> **Template.** This is the structure of a launch checklist. Square brackets are placeholders. Remove anything that doesn't apply to your project. It is not taken from a client project. # Launch checklist: [project name] Launch date: [YYYY-MM-DD, time, timezone] Who's on hand during launch: [names and how to reach them] Who gives the go-ahead: [name, role] ## Before launch day - [ ] The client or agency has tested the site against the scope and signed it off - [ ] Every page has a title and description; no placeholder text is left - [ ] Forms send to the right address, and a test submission has arrived - [ ] Payment, sign-in and other third-party services are switched from test to live keys - [ ] Environment variables are set in production and match `.env.example` - [ ] Old URLs are listed and redirect to their new pages (301) - [ ] The 404 page works and links somewhere useful - [ ] Analytics and tag manager are installed, with consent settings agreed - [ ] Privacy notice and terms are up to date - [ ] Accessibility: keyboard pass and an automated scan on the main templates - [ ] Performance checked on a mid-range phone on mobile data ## Launch - [ ] Backup taken of the current site and database, and we know how to restore it - [ ] DNS changes made, with the old values written down - [ ] HTTPS works on every domain and subdomain, including `www` - [ ] Production allows search engines (robots.txt, no `noindex`) - [ ] Staging and preview sites are still blocked from search engines - [ ] Sitemap submitted to Google Search Console ## Straight after launch - [ ] Click through the main pages and journeys on the live site - [ ] Send a test enquiry, order or sign-up on production - [ ] Error monitoring is receiving events, and alerts go to [person or channel] - [ ] Uptime monitoring is on - [ ] Shared links show the right preview image in WhatsApp, Slack and LinkedIn ## If something goes wrong How to roll back: [for example "Redeploy the previous version from the hosting dashboard" or the exact command] Who decides to roll back: [name] ## A week later - [ ] Search Console shows no new crawl errors - [ ] Redirects are being used, and nothing important is returning 404 - [ ] Error logs reviewed - [ ] Handover notes delivered and accounts confirmed with their owners