Practical website planning

Website launch checklist

Before launch, on launch day, and during your first week.

Before launch

Write down the primary action visitors should take and give it one clear button.
Confirm ownership and renewal access for the domain and hosting. Record who maintains the site.
Choose one canonical host. Test HTTPS, mobile navigation and keyboard access.
Proofread every page, verify image usage rights and check that contact details are accurate.
Submit every form with a real test address and verify that the message arrives. Check error states too.
Prepare specific redirects for changed URLs. Do not redirect unrelated missing pages to the homepage.

Remove staging-only access restrictions and unintended noindex directives. Keep private areas protected.
Verify the homepage, key landing pages, robots.txt and sitemap using a signed-out browser.
Check HTTP-to-HTTPS and www redirects, certificate validity and genuine missing-page responses.
Test the primary customer journey on mobile and desktop. Verify analytics and any consent controls you use.

Review failed forms, broken links, unexpected 404s and server errors.
Submit the sitemap to Search Console once site ownership is verified. Submission does not guarantee indexing.
Confirm backups exist and that a documented restore process works before relying on them.