sales-skills/sales-productlane

Productlane 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) Get feedback into Productlane programmatically — push Insights/Notes (POST /api/v1/insights, auth) or public widget feedback (POST /api/v1/feedback, no auth) tied to a customer/project
   • B) Read data out via the REST API — Companies, Customers, Insights, or Portal projects / upvotes / changelogs (productlane.com/api/v1, Authorization: Bearer)
   • C) Build the feedback portal + public roadmap + changelog — note these are driven by Linear (projects = Linear projects; changelog auto-drafts from completed Linear issues)
   • D) Configure the support inbox (email, live chat, Slack Connect, MS Teams, Discord), the AI Agent, or the self-updating help center (Pro+)
   • E) Decide whether Productlane fits — it is built exclusively on Linear; if the team doesn't run engineering in Linear, this is the wrong tool
   • F) Pick a plan (Starter $15 / Pro $29 / Scale $79 per user/mo annual) or compare Productlane vs Canny/Cycle/Frill/Productboard

2. Do you use Linear? This is the gating question. Productlane is not a standalone board — Linear is the single source of truth for issues, roadmap, and changelog. No Linear → recommend a standalone board (/sales-frill, /sales-userjot, or Canny-class tools) instead.

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... | |---|---| | Voice-of-customer / NPS/CSAT/CES survey program strategy across tools | /sales-customer-feedback {question} | | Choosing a feedback-board tool across the whole market (incl. non-Linear) | /sales-customer-feedback {question} | | Aggregating unsolicited feedback across reviews/social/support | /sales-noisely {question} | | Public review generation strategy (Trustpilot/G2) | /sales-customer-reviews {question} | | In-app message / onboarding survey strategy across tools | /sales-in-app-messaging {question} | | Connecting Productlane to another tool generically (iPaaS) | /sales-integration {question} |

When routing, give the exact command, e.g. "This is a strategy question — run: /sales-customer-feedback choose a Linear-native feedback tool".

Step 3 — Productlane platform reference

Read references/platform-guide.md for the full reference — the module map (omnichannel inbox, AI Agent, help center, feedback portal, roadmap, changelog/Release Intelligence) tagged API-/webhook-/UI-only, the Linear-dependency model, pricing tiers + plan gates (Starter/Pro/Scale), the data model (Companies, Customers, Segments, Insights, Portal projects/changelogs), and quick-start recipes (push an insight via the API; submit public feedback from a widget; pull the public changelog).

Read references/productlane-api-reference.md for the developer surface — base URL https://productlane.com/api/v1, Authorization: Bearer API_KEY (key from productlane.com/settings/api), the full endpoint inventory (Companies, Customers, Insights, Portal, Workspaces), which endpoints need auth vs are public (POST /feedback is public), and a Gaps section noting webhook/rate-limit details to confirm in-account.

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

Step 4 — Actionable guidance

Focus on the user's specific situation:

• Linear is mandatory, not optional. Productlane is built on Linear — feedback links to Linear issues, the roadmap mirrors Linear projects, and the changelog auto-drafts from completed Linear issues. If the team doesn't use Linear (or plans to leave it), Productlane is the wrong choice — point them to a standalone board via /sales-customer-feedback. This is the single biggest fit question.
• It HAS a real, documented REST API (unlike Rapidr/Quickhunt/FeedBear). Base productlane.com/api/v1, Bearer auth. You can GET/create Companies & Customers, create/update Insights (feedback notes), and read Portal projects/upvotes/changelogs. Build against the API, not just no-code.
• Two different "feedback" entry points. POST /api/v1/feedback is public (no auth) — for widgets/portals capturing raw feedback. POST /api/v1/insights requires auth — for pushing structured feedback (text + painLevel + customer) from your backend/Zapier. Pick the right one for the trust boundary.
• painLevel is a first-class field. Insights/feedback carry UNKNOWN | LOW | MEDIUM | HIGH — use it to prioritize, since Productlane's whole pitch is routing feedback to engineering. Set it deliberately rather than defaulting to UNKNOWN.
• No MCP server. Unlike UserJot/Sleekplan/Four-Four, there's no Productlane MCP server — an AI agent integrates via the REST API (or Zapier's Create-Note action), not MCP.
• It's a support + feedback suite, not just a board. Pro+ adds a full omnichannel support inbox (email/live chat/Slack Connect/Teams/Discord) and an AI Agent — closer to Intercom + Canny than to a pure voting board. If they only need a board, a cheaper single-purpose tool may fit; if they want support + feedback + changelog unified on Linear, that's the draw.
• Mind the plan gates. Public roadmap/changelog/feedback portal are Starter; the support inbox + AI Changelog generation are Pro; SSO (JWT), custom domains, white-labeling, private portals, and HubSpot/Zapier are Scale. Pricing is per-user — model seat count before quoting.

