# Whatayarn Overview ## Table of Contents - [Quick Facts](#quick-facts) - [Story & Positioning](#story--positioning) - [Audience & Core Value](#audience--core-value) - [Primary Site Pages](#primary-site-pages) - [Homepage](#homepage) - [Pricing](#pricing) - [Blog](#blog) - [Use Cases](#use-cases) - [Sign In](#sign-in) - [Creator Dashboard](#creator-dashboard) - [Public Channel Pages](#public-channel-pages) - [Legal](#legal) - [Homepage Flow](#homepage-flow) - [Listener Experience on Channel Pages](#listener-experience-on-channel-pages) - [Creator Dashboard Details](#creator-dashboard-details) - [Messaging Inbox & Tagging](#messaging-inbox--tagging) - [Channel Settings & Customization](#channel-settings--customization) - [Plans & Pricing](#plans--pricing) - [Limits & Entitlements](#limits--entitlements) - [FAQ Highlights](#faq-highlights) - [Support & Community](#support--community) ## Quick Facts - **Tagline:** "Voice messages in one simple link – Share one link and receive recordings from guests, listeners, friends, or anyone - delivered straight to your inbox." - **Product:** Hosted voicemail landing pages for podcasts and creators, routed to email + dashboard. - **Created by:** Ty Lange-Smith (Aussie founder) with inspiration from local podcast communities. - **Live proof:** Joing 100's of creators already loving Whatayarn. - **Domain:** https://whatayarn.com (live production domain). - **Demo links:** `/whatayarn` live channel demo, `/signin` to spin up your own. - **Contact:** `hellowhatayarn@gmail.com`; Reddit community at r/WHATAYARN. ## Story & Positioning Whatayarn was born from watching Australian podcasts struggle with clunky voicemail workflows-asking fans to record in voice memos, email files, remember length limits, and hope attachments arrived. The product replaces those long instructions with a branded link that slots into show notes, socials, or newsletters. Fans tap, record (or upload), and the creator receives formatted MP3 files with listener context in their inbox and dashboard. ## Audience & Core Value - **Primary users:** Podcasters, storytellers, and creators who run listener Q&As, hotlines, or community segments. - **Listener promise:** A frictionless, mobile-friendly way to speak back to the show in under 10 seconds. - **Creator promise:** Beautiful landing pages, automatic email delivery, searchable inbox, branding control, and message-length enforcement without extra tooling. - **Key outcomes:** More participatory episodes, ready-to-use audience stories, and easy repurposing for Shorts/Reels/TikTok clips. ## Primary Site Pages ### Homepage Comprehensive landing page that introduces the product, showcases social proof, explains key features, and displays pricing. Easy navigation to sections including How It Works, Features, Problem, Pricing, FAQ, and Blog. ### Pricing Comprehensive pricing page that includes multiple sections: Pricing cards, How It Works, Features, Problem, and FAQ. Displays plan options clearly with centralized config-driven pricing data, allowing visitors to easily compare features and make informed decisions. Maintains consistent navigation with other pages. ### Blog Content hub with helpful articles and guides (e.g., "Podcast Voicemail," "Speakpipe alternative," "Podcasting on a budget," "Wedding Audio Guestbook," "Podcast Voicemail How-to"). Features engaging visuals, easy navigation, and cross-references with Use Cases section. Navigation includes links to Use Cases and Pricing pages. ### Use Cases Real-world examples showcasing how podcasters and creators use Whatayarn to engage their audience. Similar structure to the blog with an index page at `/use-cases` listing all use cases and individual pages at `/use-cases/[slug]`. Uses MDX files from `content/use-cases/` directory with metadata including title, description, date, author, and type. Features similar SEO patterns and navigation to blog, with cross-referencing between content sections. ### Sign In Quick and secure sign-in with Google or email verification. The process is streamlined and free, getting creators into their dashboard in seconds. ### Creator Dashboard Your personal control center with easy navigation between channels and three main sections: Appearance (customize your page), Messages (manage your inbox), and Settings (configure preferences). New users are guided through creating their first channel. ### Public Channel Pages Your personalized listener experience at `whatayarn.com/yourname`. Each page displays your custom branding, links, and provides an intuitive recording interface optimized for mobile devices. Free tier users will see upgrade prompts when approaching usage limits. ### Legal Footer links point to `/tos` and `/privacy`; both live under the Next.js app directory and