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How I Built an AI Tools Directory in an Internet Café — Next.js + Tailwind + Vercel

DEV Community·xiaomo fan·18 days ago
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I spent the last few days building useaitools.me from scratch in an internet café in China. Here's the tech stack and what I learned along the way. Stack : Next.js 16 + Tailwind CSS + TypeScript + Vercel + GitHub Features : 50+ AI tools across 6 categories (Writing, Image, Productivity, Code, Audio, Video) Dynamic tool pages with feature lists and CTA buttons Category pages, tool comparison page, blog module Dark mode, search, category filtering, save/favorite tools Affiliate monetization (Rytr, 30% recurring commission) Biggest Lessons : Ship first, polish later. My v1 was a single page with 20 tools. SEO matters from day one. Sitemap, robots.txt, meta tags — add them early. Affiliate programs take time. Rejected by AppSumo for "low traffic" — fair for a new site. Build in public. Sharing your journey brings feedback, motivation, and sometimes traffic. What's next : Adding more blog content (tool comparisons), applying for more affiliate programs, and growing organic traffic.…

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