Launching a website is exciting — but it's also the moment where things can go wrong if you haven't covered your bases. I've seen businesses launch with broken contact forms, missing pages, and no SEO setup. Months of work undermined by a rushed launch.
I use this exact checklist for every website I launch. Whether you're launching a new site or relaunching a redesigned one, make sure every item is checked off before you go live.
Content Checklist
- ☐ All placeholder text (Lorem Ipsum) has been replaced with real content
- ☐ Every page has been proofread for spelling and grammar errors
- ☐ Contact information is correct and consistent across all pages
- ☐ Business hours are accurate
- ☐ All images have been replaced with final versions (no placeholders)
- ☐ Legal pages are in place (Privacy Policy, Terms of Service)
- ☐ Copyright year is current
- ☐ Social media links point to the correct profiles
- ☐ Team bios and photos are current
- ☐ Pricing information is accurate
- ☐ All downloadable files (PDFs, brochures) work correctly
Design & User Experience Checklist
- ☐ Site looks great on desktop (multiple screen sizes)
- ☐ Site looks great on tablet
- ☐ Site looks great on mobile phones (test on both iPhone and Android)
- ☐ All fonts are loading correctly
- ☐ Images are properly sized and not stretched or pixelated
- ☐ Navigation works intuitively on all devices
- ☐ Buttons are large enough to tap on mobile
- ☐ There's no horizontal scrolling on any device
- ☐ Consistent styling across all pages (colors, fonts, spacing)
- ☐ Favicon (browser tab icon) is set
- ☐ 404 error page is customized (not the default server error)
Functionality Checklist
- ☐ All links work (no broken links or dead ends)
- ☐ Contact form(s) submit successfully and you receive the email
- ☐ Auto-reply/confirmation emails are working
- ☐ Phone numbers are clickable on mobile (click-to-call)
- ☐ Google Maps embed is loading correctly
- ☐ Search functionality works (if applicable)
- ☐ E-commerce: Add to cart, checkout, and payment processing all work
- ☐ Blog posts display correctly with proper formatting
- ☐ Email signup/newsletter form is connected to your email service
- ☐ All third-party integrations are working (CRM, scheduling, chat)
SEO Checklist
- ☐ Every page has a unique, descriptive title tag
- ☐ Every page has a unique meta description
- ☐ URL structure is clean and descriptive (e.g., /services/web-design)
- ☐ Proper heading hierarchy on every page (one H1, followed by H2s, H3s)
- ☐ All images have descriptive alt text
- ☐ XML sitemap is generated and submitted to Google Search Console
- ☐ Robots.txt file is configured correctly
- ☐ Schema markup (structured data) is implemented
- ☐ Canonical URLs are set (prevents duplicate content issues)
- ☐ Internal links connect related pages
- ☐ Old URLs redirect to new ones (301 redirects) if this is a redesign
Performance Checklist
- ☐ PageSpeed Insights score is 80+ on mobile (90+ is ideal)
- ☐ All images are compressed and optimized
- ☐ CSS and JavaScript files are minified
- ☐ Browser caching is enabled
- ☐ Lazy loading is implemented for below-the-fold images
- ☐ No render-blocking resources
Security Checklist
- ☐ SSL certificate is installed and working (https://)
- ☐ HTTP automatically redirects to HTTPS
- ☐ Admin login credentials are strong (not admin/password)
- ☐ Contact form has spam protection (honeypot field or reCAPTCHA)
- ☐ File uploads are restricted to safe file types (if applicable)
- ☐ Security headers are configured (HSTS, X-Frame-Options, etc.)
- ☐ Backup system is in place and tested
Analytics & Tracking Checklist
- ☐ Google Analytics 4 is installed and tracking
- ☐ Google Search Console is set up and verified
- ☐ Goal/conversion tracking is configured
- ☐ Facebook Pixel or other ad pixels are installed (if running ads)
- ☐ Phone call tracking is set up (if applicable)
Legal & Business Checklist
- ☐ Domain name is registered in YOUR name (not the developer's)
- ☐ Privacy Policy complies with applicable laws (GDPR, CCPA)
- ☐ Cookie consent banner is present (required in many jurisdictions)
- ☐ Terms of Service page is in place
- ☐ Business license and regulation compliance mentioned where required
Post-Launch Checklist
- ☐ Submit sitemap to Google Search Console
- ☐ Test site from multiple locations (use a VPN or ask friends in other areas)
- ☐ Set up uptime monitoring
- ☐ Announce the launch on social media
- ☐ Send an email to your customer list about the new site
- ☐ Update your Google Business Profile with the website URL
- ☐ Update social media profiles with the new website link
- ☐ Monitor Google Search Console for crawl errors in the first week
- ☐ Check analytics after 1 week to ensure tracking is accurate
I Handle All of This
When I build and launch your website, every single item on this checklist is covered. Nothing goes live until everything is tested, optimized, and ready.