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

Gotchas

Best-effort from research (2026-06) — modules/pricing/API captured from productlane.com, its docs, and the ReadMe-hosted API reference on this date. Re-verify plan gates, the API surface, and webhook details against current docs/in-account before relying on them.

1. Hard Linear dependency. Productlane is built exclusively on Linear — there's no standalone mode. If the user doesn't run engineering in Linear, this tool does not fit, full stop. Don't recommend it as a generic Canny replacement without confirming Linear usage.
2. Per-user pricing, and the entry price is high for tiny teams. Starter is ~$15/user/mo (annual) / ~$19 monthly — a reviewer noted the lowest tier is steep for small product teams, and there is no permanent free plan (7-day trial only). Multiply by seats before quoting.
3. Portal Google/SSO auth is plan-gated. A reviewer reported the low tier didn't include Google auth on the portal; SSO (JWT) and private portals are Scale-tier. Confirm which auth the customer's plan unlocks before promising gated portal access.
4. POST /api/v1/feedback takes no auth — protect it. The public feedback endpoint accepts workspaceId + text + painLevel + email with no API key, so a leaked workspaceId invites spam. Put a CAPTCHA / rate limit / origin check in front of any widget that calls it.
5. Webhooks aren't clearly documented publicly. Productlane's own outbound-webhook surface isn't in the public docs (Linear's webhooks are separate). If you need event push, confirm what Productlane emits in-account — don't assume HMAC-signed webhooks exist; consider Zapier or polling the API as a fallback.
6. No MCP server. There's no Productlane MCP server — agent integrations go through the REST API or Zapier, not MCP. Don't promise an MCP setup.
7. AI features are newer. The AI Agent / AI Changelog generation are recent and reviewers note limited track record — verify behavior on the actual account rather than assuming maturity.

Related skills

• /sales-customer-feedback — Voice-of-customer / survey-program strategy across tools (Productlane is one Linear-native feedback option) — program design, metric choice, board-tool selection. Install: npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-customer-feedback -a claude-code
• /sales-frill — Affordable standalone feedback board with a documented REST API + HMAC-SHA256-signed webhooks (~$25/mo) — the pick when the team is not on Linear and wants a self-contained board + API. Install: npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-frill -a claude-code
• /sales-userjot — AI-first feedback board with a REST API + MCP server and no per-seat pricing — the contrast when you want an MCP-driven agent loop and don't want per-user billing. Install: npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-userjot -a claude-code
• /sales-sleekplan — AI feedback suite (auto-categorization + MCP server) with a REST API + JWT SSO and a free Indie tier — contrast for AI triage plus an API without the Linear requirement. Install: npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-sleekplan -a claude-code
• /sales-featureos — FeatureOS (formerly Hellonext) feedback boards + roadmap + changelog + knowledge base; REST API v3, OAuth apps, webhooks — a standalone suite when Linear isn't the hub. Install: npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-featureos -a claude-code
• /sales-quickhunt — Affordable all-in-one board with a free lifetime tier (API Premium-only) — the budget/free-start contrast to Productlane's per-seat support+feedback suite. Install: npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-quickhunt -a claude-code
• /sales-fourfour — AI voice-of-customer copilot (OData API + MCP server) that mines existing conversations rather than soliciting board feedback — pair when you have rich call/ticket data. Install: npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-fourfour -a claude-code
• /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: "Push feedback from our app into Productlane via the API" (developer/automation)

User says: "When a user submits feedback in our product I want it to land in Productlane, tagged to their email and prioritized. We have a backend service." Skill does: Confirms Productlane ships a documented REST API (productlane.com/api/v1, Authorization: Bearer API_KEY from productlane.com/settings/api). Recommends POST /api/v1/insights from the backend (auth'd) with text, painLevel (UNKNOWN|LOW|MEDIUM|HIGH), customerEmail (+ optional customerName, projectId) so each item is a structured, prioritized note tied to the customer — and contrasts the public, no-auth POST /api/v1/feedback (workspaceId+text+painLevel+email) for an in-browser widget where you don't want to expose the key. Notes the insight links through to Linear, and to protect the public endpoint with a CAPTCHA/rate limit. Result: A working, auth-correct intake path with the right endpoint for the trust boundary.

