Website Launch Checklist
A website launch checklist for agencies and web teams: content, SEO, redirects, forms, tracking, DNS cutover and post-launch checks for a clean go-live.
- Typical schedule per website launch
- The checklist 5 sections, 28 items
- Variables
{{site}}{{launch_date}} - Start from CI
Use this checklist for the final days before a new or rebuilt website goes live, and for the first day
after. It assumes the design and build are done and approved. What remains is a long tail of small things
that are easy to miss: a staging URL in a link, a contact form sending to a developer's inbox, a
noindex tag left on from development.
Who owns it
The project lead owns the run and makes the final go or no-go call. A developer handles DNS, hosting and redirects. The client or a content owner confirms the copy. Assign each item to the person who will actually check it.
Common pitfalls
- Search engines blocked after launch. Staging sites often have
noindexor a blockingrobots.txt. Check the live site, not the settings screen. - Missing redirects on a rebuild. Old URLs that now return 404 lose their search traffic and break bookmarks. Map every important old URL before launch day.
- Forms that go nowhere. Submit every form on the live domain and confirm the email or CRM entry arrives.
- DNS changes on a Friday afternoon. Lower the TTL a day ahead, launch early in the week, and keep someone available for a few hours afterwards.
If your hosting pipeline deploys the production site, it can start this run through the API. The run then records who checked each item on launch day.
The checklist: Launch website {{site}}
Content and design
-
All pages proofread and placeholder text removed
-
Client has signed off on the final content and design
-
Links checked for broken targets and leftover staging URLs
Use a crawler (e.g. Screaming Frog, Sitebulb) or a link checker against the staging site.
-
Images compressed and given meaningful alt text
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Favicon and social sharing image set
-
Legal pages present and linked: imprint, privacy policy, cookie notice where required
-
Site checked on mobile, tablet and desktop in the main browsers
SEO and tracking
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Each page has a unique title tag and meta description
-
301 redirects from old URLs to new URLs are in place optional
Needed for rebuilds. Test a sample of the top old URLs after DNS switches.
-
XML sitemap generated and referenced in robots.txt
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Analytics installed and recording visits on the live domain
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Conversion events or goals tested (form submits, purchases, sign-ups)
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Cookie consent banner works and blocks tracking until consent, where required
Functionality and performance
-
Every form submitted on the live domain and the message received
-
Transactional emails tested (order confirmation, password reset) optional
-
Page speed checked on the key templates (e.g. PageSpeed Insights)
-
Custom 404 page in place
-
Basic accessibility check done: keyboard navigation, contrast, form labels
Go live on {{launch_date}}
-
DNS TTL lowered at least a day before the switch
-
Backup of the old site taken optional
-
DNS records pointed to the new hosting
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HTTPS certificate valid and HTTP redirects to HTTPS
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www and non-www versions redirect to one canonical host
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noindex removed and robots.txt allows crawling on the live site
After launch
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Sitemap submitted in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools
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Uptime monitoring set up for the live domain
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Search Console checked for crawl errors a few days after launch
-
Client notified that the site is live, with logins and next steps
Checklist as Markdown
Start this checklist from your pipeline
When the production deploy job finishes, POST /api/v1/runs with template "Launch website {{site}}" and launch_date set to today.
curl -X POST https://runbook.metastic.ch/api/v1/runs \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $RUNBOOK_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"template": "Launch website {{site}}", "variables": {"site": "…", "launch_date": "…"}}'Frequently asked questions
What should I check before launching a website?
Check that content is final, that every form and transactional email works on the live domain, that search engines are allowed to index the site, and that old URLs redirect to new ones. Then confirm HTTPS, analytics and a working 404 page. Most launch problems come from settings left over from staging.
How long does DNS propagation take when a website goes live?
It depends on the TTL of the old records. If you lower the TTL to a few minutes a day before the switch, most visitors see the new site shortly after you change the records. With a long TTL, some visitors may see the old site for hours, so keep it online until the switch is complete.
Should I launch a website on a Friday?
It is better not to. If something breaks, you want the developer and the client available the next day. Launch early in the week, in the morning, and plan for a few hours of checks afterwards.
Updated