sales-skills/sales-preshiplist

Preshiplist Platform Help

Step 1 — Gather context

If references/learnings.md exists, read it first for accumulated platform knowledge.

1. What are you trying to do?

   • A) Spin up a pre-launch waitlist landing page to validate a SaaS/app idea and collect emails
   • B) Point your own custom domain at the Preshiplist page
   • C) Set up the built-in email drip sequence (confirmation, launch-day, updates)
   • D) Get signups OUT of Preshiplist and into a CRM/ESP (there's no API — CSV export only)
   • E) Manage several products/waitlists from one account (portfolio)
   • F) Figure out pricing / what the free plan does and doesn't allow
   • G) Decide whether Preshiplist is the right fit vs a more developer-friendly waitlist tool

2. Where will the page live? A Preshiplist-hosted page vs your own custom domain — drives the DNS/custom-domain path.

3. Where do signups need to end up? Stay in Preshiplist and get the launch email from Preshiplist itself / need to reach a CRM or another ESP — drives whether the built-in drips are enough or you need the CSV-export workaround.

Skip-ahead rule: if the user's prompt already contains enough context, skip to Step 2.

Step 2 — Route or answer directly

| If the question is about... | Route to... | |---|---| | General audience/list-growth strategy across platforms | /sales-audience-growth [question] | | A waitlist with a documented REST API + built-in email broadcasts | /sales-waitlister [question] | | A developer waitlist with an unauthenticated signup API + leaderboard | /sales-getwaitlist [question] | | A validation-first waitlist with on-signup webhooks → Zapier/Make/Slack | /sales-waitlistly [question] | | One-time-pricing waitlist, form POST + webhooks | /sales-launchlist [question] | | Waitlists + giveaways/contests with a REST API + fraud webhooks | /sales-kickofflabs [question] | | Designing the broader launch email campaign strategy | /sales-email-marketing [question] |

When routing, give the exact command, e.g.: "This is a list-growth-strategy question — run: /sales-audience-growth [your question]."

If the question is Preshiplist-specific, continue to Step 3.

Step 3 — Preshiplist platform reference

Read references/platform-guide.md for the full reference — what's verified vs unconfirmed, capabilities tagged by automation surface, the built-in email-drip model, the CSV-only egress reality, the validation playbook, and a fit comparison vs Waitlister / GetWaitlist / Waitlistly / LaunchList.

Read references/preshiplist-api-reference.md for the programmatic surface — there is no public REST API, no webhooks, and no Zapier/Make. The sitemap holds only /, /features, /pricing, /blog, /founder-letter, /use-cases/*, /legal — no /api, /docs, or /integrations. The only way data leaves Preshiplist is a manual CSV export.

Answer the user's question using only the relevant section. Don't dump the full reference.

Step 4 — Actionable guidance

Focus on the user's specific situation:

• There is no API, no webhooks, and no Zapier/Make. State this plainly. The only way signup data leaves Preshiplist is a manual CSV export from the dashboard. To get signups into a CRM, export the CSV and import it (or script a CSV→CRM job over the exported file) — it is batch, not real-time. If real-time sync or an event webhook is a hard requirement, tell the user Preshiplist is the wrong tool and point them to /sales-getwaitlist, /sales-waitlister, or /sales-waitlistly.
• It sends the launch emails itself — that's the differentiator. Preshiplist has built-in, auto-branded drip sequences (signup confirmation, launch-day announcement, product updates) that you can add/remove/reschedule. So unlike capture-only waitlist tools, you do not need a separate ESP for the launch broadcast. Make sure the confirmation email fires immediately on signup (the window between signup and the first share is short).
• The free plan is draft-only. On the free tier you can build, customize, and preview a waitlist but cannot publish it or collect signups — going live requires a paid tier. Say this explicitly when anyone asks "is there a free plan."
• Present all pricing as best-effort. Exact paid prices aren't published on the pricing page (launch/quarterly pricing) — quote tier names and structure, flag figures as unconfirmed, and point the user to preshiplist.co/pricing to confirm. Refund windows are 30-day (monthly) / 60-day (quarterly) / 90-day (yearly).
• Multiple products need the higher tier. One product is allowed on the entry paid tier; unlimited products + portfolio-wide metrics require the Serious Builder tier (Lifetime Partner is a one-time-payment version).
• It's a young indie tool with no public docs. Verify plan gates, deliverability, and whether any referral mechanism exists in-app before committing a mission-critical launch — the marketing site advertises "no third-party integrations needed," which is a feature framing for a closed, self-contained tool.

If you discover a gotcha, workaround, or tip not covered in references/learnings.md, append it there.

Gotchas

Best-effort from research (2026-07) — review these, especially plan-gated features and pricing that may shift. Preshiplist publishes no API/docs and no exact prices, so several specifics below are unconfirmed against the live app.

