Website Launch Checklist: 15 Crucial Steps Before Going Live (2025 Edition)
15 mission-critical checks that ensure it's ready to rank, convert, and build trust instantly
Before your website goes live, there are 15 mission-critical checks that ensure it's ready to rank, convert, and build trust instantly.
From SEO and speed to design and data tracking, this is your complete pre-launch guide used by founders, marketers, and agencies alike.
🎯 Or skip the stress and let Amplify audit your launch for free →
Why You Shouldn’t Rush a Website Launch
Too many websites go live before they’re ready. The result?
Slow pages that bounce users
Broken forms that lose leads
Missing SEO that never gets fixed
Sites that look fine but convert terribly
Launching a site is more than flipping a switch.
It’s about launching with speed, credibility, and momentum.
✅ 15-Point Website Launch Checklist
Check All Core Pages
Ensure all essential pages are live, accurate, and free of placeholder content:
Home
About
Services
Contact
Legal (Privacy Policy, Terms)
One broken link here can ruin first impressions.
Verify Navigation & Menus
Make sure all menu links function across screen sizes, including:
Dropdowns
Sticky navbars
Footer links
Scroll anchors
Navigation = trust. Confusion = drop-off.
Optimize for Mobile (Real Devices)
Don’t rely on browser previews. Test your site on actual phones:
iPhone
Android
Tablets
Check for:
✅ Font readability
✅ Button tap size
✅ Header scaling
✅ Load speed
Run Final Spelling & Grammar Check
Typos = amateur.
Use Grammarly or Hemingway on every page.
Set Up Google Analytics (GA4)
No tracking = no growth.
✅ Create GA4 property
✅ Install via tag or code
✅ Confirm data is flowing before launch
Add SEO Meta Titles & Descriptions
Every page needs:
✅ Unique meta title (under 60 characters)
✅ Compelling meta description (under 160)
✅ Keywords included naturally
This is what users see in Google results. Make it count.
Define Social Sharing Previews (Open Graph)
Your site should look great when shared.
✅ Title
✅ Description
✅ Featured image
Tool: https://metatags.io
Run Speed & Performance Tests
Use:
Fix:
✅ Large images
✅ Unused JavaScript
✅ Lazy-load content
Fast sites = higher ranking + higher retention
Generate and Submit Sitemap.xml
Submit to Google Search Console. This tells Google what to crawl and rank.
Tool: https://www.xml-sitemaps.com
Configure Robots.txt and Canonical Tags
✅ Allow Google to index real pages
✅ Prevent duplicate content
✅ Use canonical tags to point to the “main” version of a page
Install SSL and Force HTTPS
An unsecured site (HTTP) will be flagged by Google and kill trust.
✅ Buy or activate SSL
✅ Redirect all HTTP → HTTPS
Bonus: Improves SEO and conversion rates
Add Legal & Trust Pages
At minimum:
Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Notice (if required)
These boost credibility and help with ad platform compliance.
Test All Forms (Lead, Contact, Signup)
✅ Do submissions go to the correct inbox?
✅ Is there a success message or thank-you redirect?
✅ Track conversions via GA4 or your CRM?
Add a Favicon
It’s a small detail but an unfinished site without one sticks out.
Tool: https://realfavicongenerator.net
Backups + Rollback Plan
If something breaks after launch, can you revert?
✅ Enable hosting backup
✅ Use version control or snapshot tools
✅ Monitor site uptime with tools like UptimeRobot
5 Things Amplify Does Automatically on Launch
✅ Mobile + speed optimization
✅ Google indexing and sitemap setup
✅ SEO-ready meta, schema, and social tags
✅ Trust-building layout design
✅ Conversion-tracked form setup + analytics
🎯 Want a done-for-you launch audit? Amplify gives it to you for free →
FAQ – Website Launch Questions Answered
Q: What is the #1 thing most people forget before launching a site?
Speed optimization. A slow site kills retention and ranking.
Q: Do I really need analytics from day one?
Yes. You can’t optimize what you don’t measure.
Q: What if I already launched without doing this?
Run this checklist now. Then fix gaps before promoting.
Q: Will Amplify help even if I already built my site?
Yes. Amplify audits and enhances existing sites for launch success.
🧠 Final Takeaway
Your website launch is your one shot to make a credible first impression.
Don’t just “go live” go optimized, go ranked, go trusted.
✅ Use this checklist to do it right
Or let Amplify do it all for you for free.
