Launching a website feels like the finish line. After weeks or months of design, development, content writing, and revisions, the moment of going live is genuinely exciting. But launch day isn't the end of the process � it's a critical transition point that requires its own careful preparation.
Launching without a proper checklist is how bugs go live, pages launch unsecured, and SEO groundwork gets skipped. This comprehensive checklist covers every step you should complete before � and immediately after � taking a site live.
Pre-Launch: Design and Content
Visual and Brand Consistency
- All pages reviewed for consistent use of fonts, colours, and spacing
- Logo appears correctly on all pages and in the browser tab (favicon)
- Images are high quality, correctly sized, and visually consistent
- No placeholder text (Lorem Ipsum) remaining anywhere on the site
- No placeholder images remaining anywhere on the site
- Copyright year in the footer is correct
Content Review
- All page copy has been proofread for spelling and grammar errors
- All headings are clear, descriptive, and formatted consistently
- Contact details (phone, email, address) are correct and consistent across all pages
- Opening hours and location information are accurate
- Team bios and photos are current and approved
- Pricing information has been reviewed and approved for publication
- Any case studies or testimonials have been approved by the relevant clients
Pre-Launch: Technical
Performance
- All images are compressed and optimised for web (WebP format recommended)
- Page speed tested using Google PageSpeed Insights � score reviewed and key issues resolved
- Caching is configured on the server or via a caching plugin
- A CDN (Content Delivery Network) is in place if appropriate for your traffic levels
Mobile and Cross-Browser Testing
- Site tested on iOS (Safari and Chrome)
- Site tested on Android (Chrome)
- Site tested on desktop: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge
- No horizontal scrolling issues on any device
- All interactive elements (forms, buttons, menus) work correctly on touchscreen
- All fonts display correctly across browsers
Forms and Functionality
- All contact forms tested � submission confirmed, confirmation message displayed, email notification received
- Any booking or appointment systems tested end-to-end
- Any e-commerce checkout flow tested with a real or test transaction
- Error states on forms tested (what happens with invalid input?)
- Any third-party integrations tested (CRM, email marketing, payment gateways)
Navigation and Links
- All navigation links work correctly and lead to the right pages
- No broken internal links (use a tool like Screaming Frog to check)
- Footer links all functional
- No broken external links
- 404 page is designed, functional, and returns a genuine 404 status code
Pre-Launch: Security
- SSL certificate installed and HTTPS enforced across all pages
- No mixed content warnings (all page resources loading over HTTPS)
- WordPress (if applicable): admin username is not "admin"
- WordPress: all plugins and themes are updated to latest versions
- WordPress: security plugin installed and configured (e.g. Wordfence, iThemes Security)
- Strong, unique passwords set for all admin accounts
- Two-factor authentication enabled on admin accounts where possible
- File permissions configured correctly on the server
- Unnecessary default content removed (sample pages, posts, users)
Pre-Launch: SEO
- Every page has a unique, descriptive title tag (under 60 characters)
- Every page has a unique meta description (under 160 characters)
- Heading hierarchy is logical (one H1 per page, H2s and H3s used appropriately)
- All images have descriptive alt text
- URLs are clean, descriptive, and human-readable (not /page?id=123)
- XML sitemap generated and accessible at /sitemap.xml
- robots.txt file is present and configured correctly (not blocking search engines)
- Canonical tags correctly implemented to avoid duplicate content issues
- Schema markup added where appropriate (LocalBusiness, FAQ, etc.)
- Google Analytics 4 installed and tracking code verified as active
- Google Search Console account created, domain verified, sitemap submitted
Pre-Launch: Legal and Compliance
- Privacy policy is present, up to date, and linked from the footer
- Cookie consent mechanism is in place and compliant with UK GDPR
- Cookie policy explains what cookies are used and why
- Terms and conditions page present if required for your business type
- Any e-commerce legal requirements met (delivery policy, returns policy, company information)
- Accessibility considerations reviewed (adequate colour contrast, keyboard navigation, alt text)
Launch Day
- DNS updated to point to the new hosting (allow 24�48 hours for full propagation)
- Verify the site is live and accessible from multiple devices
- Verify HTTPS is working correctly after DNS switch
- Check that forms still work on the live domain (not just staging)
- Check that payment gateways are in live mode, not test mode
- Submit the sitemap to Google Search Console
- Share the launch internally � ensure everyone who needs to know is informed
- Announce on social media and other relevant channels
Post-Launch: First Two Weeks
- Monitor Google Search Console for crawl errors, mobile usability issues, and indexing status
- Check Google Analytics is recording live traffic
- Review page speed on the live server (can differ from staging)
- Check for any issues that only appear under real traffic conditions
- Set up Google Search Console email alerts for critical issues
- Confirm automated backups are running on the live site
- Confirm monitoring is in place for uptime alerts
Ongoing After Launch
- Schedule regular backups and verify they're completing successfully
- Set a monthly reminder to update WordPress core, plugins, and themes
- Schedule a one-month post-launch review: analytics, form submissions, SEO indexing
- Review your maintenance plan � who is responsible for keeping the site updated and secure?
Why a Checklist Matters
Launching a website without a systematic review process inevitably means something gets missed. In a typical project, the final days are rushed � content changes are coming in, last-minute design tweaks are being made, and everyone is focused on the visual result rather than the technical foundation.
A checklist creates accountability and slows the process down just enough to catch the things that would otherwise slip through: the form that doesn't send emails, the page that's accidentally blocked from Google, the SSL certificate that isn't quite right.
A methodical launch takes a few extra hours. Fixing a botched launch can take days � and can mean your site is live in a broken or insecure state while you scramble.
Work With Elendil Studio
Elendil Studio follows a rigorous pre-launch process for every website we deliver. No site goes live until it's been tested, optimised, secured, and fully reviewed against our internal checklist.
If you're planning a new website � or want confidence that your existing site was launched properly � get in touch. We'd be happy to help.
Find out more about our web design services.