Example 2: "Is Productlane the right feedback tool for us?" (fit / selection)

User says: "We're a small SaaS picking a feedback + roadmap + changelog tool. Considering Productlane, Canny, and Frill." Skill does: Leads with the gating question — do you use Linear? Productlane is built exclusively on Linear (roadmap = Linear projects, changelog auto-drafts from completed Linear issues), so it's only a fit if engineering runs in Linear; otherwise Canny/Frill/UserJot are better. Frames the rest: Productlane bundles a full support inbox + AI Agent (Intercom-ish) and has a real REST API but no MCP server and no free tier (Starter ~$15/user, Pro ~$29, Scale ~$79, per-user); Frill is a cheaper standalone board (~$25/mo) with a documented API + signed webhooks; Canny is the pricier incumbent. Routes broader selection: "run: /sales-customer-feedback choose a feedback board for a Linear team". Result: A Linear-gated, price- and API-grounded recommendation.

Example 3: "Build our public changelog and roadmap from Linear" (workflow)

User says: "We ship in Linear and want a public roadmap and a changelog without writing release notes by hand." Skill does: Explains Productlane's Release Intelligence auto-drafts changelog entries from completed Linear issues/projects — it pulls the relevant issues, categorizes them by label, and writes a draft you edit and publish (AI Changelog generation is Pro+). The public roadmap mirrors Linear projects, and customers can submit + upvote requests in the feedback portal that stay in sync with Linear. For programmatic reads, points to GET /api/v1/portal endpoints (getprojects, getprojectupvotes, listchangelogs). Flags that custom domain + white-label + private portal are Scale-tier. Result: A Linear-driven roadmap/changelog plan with the right plan gates and API reads called out.

Troubleshooting

We don't use Linear — can we still use Productlane?

Symptom: You want Productlane's portal/changelog but your team isn't on Linear. Cause: Productlane is built exclusively on Linear — issues, roadmap, and changelog all derive from Linear. There is no standalone mode. Solution: If adopting Linear isn't on the table, pick a standalone board instead — /sales-frill or /sales-userjot (both ship documented APIs), /sales-featureos, or /sales-quickhunt (free tier). Use /sales-customer-feedback to choose. Only stay with Productlane if engineering will run in Linear.

I can't authenticate to the API / which endpoints need a key?

Symptom: Calls return 401, or you're unsure whether an endpoint needs auth. Cause: Most endpoints require Authorization: Bearer API_KEY (key generated at productlane.com/settings/api), but POST /api/v1/feedback is public (no auth) by design for widgets. Solution: For server-side reads/writes (Companies, Customers, Insights, Portal) send the Bearer key. For in-browser public feedback capture, use POST /api/v1/feedback with workspaceId+text+painLevel+email and don't ship your API key to the client — protect that endpoint with a CAPTCHA/rate limit instead. Re-verify the base URL and any rate limits in-account.

Pricing feels high / there's no free plan

Symptom: "Starter looks expensive for our small team," or "where's the free tier?" Cause: Productlane is per-user (~$15 Starter / $29 Pro / $79 Scale per user/mo annual; higher monthly) with no permanent free plan — only a 7-day trial. Portal SSO/private portals and HubSpot/Zapier are Scale-tier. Solution: Model the real seat count and the tier that unlocks the features you need (support inbox + AI changelog = Pro; SSO/custom domain/white-label = Scale). Ask about startup discounts (offered to early-stage companies). If budget or a free start is the priority, contrast /sales-quickhunt (free lifetime tier) or /sales-frill (~$25/mo). Treat all pricing as best-effort and confirm on productlane.com/pricing.