From a domain name to a live signal.
LaunchIndex uses a staged pipeline so expensive checks are reserved for the sites that need them.
- 01Candidate record
Discover
Candidate domains enter from discovery sources. We normalize names, remove duplicates, and keep the first-seen context.
- 02Network signal
Resolve
DNS and HTTP checks tell us whether a domain is reachable, parked, coming soon, blocked, or responding like a real site.
- 03Evidence
Inspect
Ambiguous pages can receive an isolated browser render. This is where screenshots and rendered signals help separate a thin placeholder from a live experience.
- 04Public profile
Publish
When the evidence crosses a confidence threshold, LaunchIndex records the first observed live time and publishes the launch to the directory.
Observed live is not the same as exact launch time.
Our timestamps describe when LaunchIndex first saw a site confidently live. They are useful signals, not a claim about the precise moment a founder pressed publish.
Read the methodology