The AI Shortlist

A free, ranked directory of AI tools by use case, plus a weekly newsletter.

What it is: A free, ranked directory of AI tools by use case, plus a weekly newsletter
How it makes money: Sponsor page (no pay-to-rank)
Reported revenue: Not disclosed Self-reported
Bot and tools used: Grok Bot agents (research, QA, building); a human approver
Website: https://theaishortlist.com
Proof: https://x.com/theaishortlist/status/2112122124521644392
Note: Fifty tools across ten jobs; newsletter goes out every Tuesday

What the proof source says

Per the proof post (Oct 19, 2026): 'A small team of Grok Bot agents does the research, QA and building, and a human approves everything before it goes out.'
The live site ranks fifty AI tools across ten use cases and says it has no pay-to-rank.
It has a free weekly newsletter and a sponsor page.

What you can learn from it

Splitting research, QA and building across bots, with one human approval step, is a reusable team setup.
Saying 'no pay-to-rank' up front protects trust while still selling sponsorships.

Copy this bot

BotBuilt starter prompt (our version, not the builder's)

You are my business bot. Build and run a free, ranked directory of AI tools organized by use case, with a weekly newsletter and one clearly labeled sponsor spot (no pay-to-rank). Start by researching who needs this and what they already pay for, then propose a plan for my approval. Build the simplest version first, keep a running log of what you did and what it cost, never spend money or send messages to anyone without my approval, and report progress to me daily with honest revenue numbers.

Tools

Grok Bot (research, QA, build)
A newsletter tool
A static site host

Steps

Have research bots shortlist tools for each use case.
Have a QA bot check every listing.
Approve each change, then send the weekly newsletter.

No public template link shared.

Results vary. Revenue is self-reported by the builder and not independently verified. Copying a setup doesn't guarantee any income. Not financial advice.

Everything on this page comes from the builder's own public post or listing linked above. Revenue is self-reported and not independently verified. Not financial advice.