A pre-launch website checklist protects you from the costly mistakes that tank traffic, break conversions and embarrass your brand on day one. These 20 checks cover SEO, performance, security, content and functionality so your site launches clean and ranks from the start.
The 20-Point Pre-Launch Website Checklist
Every item on this website launch checklist exists because we have seen the opposite go wrong. We build and launch sites for Canadian businesses at Quake Media and these are the exact checks our team runs before every deployment. Work through them in order. Do not skip ahead.
Content and Copy
- Proofread Every Page
Read every word on the site out loud. Check headlines, body copy, button labels, footer text and error messages. Typos on a homepage destroy credibility before a visitor reads your value proposition. Use Grammarly or Hemingway as a safety net but never rely on them alone. A human eye catches what software misses.
- Verify All Placeholder Content Is Replaced
Search the entire site for “Lorem ipsum,” placeholder images and default text like “Your Company Name.” Check every page template including 404 pages, search results and blog archive pages. One overlooked placeholder tells visitors the site was rushed.
- Confirm Contact Information Is Accurate
Verify your phone number, email address, physical address and business hours on every page where they appear. Test that phone links use the correct
tel:format and that email links open the right inbox. Incorrect contact details mean lost leads from day one. - Review Legal Pages
Confirm that your privacy policy, terms of service and cookie consent notice are published and linked from the footer. Canadian businesses must comply with PIPEDA and provincial privacy laws. If you collect personal data through forms, your privacy policy must disclose how that data is stored and used.
SEO and Metadata
- Write Unique Title Tags for Every Page
Each page needs a distinct title tag under 60 characters that includes the primary keyword. Do not duplicate titles across pages. Your homepage title should contain your brand name and primary service. Use your SEO plugin (Yoast or Rank Math) to audit every page before launch. Our technical SEO checklist covers the full metadata process.
- Write Meta Descriptions That Drive Clicks
Every page needs a meta description under 155 characters that summarizes the content and includes a call to action. Google may rewrite your descriptions, but well-crafted ones appear in search results more often and earn higher click-through rates. Do not leave these blank or auto-generated.
- Verify Canonical Tags
Every indexable page should have a self-referencing canonical tag. Check that canonicals point to the HTTPS version of your preferred domain format (www or non-www). Wrong canonical tags send conflicting signals to Google and can suppress pages from the index entirely.
- Generate and Test Your XML Sitemap
Generate a fresh sitemap and open it in a browser to confirm it returns a 200 status code. Verify that every public page is included and that no noindex pages appear. Have the sitemap URL ready to submit in Google Search Console on launch day.
- Configure robots.txt
Your
robots.txtfile should allow crawling of all public content while blocking admin areas and internal search results. Double-check that no blanketDisallow: /directive exists. Staging environments often block all crawlers and that directive must be removed before going live. - Implement Structured Data (Schema Markup)
Add JSON-LD schema markup for your Organization, LocalBusiness (if applicable) and any relevant page-level types like Article, Product or FAQPage. Test every schema block with Google’s Rich Results Test. Structured data earns rich snippets that increase visibility in search results.
Performance and Speed
- Run Core Web Vitals Tests
Test every major page template in PageSpeed Insights. Target LCP under 2.5 seconds, INP under 200 milliseconds and CLS under 0.1. Fix any red flags before launch because slow pages lose visitors and rank lower. Compress images, defer non-critical JavaScript and preload your hero images.
- Optimize and Compress All Images
Convert images to WebP or AVIF format. Set explicit width and height attributes on every
<img>tag to prevent layout shift. Add descriptive alt text to every image for accessibility and SEO. A single uncompressed 5MB hero image can push your LCP past the 4-second mark. - Test Mobile Responsiveness
Open every page on a real phone and tablet. Check that navigation menus expand and collapse correctly, that tap targets are at least 48 pixels and that no horizontal scroll appears. Google indexes the mobile version of your site first so mobile failures directly impact rankings.
Functionality and User Experience
- Test Every Form Submission
Submit every contact form, newsletter signup and lead capture form on the site. Verify that confirmation emails arrive, that CRM or email marketing integrations receive the data and that thank-you pages load correctly. Broken forms are invisible revenue leaks. Request a free audit if you want our team to stress-test your forms and conversion paths before launch.
- Check All Internal and External Links
Run a crawl with Screaming Frog or a free broken link checker. Fix every 404 error before launch. Verify that external links open in new tabs where appropriate and that no links point to staging URLs. A site full of broken links signals neglect to both visitors and search engines.
- Test Cross-Browser Compatibility
Open the site in Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge. Check layout, fonts, forms and interactive elements in each browser. Pay special attention to Safari on iOS because WebKit handles CSS differently than Chromium. A form that breaks in Safari alienates roughly 25% of mobile users.
