Launching a website without a checklist is like opening a store without checking whether the door unlocks. This is the complete verification playbook (technical, content, tracking, and conversion) for launch day and for the first week after it.
1. Content and editorial review
- Copy reviewed, with no leftover placeholder or "lorem ipsum."
- Contact details and legal information correct on every page.
- Images with descriptive alt text and correct proportions on mobile.
- Prices, timelines, and terms confirmed with the sales team.
- Legal pages published: privacy policy and terms of use.
2. Technical and indexing
| Item | What to check | Risk if it fails |
|---|---|---|
| robots.txt | no blanket Disallow inherited from staging | site invisible to Google |
| Meta robots | no leftover noindex | pages left out of the index |
| Sitemap.xml | every public URL listed | slow discovery |
| Canonical | self-referencing on every page | duplicate content |
| HTTPS | valid certificate and forced redirect | security warning |
| 404 errors | broken internal links | lost navigation |
3. Performance and experience
- Images in a modern format, sized for real-world use.
- Fonts loading without blocking rendering.
- Testing on simulated 3G and on an entry-level device, not just the office desktop.
- Measuring Core Web Vitals on the pages expected to get the most traffic.
- Keyboard navigation and text contrast validated.
4. Tracking and integrations
- Analytics installed and filtering out internal traffic.
- Conversion events firing according to the guide to GA4 events.
- Media pixels validated in the production environment.
- Forms delivering leads to the right destination, end-to-end tested all the way to the CRM.
- New-lead notification reaching the right person on the sales team.
5. Conversion
Before spending on media
Check that every page has a clear primary action, that the form asks for only the essentials, and that there is a thank-you page with a clear next step.
First week live
Track session recordings, bounce rate per page, and traffic source. Small adjustments made in the first seven days prevent months of biased reporting.
Final launch checklist
- Indexing block removed and verified.
- Sitemap submitted to Search Console.
- Every form tested all the way to its final destination.
- Conversion events validated in production.
- Redirects from any previous site's old URLs active, if applicable.
- Backup of the published environment.
- Owner and support channel defined for the first week.
Conclusion
Launch is not the end of the project: it is the start of measurement. A disciplined checklist turns the first day live into a reliable foundation for every optimization decision that follows.
Frequently asked questions about website launch checklist
What should I check before launching a website?
Reviewed content, indexing block removed, sitemap generated, self-referencing canonical, HTTPS active, forms tested all the way to their final destination, and conversion events validated in production.
Why doesn't my new website show up on Google?
The most common cause is an indexing block used during development that stayed active, whether in robots.txt or in a noindex meta tag.
Do I need to submit the sitemap manually?
It is not mandatory, but submitting it in Search Console speeds up page discovery and gives early visibility into crawl errors.
What should I monitor in the first week?
Traffic source, bounce rate per page, session recordings, and whether leads actually reach their commercial destination.
About the author
Yara Iencius
Partner and Head of Design & UX, KCLOCK
Conversion designer. Responsible for UX/UI, interfaces, landing pages, and e-commerce sites that turn strategy into a high-converting experience.
- #website
- #launch
- #technical seo
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