Website launch checklist for a calm first day.

Check the visitor path, not just the CMS

Test every primary page, the mobile navigation, every contact and booking form, and the confirmation message each one shows — from the perspective of someone who has never seen the site, not from an editor already logged into the CMS.

• Every primary page loads and reads correctly on mobile
• Every form submits and shows a confirmation
• Phone numbers and addresses are correct and tap-to-call works
• Search Console and Analytics are verified and receiving data
• A 404 page exists and links back to the homepage

Confirm the legal and compliance basics

A cookie banner, a privacy policy that names the actual tools in use rather than a generic template, and an imprint with the legally required business details all need to be live before the first visitor, not added after a complaint.

Check what happens after the click

Every external link — social profiles, booking platforms, payment providers — and every internal cross-link between pages needs a working destination. Broken links on day one are the fastest way to undermine a launch that otherwise went well.

Confirm the handover, in writing

Before calling a project launched, confirm in writing who holds the domain registrar login, the email accounts, analytics access, the source files, and who to contact for the first small edit. A launch isn't finished until that ownership is unambiguous on both sides.