Public roadmap
A public roadmap is a web page where a company openly shares what it plans to build, what is in progress and what has shipped, usually split into a few simple stages. Users can read it, submit ideas and vote on them, so the team builds in the open and prioritizes what people actually want.
In plain terms
Think of a public roadmap as a shared to-do list for your product that anyone can see. Instead of deciding behind closed doors, you post the work in a few clear columns (planned, in progress, shipped), let users add requests, and let them vote. The roadmap becomes a living conversation between your team and the people who use what you build.
Why it matters
A public roadmap earns trust. People want to be heard: around 91% of people say companies should fuel innovation by listening to their buyers and customers. Publishing what you plan, build and ship, in the open, shows that the listening is real. It also sharpens demand: studies estimate that a large share of software features go to waste, 64% rarely or never used in the Standish CHAOS data and as high as 80% in Pendo's feature-adoption report, so letting users vote tells you which ideas deserve a sprint before you spend one. And because the page is public and indexable, every request and status update becomes content that can rank in search and answer the questions prospects already ask.
How it works
A public roadmap runs as a loop. First you collect: users submit ideas and feedback in one place. Then they vote, which surfaces real demand instead of the loudest voice. You prioritize the top-voted items, move them through a few simple stages (planned, then in progress), ship them, and close the loop by telling everyone who voted that it is live. Friction kills participation at every step: every extra form field measurably hurts conversion, which is why low-friction voting (one email, one tap, no account) collects far more signal than a sign-up wall.
Example
Say a small SaaS ships a public roadmap at roadmap.acme.com. A customer asks for a Slack integration and 120 people vote for it. The team sees it outrank a dozen quieter requests, marks it in progress, builds it, then moves it to shipped and emails the 120 voters. The next prospect who lands on the page sees a team that listens, and the request itself, now indexed, quietly answers the question 'Does Acme integrate with Slack?' in search.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a public roadmap the same as a changelog?
- No, but they pair well. A roadmap looks forward (planned and in-progress work), while a changelog looks back (what already shipped). Many teams run both: the roadmap gathers and prioritizes ideas, and the changelog announces each release. Upvoted includes both in one flat plan.
- Should a startup make its roadmap public?
- Usually yes. A public roadmap turns feature requests into a demand signal, builds trust by showing you act on feedback, and creates indexable pages that attract search traffic. The main trade-off is showing competitors your direction, so keep sensitive bets off the public board and share the rest.
- What are the typical stages of a public roadmap?
- Keep it to three: planned, in progress, and shipped. More columns add confusion without adding clarity. Upvoted is opinionated on purpose and uses exactly those three statuses, so visitors understand the state of any idea at a glance.