Beginner website launch checklist: what to test before going live

Confirm ownership and access first

Make sure the domain registrar, hosting account and website administrator logins are controlled by the owner and can be recovered. Record who manages DNS and where renewal notices go.

Turn on multi-factor authentication where practical before the site becomes valuable.

Test the production domain and HTTPS

Load the final domain over HTTPS and confirm any intended www or non-www redirect works. Check for certificate warnings, mixed content and pages that still point to temporary development URLs.

Test from a phone and a normal external connection, not only from the computer used to build the site.

Use every important form and email path

Submit the contact form, request a password reset, complete a test order if ecommerce is involved, and verify that messages actually arrive. A successful form confirmation does not prove email delivery.

Check both the website notification and any customer-facing message.

Create a recoverable backup

Take or verify a current backup of the website files and database. Know where the copy is stored and how a restore would be requested or performed.

If you cannot describe how to recover the site, launch is missing an important step.

Check the visitor basics

Review page titles, navigation, broken links, phone numbers, addresses, privacy information and obvious spelling errors. Make sure analytics or measurement tools respect the consent model you intend to use.

Then publish and improve from real visitor behaviour. Endless polishing cannot replace feedback from real visitors.

Common questions