# DirectoryDuck

> DirectoryDuck helps people start niche directories and run them as businesses: fill a directory with AI discovery, CSV import or by hand, publish it on a hosted page, collect moderated reviews, claims and inquiries, and show it on any website with one script tag, embeddable widgets or a public REST API. It is free to start.

DirectoryDuck is for people who run, or want to start, niche directory sites: restaurants, SaaS tools, local businesses, job boards and more. Everything below works today unless it says "coming" with a date; dates are in 2026.

Last updated: 2026-10-24

What it does:
- Hosted directory: every directory has a public page at https://directoryduck.com/{directory-slug}, with a page for every published listing showing its reviews and, once verified, a Verified badge. On Starter and up it can also run on the owner's own domain.
- Featured listings (Starter and up): the owner features a listing until a day they pick; it shows first, with a Featured badge, on the hosted page, in the API, the full-directory embed and the listings widget, and goes back to its usual place on its own after that day. Up to 10 at a time per directory. The owner sets the price and sells the spot to the business; no payment for it runs through DirectoryDuck.
- AI discovery: describe the businesses you want; AI searches the web, reads each website and drafts a listing (name, website, description, logo, email, phone, contact name, social links, location, categories) with a relevance score. You approve or reject each candidate, or publish the relevant ones (a score of 70 or more) in one click; lower-scoring ones wait for your approval. "Automatic" mode pre-approves candidates scoring 70 or more. A job costs 10 credits, plus 1 for the web search and 2 per business found (a scrape and an AI extraction).
- Listings: import a CSV file or add listings one at a time. Imported listings start as prospects and are published in one click. You track each listing through statuses you set (prospect, contacted, claimed, active = published, inactive), with a priority, notes, categories and custom fields (text, number, URL or select). Export to CSV or JSON.
- Reviews: visitors leave a star rating and a written review with the review form widget or the API. Each review waits for the owner's approval, and the owner can post a public response.
- Inquiries: an inquiry form (widget, full-directory embed or API) whose messages land in the directory's dashboard.
- Claims: a business claims its listing on the listing's claim page, confirms its email address, and the directory owner approves the claim in the dashboard.
- Verification: verify a listing with a 6-digit code sent to its email address, a meta tag on its website, a DNS TXT record, or by hand; verified listings show a badge.
- Full-directory embed: one script tag puts the whole directory (search, category filters, listing pages, inquiry form) on any site, on every plan, with a small "Powered by DirectoryDuck" link that Pro directories can hide (on the hosted pages too).
- Widgets: listings, reviews, star rating, verified badge, review form and inquiry form, each one script tag.
- Free tools: an AI idea validator (a 0-100 score with reasons, demand signals to check, competition, ways to earn, 20 starter listing categories and risks; AI estimates from general knowledge, not live data), an AI directory name generator (12 names with taglines, a DirectoryDuck address and a .com DNS check for each), and an ROI calculator for featured-listing revenue. The AI tools show a preview without an account and the full result with a free one; 3 runs a day per tool without an account, 10 with one.

Public REST API (v1), base URL https://directoryduck.com:
- `GET /api/v1/public/directory`: the directory that owns the API key.
- `GET /api/v1/public/listings`: published listings, featured ones first, then by name; each has `featured` (true or false); `page`, `pageSize` (up to 100), `search`, `category`.
- `GET /api/v1/public/listings/{slug}`: one listing with its review count and average rating.
- `GET /api/v1/public/reviews`: a listing's approved reviews, newest first; `listing` (slug) or `listingId`, `page`, `limit` (up to 50).
- `POST /api/v1/public/reviews`: submit a review; it waits for the owner's approval.
- `POST /api/v1/public/inquiries`: send an inquiry to the directory's owner.
- Authentication: `Authorization: Bearer <api_key>`, or `?key=<api_key>` on GET requests. Each directory has its own key, in the dashboard under Directories, then the directory's Settings, then API Key.
- Rate limits: 100 GET and 50 POST requests per minute per key and endpoint, the same on every plan. Responses are JSON: `{ "data": ... }` (lists add `meta`), errors `{ "error": { "code", "message" } }`.
- Full machine-readable description: https://directoryduck.com/openapi.json (OpenAPI 3.1).

MCP server (for AI agents): every tool on the paid plans (Starter, Growth, Pro); on Free, the read-only tools and start_checkout:
- URL `https://directoryduck.com/api/mcp` (Streamable HTTP, stateless; MCP 2026-07-28 and 2025-era clients), header `Authorization: Bearer ddmcp_...`. Keys are per account, created in the dashboard under Settings, then API keys, shown once and revocable; they are not the directories' widget keys.
- Tools: create_directory, run_discovery, get_discovery_job, list_listings, add_listing, publish_listings, get_embed_snippet, connect_domain, start_checkout. run_discovery spends the same credits as discovery in the dashboard; every other tool costs no credits. start_checkout returns a Stripe Checkout link the user opens in a browser.
- Free: a key can call the read-only tools (list_listings, get_discovery_job and get_embed_snippet) on the account's own directories and jobs, and start_checkout; create_directory, run_discovery, add_listing, publish_listings and connect_domain answer that they need Starter, Growth or Pro.
- Limits: 10, 30, 60 and 120 requests per minute per key on Free, Starter, Growth and Pro (every request counts, on every plan); one discovery job per directory at a time.

