I built an AI Readiness Score tool and started selling it — here's what I learned
Hey IH! 👋
I just launched my first digital product: AI Readiness Score — a tool that checks how visible your website is to AI systems like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.
The idea: Everyone has a PageSpeed score and an SEO score, but nobody knows if AI can actually find their website. I built a tool that scores any URL from 0-100 across 6 dimensions (AI bot access, structured data, content structure, meta tags, accessibility, security headers) and uses Claude AI to generate specific recommendations.
The stack: Node.js + Express + Claude API + vanilla frontend. Hosted on Vercel for free.
What I'm selling: The full source code as a SaaS starter kit on Gumroad for $29. Includes documentation in 6 languages (EN, ES, DE, FR, PT, JP), AWS deployment guide, and a go-to-market playbook.
Hey aicodestudio01, Saw you're working on AI Readiness Score, especially the 6‑dimension scoring and AI‑powered actionable recommendations for websites. Quick question: How did you validate that users would pay for this feature? I’m exploring a video validation method and don’t want to build in a bubble. Not selling anything—still early stage. Just want to chat 10 minutes with someone hands‑on like you to exchange validation ideas. Interested? Jone Xu
Congrats on the launch, looks solid. How are you currently thinking about acquiring early users and gathering feedback?
Thanks! Right now I'm testing different channels to see what sticks. I've posted on Reddit (got some positive feedback), Twitter/X, and just started here on IndieHackers. LinkedIn is next.
My main strategy is letting the free demo do the selling — people try it, see their score, and want to know more. I'm also planning a Product Hunt launch soon.
If you'd like to try it: ai-readiness-score-psi(dot)vercel(dot)app
Would love your honest feedback — especially on whether the score feels useful and actionable. What would you improve?
I like the “free demo does the selling” approach, that’s smart, especially for something diagnostic like this. Lower friction = higher curiosity.
Quick, honest thoughts after checking it out:
• The score is interesting, but I’d push the actionability harder. After someone sees their score, they should immediately know: “Here are 2–3 specific next steps to improve.”
• On Reddit specifically, this could perform really well in subreddits where founders or marketers already debate AI adoption. But the positioning would matter a lot. Instead of “try my tool,” frame it as:
“I built a free AI readiness score for startups, here’s what I learned after testing it on X companies.”
tends to drive way more engagement and organic comments.
If you’d like, I can share a few subreddit angles I think would fit this product well. The feedback loops there can be incredibly fast if structured right.
Really appreciate this feedback, especially the Reddit framing tip that's gold. "Here's what I learned after testing X companies" is a much better hook than "try my tool." I'll definitely use that angle.
On actionability — the tool already generates specific next steps! After the score, Claude AI gives you prioritized improvements (high/medium/low) and quick wins you can implement in minutes. Maybe I need to make that clearer in the demo preview so people know what to expect before they run their first check.
And yes, I'd love to hear your subreddit suggestions — that would be super helpful! I've had some trouble with Reddit's spam filters so any specific angles that work would be great.
I often assist early-stage founders with a specific approach. My expertise lies in structuring Reddit validation and distribution to feel entirely organic, thus avoiding the typical backlash associated with self-promotion. Many founders underestimate the impact of positioning and sequencing on their results.
If you would rather focus on building your project while leaving the Reddit experimentation to someone experienced, I offer this as a service. I manage it through Fiverr to keep the operational side simple.
Let me know if you would like more details!