Launching a website is the moment months of work either pays off or quietly breaks. One missed step, a forgotten redirect, a site still hidden from Google, a broken form, can undo it all on day one. This website go-live checklist walks you through everything to verify before, during and after launch, so your site goes live clean, fast and findable.
Quick answer: Before you go live, confirm the site is fast, secure, mobile-friendly and error-free, then handle the three most-missed items: set up 301 redirects for any changed URLs, remove the “discourage search engines” or noindex setting, and clear all staging blocks and placeholder content. Submit your sitemap, verify analytics, then monitor closely for the first 30 days.
When to start and how to use this checklist
Start your go-live checklist at least 4 weeks before launch, or 8 weeks for large or ecommerce sites. Work through the phases in order: technical, SEO and content, compliance, then the launch-day sequence and post-launch monitoring. Tick each item off, and do not launch until the critical ones are done.
Phase 1: Pre-launch technical checklist
Get the foundations right before anything else.
- Hosting tested for speed and uptime under load
- SSL certificate installed and forcing HTTPS everywhere, no mixed-content warnings
- DNS configured and ready to propagate
- Backups in place, with a tested restore
- Core Web Vitals passing (LCP, INP, CLS) on mobile and desktop
- Images optimised and CSS/JS minified
- Caching and CDN configured
- Cross-browser tested (Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox)
- Cross-device tested on real phones and tablets
Phase 2: SEO and content go-live checklist
This phase is where launches most often lose rankings. Around a third of a launch checklist is SEO-related, so do not rush it.
- 301 redirects mapped for every changed URL. This is the single most-missed item on redesigns, and missing redirects cause 404s and an immediate loss of rankings.
- Remove “discourage search engines” / noindex. On WordPress, uncheck the search-engine visibility setting. Leaving it on hides your whole site from Google.
- Remove staging blocks. Clear any password protection, staging robots.txt disallow, or noindex left over from development.
- XML sitemap created and ready to submit
- robots.txt correct and not blocking important pages
- Title tags and meta descriptions unique on every page
- Schema markup added and validated
- Clean URL structure with no test or placeholder slugs
- Remove placeholder content, lorem ipsum, test posts and dummy images
- Proofread every page for spelling and grammar
- Fix broken links and internal links
- Analytics (GA4) and Google Search Console installed and verified
- Conversion tracking set up on forms and key actions
- Google Business Profile ready for local businesses, via our Google Business Profile setup
The three items people forget most
- 301 redirects for old URLs
- The noindex / “discourage search engines” toggle left on
- Staging password or robots block still active
Miss any of these and your traffic can vanish overnight, so double-check them.
Phase 3: Compliance and accessibility checklist
- Privacy Policy and cookie consent in place (PDPA in Singapore)
- Terms of service and clear contact information
- Accessibility basics (WCAG): alt text, colour contrast, keyboard navigation, form labels
- Security headers and hardened admin login
- Forms protected against spam
Accessibility is no longer optional, and it improves usability for everyone.
Phase 4: Launch-day go-live sequence
Launch during a low-traffic window and follow a calm, ordered sequence:
- Take a final backup of the current site
- Point DNS to the new site and confirm propagation
- Verify the SSL certificate is active on the live domain
- Confirm the site is crawlable (noindex and staging blocks removed)
- Submit the XML sitemap in Google Search Console
- Test every form and confirm email notifications arrive
- Check analytics is firing on the live site
- Do a final crawl for broken links and errors
- Test the site on mobile and a few browsers
Phase 5: Post-launch monitoring checklist
The first 30 days of data matter most.
- First 24 hours: watch uptime, forms, speed and errors closely
- First 2 weeks: review analytics daily and confirm tracking is accurate
- Weekly: check Search Console for crawl errors and indexing
- Watch rankings for any drop and act fast if one appears
- Gather feedback from real users and fix friction points
Common go-live mistakes to avoid
- Launching with the site still set to noindex
- Forgetting 301 redirects on a redesign
- Leaving placeholder content or broken forms live
- No analytics or conversion tracking at launch
- Skipping mobile and cross-browser testing
- No backup before switching over
Fixing these after launch costs far more than catching them before, so prevention wins.
Frequently asked questions
What is a website go-live checklist?
A step-by-step list of everything to verify before, during and after launching a website, covering technical, SEO, content, compliance and monitoring, so the site goes live without errors or lost rankings.
What is the most commonly missed go-live task?
Setting up 301 redirects for changed URLs, closely followed by forgetting to remove the “discourage search engines” or noindex setting. Both can wipe out traffic.
How long before launch should I start the checklist?
At least 4 weeks for a standard site, and 8 weeks or more for large or ecommerce sites with migrations.
How do I make sure Google can find my new site?
Remove any noindex or staging block, keep robots.txt clean, submit your XML sitemap in Search Console, and confirm indexing over the following days.
Do I need professional help to launch a website?
Not always, but a professional launch reduces the risk of costly mistakes, especially on redesigns and ecommerce sites where redirects and migrations are involved.
Launch your website with confidence
A clean launch protects the work you put into your site. If you want your website built, launched and maintained without the costly mistakes, talk to MediaPlus Digital. Explore our web design, website redesign and website maintenance services, and pair your launch with SEO so the site gets found from day one.
