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Before launching a site: a technical checklist
A perfect bug-free launch almost never happens. Pre-production’s job is to catch the critical: indexation, speed, mobile, and analytics — so you don’t open the site blind.
Below: a technical checklist before release. Business elements (offer, contacts) live in a companion article. Specific crawlers and AMP from old guides aren’t required — pick any handy scanner and current standards.
Indexation, server responses, and speed
Crawl status codes: 200 on important URLs, no surprise 404/5xx/429. Check server response and content load before ad traffic.
XML sitemap is valid and listed in robots; indexation rules don’t cut needed sections. The 404 page is useful, with a path back into the catalog.
Mixed content after SSL is a common release bug. Duplicates (WWW/non-WWW, slash, parameters, template copies) close with canonical/redirects before junk gets indexed.
Minimum before open:
- status codes of key templates
- sitemap + robots aligned
- HTTPS without mixed content
- no accidental sitewide noindex
URL, meta, mobile, and analytics
Clean URLs by section structure. Title and description unique on money pages. Responsive checked on a real phone — not only DevTools.
Analytics counters and a tag container on all needed templates; webmaster tools connected. Images compressed, with meaningful alt where needed.
Internal linking and link equity: important sections reachable from the menu and hubs, no “orphans.”
Content, markup, and resilience
Heading hierarchy and text structure are readable. Structured data — by page type. Social links — by need, not a mandatory button zoo.
Resilience: backups, uptime monitoring, basic security — so the release doesn’t die the first night. After launch watch Search Console / webmaster tools for coverage errors.
FAQ
Is AMP required?
For most commercial sites — no. First proper responsive and speed. AMP is a separate choice for narrow cases.
Which status codes should indexed pages return?
Main documents — 200. Fix mass 404/5xx and redirect chains before promotion.
Can robots.txt block the site?
Yes — a wrong Disallow on important sections. Check robots, meta robots, and X-Robots-Tag.
What about mixed content?
After HTTPS all assets must load over https, or the browser cuts scripts/styles and UX suffers.
Is structured data needed immediately?
By page meaning (organization, product, FAQ). Not “every type at once” for a checkbox.
Should analytics be ready before launch?
Yes: counters/GTM and webmaster tools access so you see traffic and index errors from day one.
Launch tomorrow — and robots, HTTPS, or analytics still untested?
We’ll catch indexation, speed, mobile, and tracking blockers before ad traffic hits the site.
Discuss the task
