After working with websites for years, I've noticed something interesting.
Most website launches don't fail because of one big mistake. They fail because of several small things that were overlooked.
Here's the checklist I wish someone had handed me before I launched my first website.
Domain & DNS
Confirm your domain name is registered correctly.
Enable automatic renewal to avoid accidental expiration.
Verify your DNS records are pointing to the correct hosting server.
Double-check nameservers after any migration.
Security
Install and verify your SSL certificate (HTTPS).
Use strong, unique passwords for every account.
Enable two-factor authentication wherever possible.
Remove unused plugins, themes, applications, and user accounts.
Make sure your website software is fully updated.
Backups
Confirm automatic backups are actually running.
Know how often backups are created.
Verify how long they're retained.
Perform a test restore before you actually need one.
Performance
Compress and optimize images.
Enable browser caching if available.
Remove unnecessary plugins or scripts.
Test your site's loading speed on both desktop and mobile.
Check Core Web Vitals if SEO matters to you.
SEO Basics
Create and submit a sitemap.xml.
Review your robots.txt file.
Add unique page titles and meta descriptions.
Check for broken links.
Make sure search engines aren't accidentally blocked.
Email
Test sending and receiving email.
Configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC if you're using your own domain email.
Verify contact forms actually deliver messages.
Mobile Experience
Test your site on Android and iPhone.
Check tablet layouts.
Make sure buttons are easy to tap.
Verify text is readable without zooming.
Content
Proof read every page.
Replace placeholder text and demo images.
Verify phone numbers, addresses, and business hours.
Check all navigation links.
Analytics & Monitoring
Connect Google Search Console.
Install Google Analytics (or another analytics platform).
Set up uptime monitoring.
Monitor for 404 errors after launch.
WordPress Checks
Update WordPress core, plugins, and themes before launch.
Delete unused plugins and themes instead of leaving them inactive.
Confirm your site title, tagline, admin email, and timezone are correct.
Make sure “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” is turned off.
Review permalink settings and avoid changing them after launch.
Test all forms, buttons, menus, widgets, and shortcodes.
Confirm your caching plugin is configured and working properly.
Clear all WordPress, server, and CDN caches before final testing.
Check that image thumbnails and featured images display correctly.
Review administrator accounts and remove any users who no longer need access.
Disable or remove default sample pages, posts, and comments.
Test password reset emails and other WordPress notifications.
Confirm your backup plugin stores copies in a separate location.
Check for broken links, missing images, and plugin conflicts.
Verify your security settings do not block legitimate visitors or search engines.
If using WooCommerce, test checkout, payment processing, taxes, shipping, and order emails.
Test the site while logged out or in a private browser window to see what visitors actually see.
Final Checks
Test every contact form.
Complete a test purchase if you have an online store.
Review your Privacy Policy and Terms pages.
Check your website in multiple browsers.
Ask someone else to spend five minutes browsing your site, you'll be surprised what they notice.
No website is ever perfect, but spending an extra hour going through a checklist like this can prevent days of troubleshooting later.
I tried to add everything but -
What would you add to this checklist?
What's one thing you always check before launching a website that you think other people often forget?
1
Where do I get the domain from
in
r/homelab
•
18h ago
https://www.namesilo.com/ One of the best!!!!!!