Pre-launch checklist

This is the master run-through for the weeks before launch—the point where content, design and technical setup all have to come together. Work through each section; nothing here is optional for a professional launch, though the depth you go into will vary by project size. If this is a redesign or replatform of an existing site rather than a brand-new one, read this alongside the site migration checklist, which covers the extra risk a migration adds on top of everything here.

Content & copy

• Every page has final, proofread copy—no lorem ipsum or placeholder text left anywhere, including footers and legal pages
• Every page has a unique, descriptive <title> tag and meta description (see the SEO checklist)
• Contact information (phone, email, address) is accurate and consistent everywhere it appears
• All internal links point to the correct final URLs, not placeholder or staging links
• Spelling, grammar and tone have been checked by a second person, not just the writer
• Dates, prices, names and any factual claims have been double-checked for accuracy
• Placeholder testimonials, sample reviews or stock "team member" bios have been replaced with real content or removed
• Any downloadable files (PDFs, brochures, price lists) are the final versions and open correctly

Design & branding

• The site is tested and looks correct on the major current browsers, not just the one the designer uses (see the QA & cross-browser checklist)
• Layout, spacing and images look correct across desktop, tablet and mobile widths (see the mobile checklist)
• Favicon, logo and brand colors are in place and consistent across every page and browser tab
• All images are final, properly cropped, and have descriptive alt text (see the accessibility checklist)
• Broken or missing images have been checked for on every page, not just the homepage
• Print styles, if the site needs them (invoices, receipts, printable pages), have been checked in an actual print preview

Domain, DNS & email

• The production domain is registered, pointed at the correct host, and DNS has had time to propagate before launch day
• MX records (and SPF/DKIM/DMARC records, if this domain also sends email) are correct and haven't been accidentally overwritten by a hosting migration—see the email deliverability checklist
• A www vs. non-www decision has been made and the non-preferred version redirects to the preferred one
• Domain registration and DNS management logins are documented and accessible to whoever needs them, not locked in one person's personal account
• Domain renewal is set to auto-renew, or a calendar reminder exists well ahead of the expiry date

Technical setup

• HTTPS is active with a valid SSL/TLS certificate, and HTTP requests redirect to HTTPS (see the security checklist)
• A custom, on-brand 404 error page exists and links back into the site
• robots.txt exists and is not accidentally blocking the whole site with Disallow: /
• An XML sitemap exists and lists the correct, final URLs
• Forms have been tested end-to-end, including the confirmation message and any notification email (see the forms & conversion checklist)
• Redirects are in place for any URLs that are changing from a previous version of the site (see the technical SEO checklist)
• Structured data has been added where relevant and validated (see the structured data checklist)
• Analytics and Search Console are ready to go live the moment the site does (see the analytics checklist)

Legal & compliance

• A privacy policy is published and accurately describes what data the site actually collects
• A cookie/consent notice is in place if the site uses cookies or trackers that require it in your audience's jurisdiction (see the privacy & cookie consent checklist)
• Terms of service or terms of use are published if the site sells anything or has user accounts
• Any required accessibility, ADA or industry-specific disclosures are in place for your market
• Copyright and trademark ownership of all site content, code and imagery is confirmed—stock images and fonts are properly licensed for the intended use

Final QA pass

• Every navigation link and button has been clicked at least once
• The site has been reviewed on a real phone and a real tablet, not just a browser's device-simulation mode
• Search functionality, if present, returns sensible results for common queries
• The site loads correctly with cache cleared, in a private/incognito window
• A second person who wasn't involved in building the site has reviewed it end to end
• Every form field validation message has been triggered on purpose to confirm it's clear and helpful
• The site has been checked at a slow, throttled network speed, not just on a fast office connection
• A structured pass has been run against the QA & cross-browser checklist rather than relying on an unstructured final click-through

Team sign-off

• Whoever is accountable for the launch has explicitly reviewed and approved the finished site, not just skimmed it
• Everyone with a stake in the outcome—client, stakeholders, support staff—knows what "launched" actually means and when it will happen
• A rollback plan exists in case something goes wrong on launch day (see the launch day checklist)

Once this is done, move on to analytics & tracking setup and the launch day checklist.