We’re building Ever Works in public. Some things may be incomplete, missing, or broken while we continue improving the platform.We’re building Ever Works in public — expect a few rough edges.
A comprehensive guide to getting started with Ever Works. Learn how to set up your first directory in minutes and start building your community.
Building a directory has never been easier. With Ever Works, you can create a professional, feature-rich directory in minutes, not weeks. Whether you're building a startup directory, tool collection, or community resource, this guide will walk you through every step.
🎯 What you'll learn: By the end of this guide, you'll have a fully functional directory with GitHub integration, custom branding, and your first listings.
The first step is creating your Ever Works account and connecting it to GitHub. This enables our unique GitHub-native storage system.
Visit everworks.com and click 'Get Started Free'. Enter your email and create a secure password. You'll receive a confirmation email to verify your account.
Authorize Ever Works to access your GitHub account. We'll create a private repository for your directory data. Don't worry - you maintain full control and ownership of your data.
Ever Works offers several pre-built templates to get you started quickly. Each template is optimized for different types of directories.
Perfect for showcasing startups, SaaS tools, and innovative products. Includes fields for funding, team size, and launch date.
Curate and organize useful tools and resources. Great for developer tools, design resources, or productivity apps.
Build a community resource center with member profiles, events, and discussions. Ideal for local communities or interest groups.
Now comes the fun part - making your directory uniquely yours. Ever Works provides powerful customization options without requiring any coding.
Upload your logo, choose your brand colors, and customize fonts. Our theme editor gives you real-time preview of all changes.
💡 Pro Tip: Use your brand's primary color for buttons and accents to maintain consistency with your other properties.
Set up categories and tags that make sense for your directory. These help users find what they're looking for quickly.
💡 Pro Tip: Start with 5-10 broad categories. You can always add more as your directory grows.
Configure what information you want to collect from submissions. Add custom fields, set required fields, and create validation rules.
💡 Pro Tip: Keep your submission form simple. The easier it is to submit, the more submissions you'll get.
Time to populate your directory! You can add listings manually or import from various sources.
💡 Pro Tip: Start with Quality - It's better to start with 10-20 high-quality, well-curated listings than 100 mediocre ones. Quality attracts more quality submissions and builds trust with your audience.
Add listings one by one through our intuitive interface. Perfect for curated, high-quality entries where you want full control.
Import from CSV, JSON, or other directories. Great for migrating existing data or adding multiple entries at once. We support most common formats.
Your directory is ready! Now it's time to share it with the world and start building your community.
Before going live, preview your directory and test all features. Check submission forms, search functionality, and mobile responsiveness.
💡 Pro Tip: Ask a friend to test the submission process. Fresh eyes often catch issues you might miss.
Share your directory on social media, relevant communities, and with your network. Create a launch post explaining what makes your directory unique.
💡 Pro Tip: Post on Product Hunt, Reddit, and Twitter for maximum visibility. Time your launch for Tuesday-Thursday for best engagement.
Contact potential contributors directly. Personalized outreach gets much better response rates than generic messages.
💡 Pro Tip: Start with people you know or have a connection with. They're more likely to be your first supporters.
Set up your meta tags, sitemap, and submit to search engines. Good SEO takes time but is crucial for long-term growth.
💡 Pro Tip: Focus on long-tail keywords specific to your niche. They're easier to rank for and attract more qualified traffic.
Track your analytics, gather feedback, and continuously improve. The best directories evolve based on user needs.
💡 Pro Tip: Set up Google Analytics and enable submission notifications to stay on top of activity.
Join thousands of creators who have built successful directories with Ever Works. Start for free, no credit card required.
Start Building Now