🚀 WaitlistKit

Build viral waitlists in 60 seconds with built-in referral tracking

Live Demo • Documentation • Pricing

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What is WaitlistKit?

WaitlistKit is an open-source viral waitlist builder that helps founders launch faster and grow organically. Add a beautiful email capture widget to any website with a single script tag—no backend required.

Key Features:

• 🔗 Viral Referrals — Each user gets a unique referral link that moves them up when friends join
• ⚡ 60-Second Setup — One script tag, zero configuration
• 📊 Admin Dashboard — View signups, track referrals, export to CSV
• 🎨 Customizable — Match your brand colors, logo, and copy
• 📧 Drip Emails — Automated welcome sequence via Resend
• 💳 Monetizable — Built-in Stripe integration for paid tiers

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Quick Start

Option 1: Use Hosted Version (Easiest)

1. Go to waitlistkit.ca
2. Create a waitlist (free tier: 1 waitlist, 100 signups)
3. Copy the embed code to your website:

<script 
  src="https://waitlistkit.ca/widget.js" 
  data-project="your-project-slug"
  data-waitlistkit
></script>

Option 2: Self-Host (Full Control)

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/tahseen137/waitlistkit.git
cd waitlistkit

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Set up environment
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your database URL

# Run database migrations
npx prisma migrate dev

# Start development server
npm run dev

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Tech Stack

Component	Technology
Framework	Next.js 16 (App Router)
Language	TypeScript 5
Database	Prisma + PostgreSQL
Styling	Tailwind CSS
Payments	Stripe
Email	Resend
Hosting	Vercel

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Environment Variables

Create a .env file:

# Database (required)
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:password@host:5432/database"

# For local development, use SQLite:
# DATABASE_URL="file:./dev.db"

# Stripe (optional - for paid plans)
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY="sk_..."
NEXT_PUBLIC_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY="pk_..."
STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET="whsec_..."

# Resend (optional - for emails)
RESEND_API_KEY="re_..."

# App URL
NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL="https://your-domain.com"

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Project Structure

waitlistkit/
├── app/
│   ├── api/                 # API routes
│   │   ├── signup/          # Waitlist signup endpoint
│   │   ├── project/         # Project CRUD
│   │   └── admin/           # Admin endpoints
│   ├── admin/[projectId]/   # Admin dashboard
│   ├── demo/                # Interactive demo
│   └── w/[slug]/            # Public waitlist pages
├── lib/
│   ├── prisma.ts            # Database client
│   ├── email-service.ts     # Drip email logic
│   ├── rate-limit.ts        # Rate limiting
│   └── stripe.ts            # Stripe client
├── prisma/
│   └── schema.prisma        # Database schema
└── public/
    └── widget.js            # Embeddable widget

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API Reference

Sign Up to Waitlist

POST /api/signup
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "email": "user@example.com",
  "projectId": "clx1234567890",
  "referredBy": "abc123"  # optional referral code
}

Response:

{
  "signup": {
    "id": "...",
    "email": "user@example.com",
    "position": 42,
    "referralCode": "xyz789"
  }
}

Get Project Details

GET /api/project/{slug}

Admin: Get All Signups

GET /api/admin/{projectId}
Headers: x-admin-secret: your-admin-secret

Admin: Export CSV

GET /api/admin/{projectId}/export
Headers: x-admin-secret: your-admin-secret

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Deployment

Deploy to Vercel (Recommended)

1. Fork this repository
2. Connect to Vercel
3. Add environment variables
4. Deploy!

Database Options

• Vercel Postgres — Easiest with Vercel
• Supabase — Generous free tier
• Neon — Serverless Postgres

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Pricing (Hosted Version)

Plan	Price	Features
Free	$0	1 waitlist, 100 signups
Starter	$19/mo	3 waitlists, 1K signups
Pro	$49/mo	Unlimited everything
Lifetime	$149 once	Pro features forever

Self-hosted = free forever with MIT license.

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Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please read our contributing guidelines before submitting a PR.

# Run tests
npm test

# Lint
npm run lint

# Build
npm run build

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License

MIT License — do whatever you want with this code.

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Support

• 🐛 Report a bug
• 💬 Discussions
• 📧 Email

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Built with ❤️ for indie hackers and founders who ship fast