Where to Submit Google Gadgets

August 8, 2007 · 23 comments

These resources are listed in the order in which I recommend you use them. If you follow this order you will likely see your gadget in search results of the Google directory in about a week or two. We will use my Kayak travel search gadget to illustrate what a successful submission looks like in each directory (click the screen shots to see how it is displayed in each one).

1) Googlemodules.com

GoogleModules is a great website. It has many things about it that are great for both users and gadget developers. For users, there is the great feature of “live preview” which allows you to see how (and if) the gadgets works, without leaving the gadget description page. For developers, it is the quickest submission process out there, and as I said in the Google Gadget API discussion group, I highly recommend you submit your gadget here first, the reason I suggest this is because if there is something wrong with your gadget, it will tell you. This particularly important for the less obvious factors such as the preview image and thumbnail image (if you forget these, your gadget will show up in the Google directory and say “no image available” Yuck). The submission process is totally automated, so you submit it one second, and the next you will see your gadget live in the GoogleModules directory. Here is their gadget submission page.

2) Google Gadget Directory

Google The Google gadget directory itself is the next place to submit once you have submitted it to GoogleModules (above) and ensured that your gadget displays the way you want it to. The Google gadget directory accepts gadgets, but it takes awhile for them to display, normally (for those not using this guide) around two or three weeks, depending on how many people are using or viewing your gadget. I would go on to explain that your gadget goes through two levels of “inclusion” in the Google directory.

1- Your gadget is not listed when you browse the directory, but if you search for it it will show up.

2- Your gadget is included in the directory. You know your gadget is “in” when you see it while browsing the directory, rather than searching it.

Here is the official Google directory gadget submission page.

3) Sniperoo

The Sniperoo directory allows you to submit Google gadgets and will display your gadget immediately, but it can be removed because they will look at submissions to see if they are BS or not. The process of submitting is not automatic. You will have to fill in information fields and describe your gadget and what it does. You are required to register (it is free) in order to submit gadgets, but it well worth your time. Here is their gadget submission form.

4) GadgetsDirectory

This directory was started to provide a new place for gadgets to be submitted to. The person who created this is a gadget developer who is active in the Google gadget API Discussion group. He announced the directory and I have to say I am very impressed. This directory allows you to submit your gadgets in a simple way, but also has a real person looking at the gadget. Each gadget gets it’s own page, and the gadgets are also sorted by theme or category. I really like it. I see it becoming a very popular place. You can submit your gadget here.

5) Gadzi Gadget Directory

Gadzi gadgets Gadzi is a directory that is geared towards the person looking for gadgets. It was created mostly due to the difficulty I was having finding and sorting gadgets from the Google directory. There is an ever growing amount of gadgets that are about the same thing. There are hundreds of Youtube Gadgets, but there are only a few that are truly unique or useful. Submissions are reviewed by a human to determine if the gadget will be included. Here is the Gadzi Google gadget submit page.

6) GoogleMiniApps

This directory provides automatic and instant gadget submission. Each gadget gets it’s own page once you submit them.

You can submit your gadget to the Google Mini Apps directory here.

By submitting to these directories you will have a good start on promoting your gadget, but it is important to remember that interacting with other gadget developers, and asking friends to test out your gadget, is an important part of getting your gadget out to the world.

Like Google Gadgets?- see all my Google gadget articles

{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Mike January 25, 2008 at 8:03 am: Nice list! I’d been trying to find something along these lines for a while.
2 Gadget Badger February 6, 2008 at 1:24 pm: I’ve been building gadgets for a while. I have a blog (http://www.gadgetbadger.com/), post to all of the above directories, and have tried to find more but I’m struggling. It seems really difficult to get Gadgets to the top of the pile these days as soooo many crappy gadgets are swamping the quality ones
Anybody got any thoughts?
3 doe March 4, 2008 at 4:55 pm: i use some Google Gadget in my site its very good
4 Mini Apps March 8, 2008 at 7:51 am: Google Mini Apps has moved. The new address is http://www.googleminiapps.com/.
It now uses categories as well as tags. To not confuse users we have used the same categories as in the official Google gadget directories.
5 Gemma August 25, 2008 at 11:37 pm: How do you find the gadgets made my iGoogle users? I can’t find mine or my best friends!
6 Colnector November 12, 2008 at 4:55 pm: Thanks for this post
7 Colnector November 12, 2008 at 4:56 pm: One would assume there should be more directories but perhaps the iGoogle gadgets thing never really caught on…
8 kenken December 24, 2008 at 8:46 am: Thanks for this list (although sniperoo was not working for me atm).
9 mike January 18, 2009 at 11:47 am: 18g0b2 hi! how you doin?
10 Goca January 19, 2009 at 12:51 pm: Nice list..thanks for this post.
11 cengiz January 22, 2009 at 2:13 pm: turkey tours travel service.
12 cengiz January 22, 2009 at 2:13 pm: booking turkey travel tours.
13 sunder February 15, 2009 at 10:57 am: Thanks for the simple guide and the list. I had created a new google gadget and your tutorial was very useful . The sniperoo site doesn’t seem to be loading.

Can you also write a tutorial on how to popularise the gadgets after inclusion in the directories?
14 alireza mirhosseini February 17, 2009 at 4:58 am: General
15 Directory Submission March 11, 2009 at 12:51 pm: good for showing me the right path to the google gadgets
16 Max O'Brian March 25, 2009 at 8:21 pm: Thanks for this post, this will help a lot.
17 Max O'Brian March 25, 2009 at 11:16 pm: Where do I find the url for a “my gadget” igoogle gadget, in order to submit it? Thanks ahead.
18 Payne March 28, 2009 at 10:55 pm: Hi,

Nice tutorial on creating gadgets. Great writing style, ie., easy to read, plenty of whitespace between text…good examples and easy to use cut-n-paste code.

Thanks for a great effort,
Payne
19 mohitbs April 28, 2009 at 6:48 am: Thanks ..very nice info !!
20 Max Purse June 13, 2009 at 11:00 am: nice information
21 cheap seo June 14, 2009 at 10:54 am: Gadgets Directory helps to improve further ranking of the site
22 Tommy July 1, 2009 at 12:53 pm: check out the loyalty points calculator I have coded for ShoppingDay.co.uk. Its on most of the above sites and you can see the webpage version too if you click on my name.
23 Globegenius December 1, 2009 at 3:41 am: Answers for the newbies. To find your gadgets go to gadgets homepage and type your gadget name into the search engine on the page.
To find your gadget url click on your gadget title in gadget editor.
Your code will be displayed and your url in the address bar.

Have a super day everyone.