How-to | how to build an ai tool directory
How To Build An AI Tool Directory
A guide to building an AI tool directory that can earn from affiliate links, sponsorships, and featured listings.
Choose a niche before choosing a stack
Directories need a reason to exist beyond indexing tools. Pick a workflow, buyer type, or software category.
- AI tools for sales teams
- AI video tools for creators
- AI automation tools for agencies
Create useful decision pages
Review pages, alternatives, comparisons, and use-case pages usually convert better than generic category archives.
- Review pages
- Comparison pages
- Best-for pages
- Workflow guides
FAQ
Are AI tool directories too competitive?
Broad directories are competitive. Narrow workflow directories can still be useful when they add decision context.
How do directories make money?
Common models include affiliate commissions, sponsorships, featured listings, and newsletter placements.
Related projects
AI Tool Directory
Curate a useful directory for a specific AI niche and earn from discovery traffic.
AI Affiliate Blog
Publish decision-focused content around a narrow AI software category.
AI Workflow Template Store
Sell reusable automation recipes with setup instructions.
Evidence and case studies
There's An AI For That: a 1.7M subscriber AI newsletter
A beehiiv-published case study about an AI-tools newsletter, human editorial review, testing, and sponsorship monetization.
Read breakdown