Launch operations · Launch & Growth
The Website Launch Checklist for a Clean Handoff
Use this pre-launch checklist to protect search visibility, conversion paths, analytics, accessibility, and ownership.
- Use separate content, UX, technical, search, and ownership passes.
- Verify the paths that create business value, not just the home page.
- Treat launch as the first measurement point, not the finish line.
A launch is more than publishing
A website launch is a coordinated handoff across content, design, engineering, analytics, and operations. Treat it as a release with an owner, a checklist, and a rollback plan—not as the moment someone changes a DNS record.
The five launch passes
Run content, UX, technical, search, and ownership passes. Each pass catches a different class of failure and keeps the team from assuming that one successful preview means the whole site is ready.
- Content: facts, links, CTAs, spelling, and proof
- UX: responsive layouts, keyboard paths, forms, and error states
- Technical: performance, console errors, redirects, and integrations
- Search: metadata, canonicals, sitemap, robots, and structured data
- Ownership: analytics access, domains, assets, and update instructions
Measure after launch
Watch the important paths after release. Confirm that forms arrive, analytics records the intended events, search engines can access the right pages, and visitors understand the next step. Launch is the beginning of the learning loop.