Free checklist template
Website launch QA checklist
Most launch-day problems are small and preventable: a broken form, a placeholder paragraph, a missing page title. Work through this list on the final staging site, on a phone as well as a laptop.
Website launch QA checklist
WEBSITE LAUNCH CHECKLIST: [Site name]
1. Content
☐ No placeholder text or images ("lorem ipsum", "TBC")
☐ Spelling, names, prices and dates checked
☐ Contact details, addresses and opening hours correct
☐ Privacy policy, terms and cookie information in place
2. Design
☐ Pages checked on phone, tablet and desktop
☐ Fonts, colours and spacing consistent across pages
☐ Favicon and social sharing image set
3. Functionality
☐ Every form submits and the message arrives where it should
☐ Links, buttons and navigation all work; no links to staging
☐ A helpful 404 page exists
☐ Search, filters and checkout (if any) tested end to end
4. Performance
☐ Images resized and compressed (WebP where possible)
☐ Pages load quickly on a mobile connection
5. SEO
☐ Every page has a unique title and meta description
☐ One H1 per page that describes it
☐ robots.txt allows the pages you want found
☐ sitemap.xml lists your pages
☐ Old URLs redirect to new ones (301)
☐ "Discourage search engines" / noindex settings removed from the live site
6. Accessibility
☐ Images have descriptive alt text
☐ Text has enough contrast
☐ The site can be used with a keyboard alone
7. Tracking
☐ Analytics installed and recording visits
☐ Conversion goals (form sends, purchases) recording
8. After launch
☐ Sitemap submitted in Google Search Console
☐ Forms and checkout tested once more on the live domain
☐ Backups and uptime monitoring switched onReplace everything in [square brackets]. Free to use and adapt; no attribution needed.
Tips for using it
Test on the real devices
Browser resizing isn’t the same as a phone. Check at least one iPhone and one Android before launch.
Get fresh eyes
People who built the site stop seeing its mistakes. Ask someone new to click through and comment on what they find.
Check the noindex setting
Staging sites are often hidden from search engines. Make sure that setting doesn’t go live with the site.
Frequently asked questions
What should I check before launching a website?+
Content accuracy, design on all screen sizes, every form and link, performance, SEO basics (titles, sitemap, robots.txt), accessibility, analytics and legal pages.
How do I collect feedback on a staging site?+
If the staging site is public, capture it by URL in edits.io and share the link so reviewers can pin comments on the page.
What do I do right after launch?+
Submit your sitemap in Google Search Console, re-test forms on the live domain, and confirm analytics is recording.
Collect the feedback in one place
Capture any public web page in full and collect pinned comments on it. Clients comment with a link, no account needed.
See website feedback