1. Free plan can't publish or collect signups. It's draft/preview only — you must upgrade to a paid tier to launch a live waitlist. Don't promise a "free working waitlist."
2. No API, no webhooks, no Zapier — CSV export is the only egress. There is no real-time way to push a new signup anywhere. Getting data into a CRM is a manual (or scripted-over-CSV) batch job. Configure expectations accordingly.
3. Preshiplist sends the emails, not your ESP. Drips are built in and auto-branded; you don't wire an external sender. The flip side: you can't easily route those contacts through your own ESP's automations without exporting them first.
4. Exact prices aren't on the pricing page. Tiers (Chill Builder / Serious Builder / Lifetime Partner) are named but figures are "limited-time launch pricing" — treat any number as best-effort and confirm in-app.
5. No documented referral/viral mechanism. The site markets social-proof signup counts/notifications, not a referral leaderboard or position-jumping. If a user needs viral referrals, verify it exists first or use /sales-getwaitlist / /sales-kickofflabs.
6. Young, low-coverage tool. Little third-party track record and no changelog/docs surfaced. For a launch you can't afford to have wobble, weigh a more established waitlist platform.

Related skills

• /sales-audience-growth — List-growth strategy across all platforms (lead magnets, referral design, cross-promotion, driving traffic to the waitlist)
• /sales-waitlister — Waitlister (built-in email broadcasts, REST API + HMAC-signed webhooks, points-based referrals)
• /sales-getwaitlist — GetWaitlist (developer widget, unauthenticated signup API, censored leaderboard)
• /sales-waitlistly — Waitlistly (validation-first hosted page, custom domains, on-signup webhooks → Zapier/Make/Slack)
• /sales-launchlist — LaunchList (one-time-pricing waitlists, form POST + webhooks)
• /sales-email-marketing — Broader launch/nurture email campaign strategy
• /sales-do — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install: npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do -a claude-code

Examples

Example 1: Validate a SaaS idea with a waitlist that also emails people

User says: "I want to test demand for a SaaS idea before building it — a clean waitlist page, and ideally it emails everyone on launch day so I don't have to set up a separate tool. Is Preshiplist right?" Skill does: Confirms Preshiplist's sweet spot — a fast, template-based pre-launch waitlist page (custom domain, AI copy) with built-in drip emails (confirmation + launch-day), so it's capture and send in one, no separate ESP. Frames the validation goal: a signup threshold that tells them whether to build. Flags two caveats: the free plan is draft-only (can't collect signups until you pay), and it's a closed tool with no API/webhooks, so if they later need CRM integration they'll be exporting CSVs. Sets pricing as best-effort and points to the pricing page. Result: User launches a paid waitlist page, relies on the built-in launch-day drip, and knows the CSV-only limitation up front.

Example 2: Get signups into HubSpot automatically (developer/automation)

User says: "How do I get every new Preshiplist signup into HubSpot automatically?" Skill does: States plainly there is no public API, no webhooks, and no Zapier — the only egress is a manual CSV export, so there's no real-time path. Gives the realistic workflow: export the signups CSV from the dashboard and import into HubSpot, or automate over the exported file (a scheduled script that reads a periodically-exported CSV and upserts contacts via the HubSpot API) — while being explicit that it's batch, not event-driven. Recommends that if real-time CRM sync is a hard requirement, they use /sales-getwaitlist (unauthenticated signup API + new_signup webhook) or /sales-waitlister (REST API + HMAC-signed webhooks) instead. Result: User sets up a periodic CSV export → HubSpot import and understands why a true real-time integration isn't possible on Preshiplist.

Example 3: What does the free plan actually give me?

User says: "Is Preshiplist free? Can I collect emails without paying?" Skill does: Explains the free plan is draft-only — you can build, customize, and preview a waitlist but cannot publish it or collect signups; going live requires a paid tier (Chill Builder for one product; Serious Builder for unlimited products + portfolio metrics; Lifetime Partner as a one-time payment). Presents prices as best-effort launch pricing and points to preshiplist.co/pricing, and notes the 30/60/90-day refund windows. Result: User understands they must upgrade to actually launch, and picks a tier based on how many products they're running.

Troubleshooting

I built my waitlist but can't publish it / it won't go live

Symptom: The waitlist stays in draft; there's no way to make it public or start collecting signups. Cause: You're on the free plan, which is draft/preview only — publishing and signup collection are gated to paid tiers. Solution: Upgrade to a paid tier (Chill Builder for one product, Serious Builder for multiple). Confirm current pricing at preshiplist.co/pricing — figures are launch pricing and not fixed. If you only wanted a free forever waitlist, a tool with a genuine free published tier (compare /sales-getwaitlist history or /sales-launchlist one-time pricing) may fit better.

My signups aren't reaching my CRM / email tool

Symptom: Preshiplist shows signups but nothing appears in HubSpot/your ESP. Cause: Preshiplist has no API, no webhooks, and no Zapier — nothing flows out automatically, and its own drip emails send from Preshiplist, not your ESP. Solution: Export the signups as CSV from the dashboard and import into your CRM/ESP, or run a scheduled job over a periodically-exported CSV. Accept that it's batch, not real-time. If you need real-time sync, switch to a waitlist tool with a documented API/webhooks (/sales-getwaitlist, /sales-waitlister, /sales-waitlistly).

My launch-day / confirmation email isn't going out (or lands late)

Symptom: New signups don't get the confirmation, or the launch-day email doesn't fire. Cause: The drip sequence isn't configured/enabled, or the confirmation step was removed/rescheduled; deliverability can also vary on a young sending platform. Solution: In the email/drip settings, confirm the sequence exists and that the confirmation email fires immediately on signup (a late first email kills share intent). Add/reorder the launch-day step, send yourself a test signup, and check the deliverability indicator. If deliverability is critical and shaky, weigh sending the launch broadcast from a dedicated ESP after exporting the list (/sales-email-marketing).