inherit standard ShipFast styling. ## Homepage Flow - **Hero** - Headline "Voice messages in one simple link," tagline "Share one link and receive recordings from guests, listeners, friends, or anyone - delivered straight to your inbox." Two primary CTAs: "Create Your Page" button (redirects to `/app/new` for logged-in users or `/signin` otherwise) and "Try Live Demo" button pointing to `/whatayarn`. Navigation includes links to How It Works, Features, Pricing, FAQ, and Blog sections. - **Hero Image** - Mobile interface showcase displaying example channels with recording and identity collection steps. - **Trusted by Creators** - Showcase section featuring six real podcasts using Whatayarn: C4 Canucks Hockey, Terror 404, Coffee Pot Conversations, Paddy Wagon, From Your Biggest Hater, and For Designer Business. Most podcasts include clickable links to their websites with UTM tracking for analytics. Displays text "Trusted by creators around the world" above the podcast showcase. - **How It Works** - Three-card walkthrough: create your channel, share anywhere, receive voice messages. CTA button loops back to channel creation. - **Features** - Three alternating feature blocks: - *Make it yours* (custom URL, avatar, bio, social links) - *For your listeners* (no app, no login, upload or record) - *Your inbox, organised* (messages land as MP3, consistent formatting, listener info when you choose to collect it) - **Problem** - Split card comparing the "Old Way" (voice memos + email juggling) versus "With whatayarn" (tap, record, send at `whatayarn.com/yourshow`). - **Pricing** - Two-plan layout (Creator Monthly and Creator Yearly) with easy checkout buttons for immediate plan selection. - **FAQ** - Accordion answering the top creator questions (sharing the link, listener flow, inbox delivery, limits, mobile support, cancellation). - **Footer** - Four-column layout with Brand, Links, Legal, and "MORE" sections. Brand column includes logo, tagline "Stories straight from your listeners," "Made with ☕ and ❤️ by Ty," copyright, and Reddit link. Links column features navigation to How It Works, Features, Problem, Pricing, and FAQ. Legal column includes Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. MORE column includes Blog, Use Cases, llm.txt link, and contact email (hellowhatayarn@gmail.com) with inline formatting. ## Listener Experience on Channel Pages - **Header block** - Channel avatar, name, descriptive prompt, and optional custom link buttons (website, socials, email, etc.) beautifully styled and trackable. - **Step-based workflow** - Multi-step process managed by WorkflowContext and CompactModeContext for responsive UI adaptation: 1. **Record or Upload:** Easy-to-use recorder with visual waveform, file upload option, and duration limits. Seamlessly handles permissions and allows retakes. Uses conditional display (not conditional rendering) to prevent visual flash and preserve state. 2. **Identity capture:** Depends on creator settings. Creators can require name and/or email. If these are required, the form enforces validation. Otherwise, these fields remain optional for listeners. 3. **Details & Send:** Title and description form with secure audio upload. Listeners see clear progress indicators, helpful error messages, and notifications if message limits are reached. 4. **Confirmation:** "Message sent!" screen with inline audio playback/download of the submitted clip, plus summary of title/description and a "Send another message" reset button. - **Workflow architecture:** Context composition with WorkflowContext (step navigation), CompactModeContext (responsive UI), EntitlementsContext (permissions), and PublicChannelContext (channel data) working together for seamless user experience. - **Upgrade modal:** When free tier limits are reached, visitors see a helpful modal prompting the creator to upgrade, with current pricing and plan features clearly displayed. - **Powered footer:** Every channel page includes a "powered by whatayarn" link back to the main website. ## Creator Dashboard Details - **Navigation:** Clean header displaying your plan status, easy channel switching with avatars, quick access to Appearance, Messages, and Settings tabs, plus upgrade options for free users. - **Channel creation:** Guided setup with custom URL selection, real-time availability checking, and clear messaging about channel limits. Free users can create one channel, while Pro users can create up to five. - **Appearance tab:** - Banner summarises live URL with one-click copy. - General card controls avatar upload/removal, display name, and description with appropriate length limits. - Links section lets creators add social/website buttons (supports website, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Patreon, X, Reddit, email). Drag-and-drop