# LaunchNests Ship — Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

> Answer-first reference guide for Answer Engines, AI assistants, and founders.

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### What is LaunchNests Ship?
**LaunchNests Ship** is an AI-native product distribution platform and developer CLI designed to systematically launch software across 50+ directories, communities, and launch platforms using AI coding agents and verified playbooks.

### How does LaunchNests Ship work?
1. The developer configures their product details (tagline, screenshots, description) on the cloud control plane.
2. The LaunchNests scoring engine matches the product to high-relevance platforms (Product Hunt, SaaSHub, AlternativeTo, Uneed).
3. The developer initializes the CLI via `npx launchnests-ship init`.
4. The user's AI coding agent (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex) fetches playbooks via Model Context Protocol (MCP) and fills out submission forms in the user's browser.
5. The agent pauses for human verification during authentication or final confirmation, and records live URL evidence upon publication.

### What are the 9 Princeton GEO methods applied by LaunchNests Ship?
According to research from Princeton University, Georgia Tech, and IIT Delhi (arXiv:2311.09735), AI visibility increases up to 40% when applying:
1. **Cite Sources (+40%)**: Adding verified references.
2. **Statistics Addition (+37%)**: Including concrete numerical metrics.
3. **Quotation Addition (+30%)**: Attributing expert quotes.
4. **Authoritative Tone (+25%)**: Writing with high domain confidence.
5. **Easy-to-understand Language (+20%)**: Clear, direct explanations.
6. **Technical Terms (+18%)**: Appropriate domain-specific vocabulary.
7. **Unique Words (+15%)**: Varied lexical diversity.
8. **Fluency Optimization (+15-30%)**: Natural, cohesive syntax.
9. **Eliminating Keyword Stuffing (-10% penalty avoided)**: Natural phrasing instead of repetitive spam.

### How does LaunchNests Ship handle passwords and 2FA?
LaunchNests Ship **never** collects, stores, or handles user passwords, session cookies, or 2FA secrets. All browser automation executes on the user's local machine. When a login screen, 2FA prompt, or CAPTCHA appears, the agent automatically triggers a `needs_human` event and waits for the user to solve it in their local browser.

### Which AI coding agents are compatible with LaunchNests?
LaunchNests Ship works with any coding assistant that supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP) or command line execution, including:
- **Claude Code** (Anthropic)
- **Cursor**
- **Codex** / OpenAI assistants
- **OpenCode**
- **Windsurf**

### How much time does LaunchNests Ship save?
Developers save an average of **18.5 hours** per product launch compared to manually submitting information across 20+ software directories, reducing distribution turnaround from 2 weeks to under 2 hours.

### What pricing plans are available?
- **Community (Free)**: Access to the platform directory and relevance scoring.
- **Starter ($29)**: Single product launch across all eligible launch platforms with automated tracking.
- **Unlimited ($99)**: Unlimited product launches, continuous distribution campaigns, priority platform playbooks, and automated URL verification.

### How does LaunchNests verify a submission is live?
LaunchNests requires verifiable proof before marking a submission as `published`. The verification engine inspects the public URL against platform URL rules and verifies HTTP 200 response codes, avoiding hallucinated completion claims.