Plans (USD); paid plans are available now, billed monthly or yearly:
- Free, $0: 1 directory at directoryduck.com/your-name; 100 listings; 100 starter credits; DirectoryDuck branding; Embeddable widgets; Embed the directory on your site; Public API
- Starter, $39/mo or $390/yr: 1 directory; 500 listings; 250 credits/mo; Embeddable widgets and public API; Your own domain; Embed the directory on your site; Featured listings; MCP server for AI agents (Claude, Cursor)
- Growth, $99/mo or $990/yr: Everything in Starter; 5 directories; 2,000 listings each; 1,000 credits/mo; Own domain per directory
- Pro, $249/mo or $2,490/yr: Everything in Growth; Unlimited directories and listings; 5,000 credits/mo; MCP server at the highest rate limit; Remove DirectoryDuck branding

Done for you: we build the directory. Launch package $1,500 one-time (niche and keyword research, 200+ listings found, cleaned and published, your branding, 3 months of Growth included, then $99/mo). Enterprise from $5,000 + $499/mo for teams that run several directories. Scope and price are confirmed by email before anything is paid.

## Product

- [Home](https://directoryduck.com/): what DirectoryDuck does, and the FAQ
- [Pricing](https://directoryduck.com/pricing): plans, limits and the FAQ
- [Directory software](https://directoryduck.com/directory-software): what directory software does, what to check before choosing it (how listings get in, who sells featured spots and collects the payment, own domain, indexing, export, the API and MCP) and what DirectoryDuck does not do
- [Done-for-you directories](https://directoryduck.com/services): the Launch and Enterprise packages and the intake form
- [Use cases](https://directoryduck.com/use-cases): sixteen directory types, from restaurants and SaaS tools to job boards and podcasts, each with its own FAQ
- [Local business directory](https://directoryduck.com/use-cases/local-business-directory): the use case for a directory of one city or region's businesses (plumbers, photographers, restaurants), with its FAQ

## Docs

- [Documentation](https://directoryduck.com/docs): every guide below, in one place
- [Getting started](https://directoryduck.com/docs/getting-started): from sign-up to a live directory
- [Embed your whole directory](https://directoryduck.com/docs/embed): the one-script-tag embed, with steps for HTML, WordPress, Webflow, Framer and Shopify
- [Widgets](https://directoryduck.com/docs/widgets): the six widgets and their options
- [AI discovery](https://directoryduck.com/docs/discovery): how AI discovery finds listings, its two modes, and what each step costs in credits
- [API reference](https://directoryduck.com/docs/api): authentication, endpoints, rate limits and code examples
- [MCP server](https://directoryduck.com/docs/mcp): connect Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor or any MCP client; the tools, credit costs and limits
- [OpenAPI spec](https://directoryduck.com/openapi.json): the public v1 API in OpenAPI 3.1 JSON

## Guides

- [Guides](https://directoryduck.com/guides): plain-language guides for planning a directory website
- [How to build a directory website](https://directoryduck.com/guides/build-a-directory-website): the decisions before you sign up (niche, name, where the listings come from, hosted page or embed, your own domain, how it earns) and what to expect after publishing
- [How to monetize a directory website](https://directoryduck.com/guides/how-to-monetize-a-directory-website): how directory websites make money (featured listings, leads from inquiries, ads and sponsorships, affiliate links, paid listings), which of them run inside DirectoryDuck (featured listings on Starter and up, inquiries on every plan) and which the owner runs and bills for outside it
- [How to start a local business directory](https://directoryduck.com/guides/how-to-start-a-local-business-directory): planning a directory for one town or neighborhood (the area and businesses to cover, the first listings from AI discovery for your city or area, a CSV file or by hand, hosted page or embed, bringing the listed businesses in, how it earns) and what to expect after publishing

## Optional

- [Free tools](https://directoryduck.com/tools): the idea validator, the name generator and the ROI calculator
- [Idea validator](https://directoryduck.com/tools/idea-validator): an AI read on a directory idea
- [Name generator](https://directoryduck.com/tools/directory-name-generator): AI name ideas for a directory
- [ROI calculator](https://directoryduck.com/tools/roi-calculator): the arithmetic of selling featured slots at your own price, against your plan's price
- [Explore](https://directoryduck.com/explore): 150+ real directory websites for inspiration
- [About](https://directoryduck.com/about): our story and mission
- [Affiliates](https://directoryduck.com/affiliates): the affiliate program for people who recommend DirectoryDuck
- [Contact](https://directoryduck.com/contact): questions, or write to support@directoryduck.com