The “Publish” button is not the end of the project. Launch is a technical and editorial stage that verifies whether the website can be used, discovered, measured and recovered if something goes wrong.
This checklist suits presentation websites and can be extended for online stores or authenticated platforms.
1. Content and user journeys
- Headlines quickly explain the offer and intended audience.
- Every page has a visible primary action.
- Contact details, opening hours, pricing and conditions are current.
- Placeholder copy and
#links have been removed. - Images have usage rights, correct sizes and alternative text.
- Legal pages and cookie consent reflect the real implementation.
2. Forms and email
Submit every form on desktop and mobile. Check confirmation, validation, data destination and email delivery. If CRM, newsletter or automation integrations exist, confirm that information reaches the correct record.
- Errors are clear and connected to the relevant field;
- required data is genuinely necessary;
- the sending address uses the correct domain and email authentication;
- the conversion event is recorded exactly once.
3. Responsive behaviour and accessibility
Test on real phones, not only by resizing the browser. Check the menu, forms, sticky elements, landscape orientation and virtual keyboard. Then navigate using only the keyboard and review focus order.
- sufficient contrast and readable text;
- visible focus for links and buttons;
- comfortable touch targets;
- logical heading hierarchy;
- reduced animations when requested by the system.
4. Technical SEO
- one relevant H1 per page;
- unique titles and descriptions for important pages;
- final URLs, canonicals and redirects verified;
- accessible XML sitemap submitted to Search Console;
- production does not block indexing;
- structured data only where supported by visible content;
- 404 and empty-result pages offer a recovery path.
5. Performance
Measure representative pages, especially on mobile. Do not watch only the Lighthouse score. Review LCP, INP and CLS, image weight, fonts, third-party scripts and behaviour after cookie consent.
An optimisation is valid when it improves the real experience without breaking measurement, forms or commercial functions.
6. Analytics and conversions
- GA4 and Search Console use the correct properties;
- internal traffic can be filtered;
- CTAs, forms, telephone and WhatsApp are measured;
- UTM parameters are preserved correctly;
- consent controls the scripts it should control;
- reports use consistent conversion definitions.
7. Security, backup and launch
Before changing DNS or publishing a new version, save a complete copy and document rollback. Confirm SSL, permissions, administrator accounts and updates. Decide who monitors the website during the first 24–72 hours.
- verified complete backup;
- rollback plan and hosting access;
- reduced DNS TTL when migration requires it;
- active uptime and error monitoring;
- final test on the public domain after propagation;
- clear owner and incident channel.
After launch
Retest forms, analytics, indexing and Core Web Vitals after real traffic begins. Document problems, prioritise by impact and avoid simultaneous changes that make causes difficult to identify.
A good launch does not promise that no problem will appear. It creates the conditions for problems to be noticed, understood and resolved quickly.