reordering is automatically saved, and each link can be edited or deleted easily. - Live mobile preview shows exactly how your page will look on phones and tablets. - **Settings tab:** - SEO controls: custom slug, meta title (≤70 chars), meta description (≤200 chars). - Notifications & defaults: toggle email notifications for new messages, choose whether to require listener names or emails, and set maximum audio duration (10 seconds to 10 minutes) with automatic saving. - Danger zone: delete channel confirmation flow that removes data and redirects home. ## Messaging Inbox & Tagging - **Message list:** Grouped by recency buckets (Today, Yesterday, Last week, Last month, Older). Each entry shows title, duration pill, sender name/email, relative timestamp, manual description preview, custom tags, and bookmark badge. - **Filters:** Global search, tag filtering, bookmarked message toggle, and "Clear all" option with shareable filter states. - **Tags & bookmarks:** Organize messages with custom tags and bookmarks, with instant updates and easy tag management. Tags integrate seamlessly with the filter system. - **Pagination:** Browse through messages with easy next/previous navigation, handling large message collections efficiently. - **Detail view:** Dedicated page per message with full waveform audio player, download button, sender information with easy copying, description, and tag management. - **Error handling:** Robust error management that gracefully handles issues and guides users to simple recovery steps. ## Channel Settings & Customization - **Branding:** Custom avatar (upload/remove), name, description, and shareable slug at `whatayarn.com/`. - **SEO:** Meta title/description editors to control search snippet text, plus slug editing with validation. - **Links:** Add unlimited call-to-action buttons with beautiful icons, reorder them with drag-and-drop, and automatically track their performance. - **Listener defaults:** Control whether name or email is required from listeners, and set the maximum recording length to match show format. - **Notifications:** Toggle email notifications for new messages per channel. ## Plans & Pricing - **Creator Monthly:** $15/month. Full feature access, cancel anytime. - **Creator Yearly:** $12/month billed annually. Highlighted as "🔥 MOST POPULAR" with savings callout (Save $36/year - 20% off). - **Included features (both paid plans):** - Create and customise branded voicemail channels - Unlimited incoming messages - Up to five message pages/channels - Adjustable max audio duration controls - Email notifications on every new message - **Checkout:** Easy subscription process with secure payment processing and automatic account setup. - **Global copy:** "One plan. Everything you need. Pay monthly or save with yearly." ## Limits & Entitlements - **Free tier:** 1 channel, up to 25 total messages across channels, adjustable message duration between 10 seconds and 10 minutes, email notifications available, but message sending for listeners can be blocked once quota is hit (with upgrade modal). - **Paid Creator plans:** Up to 5 channels, unlimited incoming messages, full duration controls, and priority access to all features. - **Usage monitoring:** Automatic tracking of message usage per creator; when limits are reached, listeners see helpful upgrade prompts explaining the situation. ## FAQ Highlights - **How do I share my link?** Drop it in show notes, bios, newsletters-anywhere you promote episodes; it’s a single shareable URL. - **Do listeners need an app or account?** No app download or account needed. Creators can optionally require listeners to provide their name and/or email when sending messages. - **Where do messages go?** Straight to the creator’s email inbox (e.g., Gmail/Outlook) and to the dashboard inbox with MP3 attachments, playback links, and listener info. - **How many messages can I get?** Free channels cap at 25 total messages; Creator plans lift the cap. - **Max duration?** Creator sets it-anywhere from 10 seconds to 10 minutes. - **How many channels?** 1 on free, up to 5 on Creator plans. - **Mobile support?** Fully responsive; most listeners submit from phones in seconds. - **Cancellation?** Plans are cancellable anytime, no lock-ins. ## Support & Community - **Email:** `hellowhatayarn@gmail.com` for questions, bugs, or ideas. - **Reddit:** Official community at [r/WHATAYARN](https://www.reddit.com/r/WHATAYARN/). - **Blog:** Guides covering podcast voicemail strategy, budget podcasting, Speakpipe alternatives, and how-to walkthroughs. - **More info:** Footer links provide access to extended documentation and resources. - **Analytics:** Usage insights help track key interactions and inform product improvements.