Website launch checklist
Check a new website in three passes: the week before, launch day and the week after.
Check a new website in three passes. The week before: content signed off, forms tested, old addresses mapped, DNS saved and accounts in your name. Launch day: point the domain, confirm HTTPS, remove the staging noindex, test redirects and forms, submit the sitemap. The week after: watch Search Console, fix broken links and test email.
Free, with no sign-up. Last updated October 31, 2026. Prints on US Letter. Tagged for screen readers, with real text and bookmarks, and every checklist item links to the page on e-3design.com that explains it.
What's inside
- The week before: sign-off, forms, a redirect map, saved DNS records, logins and a tested backup
- Launch day, in order: domain, HTTPS, noindex, robots.txt, redirects, forms, analytics and the sitemap
- The week after: Search Console, broken links, phone speed, email, your Google profile and monitoring
- What to do if something breaks on launch day, and the common mistakes
The guides behind it
- What should I check before and after a new website launches?Check in three passes.
- What should I do in the first 90 days after launch?In week one, fix errors, broken links and anything that fails on phones.
- What to get when your new website is finishedWhen a new site launches, you should get admin access to every account, in your business's name.
- Planning a new website: the complete small-business guidePlan a new website in order: write a one-page brief, gather real content, turn it into a page plan, choose a platform you can own and maintain, review designs with one decision-maker, build on a private staging copy, set accessibility and speed targets from the start, launch with a checklist, then spend 90 days fixing and improving.
More free checklists
- Before you hire a web designerThe questions to ask any web company, what a good answer sounds like, and the red flags.PDF, 6 pages
- Google Business Profile checklistSet up, verify and keep the free listing customers see on Google Search and Maps.PDF, 6 pages
- Website care checklistWhat to check every week, month, quarter and year so your site stays up, safe, fast and current.PDF, 6 pages
- Email deliverability checklistSPF, DKIM and DMARC set up in the right order, plus the senders people forget.PDF, 6 pages
- What 7,500+ website support requests taught usAbout 7,600 small-business support requests, 2017 to 2026: what people ask for, what breaks, how fast it's fixed and what prevents it.PDF, 5 pages
Rather we did it for you?
Everything in these checklists is something we do for clients every week. Call, or start with a free website check.