- Verify 404 and Error Page Handling
Type a fake URL on your domain and confirm that a custom 404 page loads. That page should include navigation, a search bar and a link to the homepage. Default server error pages confuse visitors and offer no path back to useful content.
Security and Analytics
- Confirm SSL Certificate Is Active on Every Page
Load every page over HTTPS and check for the padlock icon. Search for mixed content warnings where HTTP resources load on HTTPS pages. Force HTTPS redirects at the server level so no HTTP version of any page is accessible. Browsers flag HTTP sites as “Not Secure” which kills visitor trust immediately.
- Install Analytics and Tracking
Verify that Google Analytics 4 and Google Tag Manager fire on every page. Test conversion tracking for form submissions and phone calls. Use Google Tag Assistant to confirm data flows correctly. Launching without analytics means you cannot measure what is working or diagnose what fails.
- Remove Staging Noindex Tags and Password Protection
Check the HTML source of every page template for
<meta name="robots" content="noindex">tags. Verify that your CMS “Discourage search engines” setting is unchecked. Remove any HTTP authentication or password gates from the production server. A forgotten noindex tag on your homepage will erase your site from Google within days.
Launch Day: Your First 24 Hours
Going live is not the finish line. The first 24 hours after launch determine whether your site gains traction or starts falling behind. Run through these steps the moment DNS propagates.
Submit Your Sitemap
Log into Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. Submit your XML sitemap URL. Use the URL Inspection tool to request indexing for your homepage and top five landing pages. This accelerates discovery.
Monitor for Crawl Errors
Watch the Coverage report in Search Console for the next 48 hours. Any spike in 404 errors or server errors needs immediate attention. Set up UptimeRobot or a similar tool to alert you if the site goes down.
Verify Conversion Tracking
Submit a test lead through every form. Place a test order if you run e-commerce. Confirm that GA4 events fire correctly and that your CRM receives the data. Catching a broken conversion path on day one saves you from losing leads all week.
Share and Monitor Social Previews
Share your homepage and key landing pages on LinkedIn and Facebook. Use each platform’s debugger tool to confirm that Open Graph images, titles and descriptions render correctly. First impressions on social media drive your initial referral traffic.
Quick-Reference Pre-Launch Website Checklist
Here is the full 20-point website launch checklist in a scannable format. Bookmark this section and check off each item before you flip the switch.
- Proofread every page
- Replace all placeholder content
- Verify contact information
- Publish legal pages (privacy policy, terms, cookie consent)
- Write unique title tags
- Write meta descriptions for every page
- Verify canonical tags
- Generate and test your XML sitemap
- Configure robots.txt
- Implement structured data
- Run Core Web Vitals tests
- Optimize and compress all images
- Test mobile responsiveness
- Test every form submission
- Check all internal and external links
- Test cross-browser compatibility
- Verify 404 and error page handling
- Confirm SSL certificate coverage
- Install analytics and tracking
- Remove staging noindex tags and password protection
If your site is going through a major overhaul, pair this checklist with our website redesign checklist to cover migration-specific risks like URL mapping and 301 redirects.
Pre-Launch Website Checklist FAQ
How far in advance should I start the pre-launch checklist?
Start at least two weeks before your target launch date. Content proofreading and SEO metadata can be completed early while performance testing and form verification should happen on the final staging build. Rushing through the checklist in a single day leads to missed items that cost you traffic and leads after launch.
What is the most common pre-launch mistake that hurts SEO?
Leaving noindex tags on production pages. Staging sites use noindex directives to prevent Google from crawling unfinished work. When the site goes live and those tags remain, Google removes your pages from search results. Check every page template and your CMS settings before launch to confirm indexing is enabled.
Do I need a separate checklist for an e-commerce website launch?
This 20-point checklist covers the foundation for any website type. E-commerce sites need additional checks for product schema markup, payment gateway testing, inventory sync, shipping calculator accuracy and tax configuration. Layer those checks on top of this list rather than replacing it.
Can I launch my website without Google Analytics installed?
You can, but you should not. Launching without analytics means you have no data on visitor behaviour, traffic sources or conversion rates. You cannot identify problems or measure results. Install GA4 and Google Tag Manager before launch so you capture data from day one. Retroactive analytics setup cannot recover lost historical data.
Launch With Confidence
A website launch is a one-shot event. Get it wrong and you spend months recovering lost rankings and fixing broken functionality. Our web development team at Quake Media runs this exact pre-launch website checklist on every project we deliver for Canadian businesses.
Want us to review your site before you go live? Request a free audit or call us at 604-901-7668 to talk through your launch plan.
Related: monthly SEO checklist
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