What should I check before launching a website?

Check indexing rules, robots.txt, sitemap, canonical URLs, redirects, mobile usability, forms, contact details, analytics, performance, accessibility, HTTPS, production configuration, and post-launch monitoring.

Why is SEO part of a website launch checklist?

A visual QA pass does not reveal problems such as noindex directives, blocked crawling, incorrect canonicals, broken sitemaps, or missing redirects.

Should I test forms again after the site is live?

Yes. Production forms can behave differently from preview environments. Test the real live form and confirm the complete delivery path.

Is this checklist free?

Yes. Progress is stored in your browser only and is not submitted to Social Linker.

50+ Point Website Launch Checklist

Indexing & search

Make sure search engines can discover the production site and understand the preferred URLs.

0/10

Remove staging noindex directiveslaunch blockerCheck page-level robots metadata and framework-level indexing settings.Verify robots.txt on the production domainlaunch blockerDo not ship a staging Disallow: / rule.Verify the XML sitemap lists canonical public URLs onlylaunch blockerExclude redirects, private pages, duplicates, and noindex pages.Check canonical URLslaunch blockerEach important page should point to the intended production URL.Review page titles and meta descriptionsImportant pages need distinct, useful search snippets.Validate relevant structured dataUse schema only where it describes visible, real content.Check crawlable internal linksImportant pages should not depend on JavaScript-only navigation.Validate hreflang only if the site has language or regional variantsEvery alternate URL should be reciprocal, canonical, live, and use valid language/region codes.Preview Open Graph and social share cardsCheck the production title, description, image, and URL rather than assuming development metadata carried over.Map old URLs to new URLs with 301 redirectslaunch blockerProtect existing links and search equity during redesigns or migrations.

Content & conversion

Confirm the live site explains the offer clearly and every important action works.

0/7

Confirm one clear primary heading per pageThe main heading should match the page purpose.Test every primary call to actionlaunch blockerButtons should go to the correct form, checkout, booking, or next step.Verify phone, email, WhatsApp, and contact detailslaunch blockerCheck both visible text and clickable links.Submit every important form end-to-endlaunch blockerVerify validation, storage, notifications, confirmations, and error states.Review empty, success, and error statesUsers should know what happened and what to do next.Check internal and external linksRemove broken links, placeholders, and staging URLs.Confirm privacy, cookie, terms, and consent requirementsRequirements vary by business model and visitor location.

Mobile, accessibility & browsers

Test the real interface beyond the desktop design file.

0/8

Test priority journeys on a real phonelaunch blockerNavigation, forms, checkout, sticky elements, and interactive controls matter most.Check intermediate responsive widthsMany layout bugs appear between standard breakpoints.Navigate the site with a keyboardFocus states and interactive controls should be usable without a mouse.Check form labels and accessible namesInputs and buttons need understandable names.Check text and control contrastMuted text should still remain readable.Review image alt textDescribe meaningful images; leave decorative images empty.Test reduced-motion preferencesPersistent or non-essential animation should respect prefers-reduced-motion and remain usable when motion is reduced.Test current Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and EdgePrioritize browsers your audience actually uses.

Performance & media

Catch heavy assets, unnecessary scripts, and layout instability before launch.

0/7

Resize and compress large imageslaunch blockerDo not ship multi-megabyte assets where smaller responsive images would work.Audit web fontsLimit unnecessary weights and avoid blocking the first render.Review third-party scriptsRemove trackers, widgets, and libraries that do not justify their cost.Lazy-load below-the-fold heavy mediaVideos, 3D, maps, and large galleries should not delay the hero.Reserve space for images and embedsPrevent layout shift while media loads.Check caching and static asset headersVersioned assets should be cache-friendly.Run a performance test on the production URLProduction hosting and third-party scripts can differ from preview environments.

Analytics & operations

A launch is incomplete if the team cannot see what is working or respond to failures.

0/9

Verify analytics loads on productionlaunch blockerUse the correct production property and consent behaviour.Test important conversion eventsForms, purchases, signups, calls, demos, or other key actions.Verify Search Console ownership and sitemap submissionUse the canonical production property.Verify Bing Webmaster Tools and sitemap submissionUse the production domain so Bing crawl, index, keyword, backlink, and site-scan data can accumulate.Verify production email deliverylaunch blockerTest lead notifications and customer confirmations from the live domain.Check SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for the sending domainProduction email should authenticate correctly instead of relying on a preview or personal sender.Confirm runtime/error monitoringSomeone should be able to see production failures after launch.Confirm database/content backup or rollback pathKnow how to recover before making a risky production change.Assign owners for domain, hosting, analytics, and formsAvoid shared-account ambiguity during incidents.

Domain, security & launch day

Check the infrastructure that makes the site reachable and trustworthy.

0/9

Verify DNS records and canonical domainlaunch blockerwww/non-www behaviour should be deliberate.Confirm HTTPS and certificate validitylaunch blockerEvery production route and asset should load securely.Review production environment variableslaunch blockerRemove test credentials and confirm required secrets exist.Check that secrets are not exposed client-sidelaunch blockerPublic browser code must not contain private API keys or database credentials.Review production security headersCheck HSTS, content type protection, framing policy, referrer policy, and an appropriate Content Security Policy for the stack.Protect staging and admin environments with access controllaunch blockerNoindex is not access control. Private environments should not be publicly reachable just because search engines are asked not to index them.Test spam and abuse protection on public formsRate limits, bot checks, validation, and duplicate protection should work.Check the 404/not-found experienceBroken URLs should fail cleanly and help users recover.Write down the launch and rollback sequenceKnow who changes DNS, deploys, verifies, and rolls back if needed.

First 14 days after launch

Launch day is the start of observation, not the end of the project.

0/7

Check indexing and crawl statusWatch priority URLs for discovery, canonical issues, and accidental exclusions.Inspect priority URLs in search-engine webmaster toolsUse URL inspection/crawl information to catch blocked, redirected, canonicalized, or undiscovered priority pages.Review 404s and redirect missesReal traffic often reveals old links that were not in the migration sheet.Review form and lead delivery logsConfirm real users are reaching the intended inbox or CRM.Watch production performanceTraffic, analytics, tag managers, and new content can change performance.Review conversion and engagement signalsLook for friction in the journeys the site was built to support.Schedule a post-launch fixes passPrioritize observed problems instead of immediately adding new features.

50+ point website launch checklist.

A finished design is not the same thing as a finished launch.

Search discovery

Lead delivery

Mobile reality

Post-launch operations

Technical SEO

Performance optimization

Website maintenance

What should I check before launching a website?

Why is SEO part of a website launch checklist?

Should I test forms again after the site is live?

Is this checklist free?