of placing passwords in an open tracker.
- Note the actual edit route once you have observed it.
- After updating a listing, record the description-review date and schedule another live audit.
Centralize submission tracking in Ranks
For teams that want this record beside ongoing SEO work, Ranks centralizes submission history, publisher, domain rating, approval status, and publisher-assigned attributes including dofollow, nofollow, UGC, and sponsored. It handles submissions and account creation where needed, then tracks submissions through publication checks.
Treat the dashboard as the operating record. Inspect approval status before reporting a result, use a live listing as public evidence, and check the recorded link attribute after publication. For valuable listings, assign a manual next-review date to a person or task system.
The paid plan includes one targeted blog article per day, one vetted backlink submission per day, Google rankings and traffic tracking, Vercel live traffic tracking, and submission tracking with saved logins. Ranks lists a $99 monthly launch price per project for subscribers at that rate, locked for those users. Its stated future rate for new subscribers is $149 per month per project. New users can create one free project with one targeted article and one vetted backlink submission, with no credit card, no expiry, and no automatic conversion to a paid subscription.
- Inspect approval status before considering a submission complete.
- Use the recorded publisher and domain rating to identify each listing source.
- Check the publisher-assigned link attribute once a listing is live.
- Use saved access details where available and document managed-email access where required.
Turn your tracker into a weekly decision tool
Review Pending and Stale records weekly, while judging live listings with separate evidence fields. A submission is work completed. Approved is a publisher outcome. A resolving live URL is evidence of current public availability. An observed link attribute is a separate classification. This structure makes reporting credible and clarifies whether to follow up, refresh a description, or retain the listing.
A durable tracker supports team handoffs and directory changes. Every record should answer the same questions: what was submitted, what the publisher decided, where the public listing is, how it currently links, who can manage it, and what happens next.