The Website Launch Checklist

Don't launch a new WordPress site without checking these. A plain-English pre-launch and post-launch checklist for business owners. Tick items off as you go - your progress saves in this browser.

1. All content is final - no lorem ipsum, placeholder text, or "coming soon" pages
2. Every page has a unique, descriptive title tag and meta description
3. All images have alt text and are compressed for web (not multi-MB originals)
4. SSL certificate is active - padlock shows and https works on every page
5. Site is mobile-friendly - test on a real phone, not just resized browser
6. Navigation menu works on desktop and mobile - all links go where they should
7. Contact form submits correctly and notification email arrives
8. All outbound links work - no 404s or broken external links
9. Analytics is installed and recording data (GA4 or your tool of choice)
10. XML sitemap exists and is submitted to Google Search Console
11. robots.txt is configured correctly - allowing what should be indexed
12. Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools are verified
13. Backup is scheduled and has run at least once successfully
14. Admin passwords are strong and unique - 2FA enabled if available
15. Unnecessary plugins/themes are deleted - only what the site uses remains
16. Page speed is acceptable - run PageSpeed Insights and fix critical issues
17. Legal pages exist: privacy policy, terms of service if applicable
18. Test the site from a different network/device - not just your own browser
19. Announce the launch - update Google Business Profile, social profiles, email signature
20. Monitor Search Console and analytics for the first 2 weeks for issues

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