Launch Checklist: 25 Things to Do Before Your Site Goes Live

In this guide: The complete website launch checklist: 25 things to check before your site goes live — content, technical SEO, speed, mobile, legal pages, and launch-day…

Launch day is exciting — and it’s also when small mistakes become public. A broken contact form, a missing SSL certificate, or search engines blocked by a forgotten setting can cost you leads and rankings from day one.

Use this 25-point checklist before you announce your website to the world.

Content and design checks

1. Proofread every page. Typos hurt credibility. Read pages aloud or use a grammar tool.
2. Replace all placeholder content — “Lorem ipsum,” demo images, sample posts, and default “Hello world!” content.
3. Check contact details — phone numbers, email addresses, addresses, and business hours are correct everywhere.
4. Test every link — navigation, footer, buttons, and in-content links. Use a broken link checker.
5. Check images — correct sizes, optimized, with descriptive alt text.
6. Add a favicon (the small icon in browser tabs).
7. Create a custom 404 page that helps lost visitors find their way.

Technical and SEO checks

8. Allow search engines to index your site. In WordPress, go to Settings → Reading and make sure “Discourage search engines” is unchecked. This is the most common launch mistake.
9. Set permalinks to a clean structure (Post name).
10. Install SSL and force HTTPS — see What Is SSL?.
11. Write unique SEO titles and meta descriptions for key pages.
12. Generate an XML sitemap with your SEO plugin.
13. Set up Google Search Console and submit your sitemap.
14. Install analytics (GA4) and mark key events — see how to set up GA4.
15. Set up 301 redirects if you’re replacing an old site, so old URLs don’t break.
16. Check robots.txt to confirm you’re not blocking important pages.

Speed and mobile checks

17. Test on real phones — both iPhone and Android if possible. Check menus, buttons, and forms. See how to test your website on mobile devices.
18. Run PageSpeed Insights and fix major issues (large images, render-blocking scripts).
19. Enable caching and consider a CDN.
20. Test in multiple browsers — Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge.

Legal pages and privacy

21. Publish a Privacy Policy explaining what data you collect and why.
22. Add cookie consent if your analytics, ads, or tracking require it in your visitors’ regions — see Privacy Policy and Cookie Consent.
23. Add Terms and Conditions (and refund/shipping policies for stores).
24. Include affiliate disclosures if you use affiliate links.

Security and backups

25. Take a full backup and confirm automatic backups are running. Also:
    – Use strong passwords and 2FA for admin accounts.
    – Remove unused plugins, themes, and test user accounts.
    – Install a security plugin.
    – Set up uptime monitoring so you know immediately if the site goes down.

Functional tests (don’t skip!)

Before launch, actually use your site like a customer:

• Submit every contact form and confirm you receive the email.
• Sign up for your newsletter and check the welcome email arrives.
• Complete a test purchase (for stores) and refund it.
• Test login, registration, and password reset if you have user accounts.
• Click every call-to-action button.

Launch-day promotion

Your site is live — now tell people:

• Email your contacts and existing customers.
• Announce on social media with a short video tour or before/after visuals.
• Update your social bios, email signature, and Google Business Profile with the new URL.
• Share in relevant communities where it adds value (not spam).
• Publish two or three strong articles so visitors have something to read.
• Ask a few friends or customers for feedback in the first week.

Then monitor analytics and Search Console over the next few weeks to catch errors and see what visitors do.

Further reading: WordPress Advanced Administration Handbook

Key Takeaways: Launch Checklist

• Replace placeholder content and test every link and form.
• Make sure search engines aren’t blocked, SSL is active, and your sitemap is submitted.
• Test on real mobile devices and multiple browsers.
• Publish legal pages, take a backup, and secure admin accounts.
• Promote your launch to email contacts, social followers, and communities.

Save this checklist and use it for every website you launch.