Launching a website without proper checks can lead to embarrassing errors, security vulnerabilities, and lost revenue. This comprehensive checklist ensures nothing slips through the cracks.
PRE-LAUNCH TECHNICAL CHECKS
12 items
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SSL Certificate Installed Verify HTTPS works on all pages. Check for mixed content warnings.
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Domain DNS Configured Both www and non-www versions resolve correctly. Set up proper redirects.
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404 Error Page Created Custom 404 page with navigation back to main site.
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Favicon Implemented Multiple sizes for different devices. Include Apple touch icon.
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robots.txt Configured Allow important pages, block admin/private routes.
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XML Sitemap Generated Include all public pages. Submit to Google Search Console.
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All Forms Tested Contact forms, sign-ups, checkouts all working. Check email delivery.
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Broken Links Checked Run a crawler to find any 404s or broken internal/external links.
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Images Optimized WebP/AVIF format. Proper sizing. Alt text on all images.
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Mobile Responsiveness Test on actual devices. Check all breakpoints. No horizontal scroll.
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Cross-Browser Testing Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge. Check on different OS versions.
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Performance Audit Run Lighthouse. Target: LCP < 2.5s, INP < 200ms, CLS < 0.1
SEO ESSENTIALS
10 items
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Unique Title Tags Under 60 characters. Include primary keyword. Each page unique.
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Meta Descriptions Under 155 characters. Include keyword and CTA. Unique per page.
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Canonical Tags Self-referencing canonical on every page. Prevent duplicate content.
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Open Graph Tags og:title, og:description, og:image for social sharing.
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Heading Hierarchy Only ONE H1 per page. Logical H2 → H3 → H4 structure.
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Schema Markup Organization, LocalBusiness, Article, FAQ, BreadcrumbList as needed.
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Clean URL Structure Lowercase, hyphens, descriptive. No query parameters for main pages.
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Internal Linking Every page reachable in 3 clicks max. Contextual anchor text.
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Image Alt Text Descriptive alt text on all images. Include keywords naturally.
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Google Search Console Site verified. Sitemap submitted. Check for crawl errors.
CONTENT & COPY
8 items
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Spelling & Grammar Run through Grammarly or similar. Have someone proofread.
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Contact Information Phone, email, address verified and up to date.
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Legal Pages Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, Cookie Policy as required.
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Copyright Year Footer copyright shows current year. Consider dynamic year.
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Placeholder Content Removed No "Lorem ipsum" or "[YOUR TEXT HERE]" remaining.
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Social Links Working All social media links go to correct profiles. Open in new tab.
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Call-to-Actions Clear Every page has a clear next step for visitors.
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Testimonials Approved Client permission obtained for any quotes or logos used.
SECURITY & COMPLIANCE
8 items
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HTTPS Everywhere All resources load over HTTPS. No mixed content.
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Security Headers X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, CSP configured.
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Form Validation Server-side validation. Input sanitization. CSRF protection.
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Admin Access Secured Strong passwords. 2FA enabled. Admin routes not publicly accessible.
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Cookie Consent GDPR-compliant cookie banner if using tracking/analytics.
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Data Backup Automated backups configured. Tested restore process.
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Dependencies Updated No known vulnerabilities in packages. Run npm audit or similar.
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Environment Variables No secrets in code. All sensitive data in env vars.
ANALYTICS & TRACKING
6 items
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Google Analytics GA4 installed and tracking. Verify in real-time reports.
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Conversion Tracking Form submissions, purchases, key actions tracked as events.
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Search Console Property verified. Sitemap submitted. Index coverage checked.
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Facebook Pixel If using Facebook ads, pixel installed and events configured.
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Heatmap Tool Hotjar, Microsoft Clarity, or similar for user behavior insights.
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Uptime Monitoring Set up alerts for downtime. UptimeRobot, Pingdom, or similar.
FINAL CHECKS
6 items
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Client Approval Final sign-off from client/stakeholders before going live.
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Staging vs Production Verify you're deploying the right environment.
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Redirects Configured Old URLs redirect to new ones. No broken bookmarks.
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Launch Announcement Social posts, email newsletter, PR ready to go.
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Support Plan Know who handles issues post-launch. Have contact info ready.
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Documentation Admin guides, content management instructions provided to client.