Launching a Website: The Complete Checklist

Website launches combine technical execution with business coordination. Things that seem minor become critical when the world can see your site. This checklist ensures smooth launches without embarrassing surprises.

Pre-Launch: Final Content Review

Copy and Content

All placeholder text replaced with real content
Spelling and grammar checked across all pages
Contact information is current and correct
Pricing and product information is accurate
Legal pages (privacy policy, terms) are complete
Staff bios and photos are current
Blog posts are published with correct dates
No TODO comments visible to users

Images and Media

All placeholder images replaced
Images optimised for web
Alt text present on all images
No broken images
Video embeds working correctly
Proper licensing for all media

Pre-Launch: Functional Testing

Forms

All forms submit successfully
Validation works correctly
Confirmation messages appear
Emails are received (check recipient and spam folders)
Form data stored correctly if applicable
CAPTCHA or spam protection functioning

eCommerce (if applicable)

Add to cart works
Cart updates and removes correctly
Checkout flow completes
Test transaction processed successfully
Payment switched from test to live mode
Order confirmation emails sent
Inventory management working
Discount codes function correctly

User Accounts (if applicable)

Registration process works
Login and logout function
Password reset works
Protected areas require authentication
User data displays correctly

Search

Search returns relevant results
No results handled gracefully
Filters work correctly

Pre-Launch: Cross-Browser and Device Testing

Chrome (desktop and mobile)
Safari (desktop and iOS)
Firefox
Edge
Various phone sizes
Tablet portrait and landscape
Desktop at various widths

Pre-Launch: SEO Preparation

Unique title tags on all pages
Meta descriptions present
H1 headings on all pages
Canonical URLs set correctly
XML sitemap generated
robots.txt configured correctly
Open Graph tags for social sharing
Schema markup where appropriate
301 redirects mapped (if replacing existing site)

Pre-Launch: Technical Setup

Analytics and Tracking

Analytics installed (Google Analytics, etc.)
Goals/conversions configured
Google Search Console verified
Tracking pixels installed (if using paid advertising)
Cookie consent working correctly
Tracking respects consent preferences

Performance

Core Web Vitals passing
Page speed acceptable
Images optimised
Caching configured
CDN configured if used

Security

SSL certificate installed and valid
HTTP redirects to HTTPS
No mixed content warnings
Security headers configured
Admin credentials secure
Debug mode disabled
Development access removed

Backups

Backup system configured
Backup tested (can restore)
Backup schedule appropriate

Pre-Launch: Domain and Hosting

Production hosting environment ready
DNS changes prepared (records ready to update)
Email routing configured
SSL certificate ready for production domain
CDN configured for production

Launch Day: Execution

Deployment

Code deployed to production
Database migrated if applicable
Environment variables set correctly
Production config active (not development)

DNS Switch

DNS records updated
TTL considered (lower TTL before launch for faster propagation)
Old hosting maintained briefly (in case of rollback)

Verification

Site loading on production domain
SSL working correctly
Key pages loading
Forms submitting
eCommerce checkout working
Analytics receiving data

Communication

Team notified of launch
Client notified
Support prepared for potential issues

Post-Launch: Immediate

Submit sitemap to Search Console
Request indexing for key pages
Monitor error logs
Check analytics is recording
Test site from multiple locations/devices
Monitor uptime

Post-Launch: First Week

Monitor Search Console for crawl errors
Check 404 errors and fix or redirect
Review analytics for unexpected patterns
Address any user-reported issues
Verify backups are running
Check email deliverability
Monitor performance metrics

Post-Launch: First Month

Review SEO performance and indexing
Analyse user behaviour in analytics
Collect and address user feedback
Performance baseline established
Review conversion rates
Plan optimisations based on data

Rollback Plan

Sometimes launches go wrong. Have a rollback plan:

Previous site backed up and restorable
DNS can be switched back quickly
Clear criteria for when to rollback
Team knows the process

It's better to rollback quickly than to leave a broken site live.

Common Launch Problems

DNS propagation delays: Allow time for DNS changes. Don't launch minutes before a crucial deadline.

SSL certificate issues: Certificate not yet valid for new domain. Verify SSL works before DNS switch.

Cached old content: CDN or browser caching showing old content. Clear caches and verify.

Missing redirects: Old URLs returning 404. Have redirects ready, especially for high-traffic pages.

Environment configuration: Development settings left active. Test in production environment before DNS switch.

Email routing broken: DNS changes affecting email. Configure email records carefully.

Our Approach

We launch methodically, following checklists refined over many successful (and educational) launches. We test thoroughly, have rollback plans ready, and monitor closely post-launch.

If you have an upcoming launch or want to ensure your next website launch goes smoothly, contact us. We'll ensure everything is ready before the world sees your site.