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Merit Directory: requirements, how to submit, and what you actually get
A tidy general-purpose directory that rejects link manipulation in its guidelines and then nofollows every link anyway.
meritdirectory.com
Eligibility
Who Merit Directory accepts
You need
An account, though Google, LinkedIn or GitHub sign-in covers it
A working URL and a description written for a reader
You'll be rejected if
Broken, inaccessible or misleading URLs
Duplicate submissions for the same listing
Descriptions filled with spam or excessive keywords
Pages with very little useful information
Submissions created only for link manipulation with no real user value
WebsitesSaaS toolsAI toolsBusiness servicesCommunitiesArticles
What you actually get
A clean listing page carrying your description, category, type, tags and contact details, inside an archive of roughly 540 entries. It passes no link equity: every outbound link on the site is rel=nofollow noopener, verified on the index and on a listing page. So this is a discovery listing and a tidy one, not a backlink, and the honest reason to spend the ten minutes is the page itself rather than anything it sends you.
How to submit to Merit Directory
1
Sign in through Auth0
The submit page bounces to a hosted Auth0 login offering Google, LinkedIn and GitHub next to email and password. It is still branded GreyDirectory, the name the site used before the rebrand.
2
Start with the URL
The form opens with a single Website URL field and a Continue button, with Continue Manually beside it if you would rather fill everything yourself.
3
Pick a type and a category
Type is a list of 15 including Tool / Software, Website, Community, Publication and Project. Category is a much longer list, heavy on AI subcategories. Both are required, and the guidelines say a wrong category is grounds for rejection.
4
Fill the rest and send
Name (255 characters), a short description and an optional extended one, tags, and optional email, phone and a full postal address. Location fields are there because this takes local businesses too; skip them for a web product.
Merit Directory requirements
Account (Google, LinkedIn or GitHub sign-in works)
Website URL
Listing name, up to 255 characters
Listing type from their 15
Category from their list
Short description
Extended descriptionoptional
Tagsoptional
Contact email and phoneoptional
Street address, city, state, postal code, countryoptional
Gotchas
Every link here is nofollow. Checked on the archive and on a live listing page: rel=nofollow noopener throughout. Their guidelines reject submissions made only for link manipulation, and the nofollow makes sure of it.
The site was GreyDirectory.com until recently and the login screen still says so, which is disconcerting mid-flow but is the same operator, not a phishing page.
The address fields exist because this is a general-purpose directory that takes local businesses. Leave them empty for a web product rather than inventing a location to look complete.
Listings can be edited by them after the fact: the guidelines reserve the right to adjust formatting, category, spelling and clarity, so the copy that goes live may not be the copy you wrote.
Let your agent submit to Merit Directory
Connect SubmitMap to your AI over MCP and this page stops being something you read and copy. Your agent asks for the Merit Directory playbook and gets the brief for this exact form, with the values already taken from your submission pack instead of placeholders you fill in by hand.
What it does for this platform
Checks your product against the 7 Merit Directory rules above, so you find out you would be rejected before you open a tab.
Hands your agent all 10 fields this form asks for, 4 of them optional, already filled from your pack.
Types it into Merit Directory in your own browser, and stops for you when the form wants a sign-in.
Records what it sent, so the dashboard can answer "did I ever submit to Merit Directory?".
Connect your agentTools and endpointsWorks with Claude Code, Claude, Codex, Cursor, VS Code and Hermes.
Merit Directory FAQ
How long does Merit Directory approval take?
Merit Directory's typical time from submission to going live is after review.
How much does it cost to submit to Merit Directory?
Submitting to Merit Directory is free.
Does Merit Directory give a dofollow backlink?
No, links from Merit Directory are nofollow. The site has a domain rating of 8.
Does Merit Directory require a backlink to your site?
No, Merit Directory does not require a link back from your site.
What gets you rejected from Merit Directory?
Broken, inaccessible or misleading URLs; Duplicate submissions for the same listing; Descriptions filled with spam or excessive keywords; Pages with very little useful information; Submissions created only for link manipulation with no real user value.