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Website launch and relaunch checklist
I use this list to check every website before it goes live: 231 items, from positioning to ongoing operations. 59 of them are critical. If one is still open, the site doesn’t go live.
Your progress is saved only in your browser.
How to use it
Filter, check off, take it with you
01
Filter
Choose your stack: Webflow, custom code or both. With “Critical only”, you first see what would stop a launch.
02
Check off
Check off what’s done, or mark an item as “Not applicable”. Under each item, you’ll find why it matters and how to check it.
03
Take it with you
Copy the list with your progress as Markdown into a ticket, Notion or your project docs.
Checklist
From positioning to ongoing operations
Critical items are marked. If one of them is open, the site doesn’t go live.
01
Research and positioning
These items belong before the first layout. Whatever is missing here can only be fixed later with a rebuild.
No item in this section matches your filter.
02
Content and conversion
This decides whether visitors understand what you offer and whether they take the next step.
No item in this section matches your filter.
03
Legal and privacy
Legal mistakes don’t show up in testing. They show up in a cease-and-desist letter. These items are no substitute for legal advice.
No item in this section matches your filter.
04
Security
Most website security problems aren’t a hack. They’re an exposed key, a forgotten login or an expired domain.
No item in this section matches your filter.
05
SEO and discoverability
A new website starts with no rankings. These items make sure Google finds and understands it, and that a relaunch doesn’t cost you your old rankings.
No item in this section matches your filter.
06
Visibility in AI answers
ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews answer questions before anyone opens a website. These items affect whether your site shows up as a source.
No item in this section matches your filter.
07
Images and previews
Images affect load time and accessibility, and they decide how your link looks on LinkedIn or in WhatsApp.
No item in this section matches your filter.
08
Usability and accessibility
A site that only works with a mouse and a large screen shuts out many visitors. The benchmark is WCAG 2.2.
No item in this section matches your filter.
09
Forms and workflows
On many websites, the contact form is the most important workflow. If it breaks, often nobody notices until the inquiries stop.
No item in this section matches your filter.
10
Performance and tech
Google factors in load time, and on a smartphone it decides whether someone stays.
No item in this section matches your filter.
11
Analytics, consent and Cloudflare Zaraz
Tracking that counts twice, bypasses consent or fails silently does more harm than none at all. The Zaraz items only apply if you use Cloudflare Zaraz.
No item in this section matches your filter.
12
Webflow
These items only apply to Webflow websites. Many of them are settings nobody touches during the build.
No item in this section matches your filter.
13
Code and Cloudflare Workers
These items apply to custom-built websites, for example with Next.js or Astro on Cloudflare Workers.
No item in this section matches your filter.
14
Go-live and operations
The launch itself takes minutes. Most outages happen in the hours before and after: with DNS, with email and with the first real test.
No item in this section matches your filter.
15
Handover and first weeks
After launch, you find out whether Google indexes the site, forms arrive and the numbers add up. Schedule fixed dates for these checks.
No item in this section matches your filter.
16
Ongoing operations
A website doesn’t stay the way it was at launch. New services, expiring contracts and outdated content creep in quietly.
No item in this section matches your filter.
FAQ
Questions about the launch checklist
When should I start with the checklist?
When the project starts. Section 1 belongs before the first layout, and some figures only exist before launch, such as the baseline data from Search Console.
What does “critical” mean?
A critical item affects security, privacy, availability or a core workflow such as the contact form. As long as one of them is open, the site doesn’t go live.
Do I have to work through all 231 items?
No. Filter by your stack and mark items that don’t apply to your project as “Not applicable”. Both count toward your progress.
Is the list only for Webflow?
No. 205 items apply to every website. On top of that, 16 items apply only to Webflow and 10 only to custom-built websites on Cloudflare Workers.
Where are my checkmarks saved?
Only in your browser’s local storage. Nothing is sent to a server, and in another browser or on another device you start from scratch.
Does the list replace legal advice?
No. The legal and privacy items show you where to look more closely. Whether your legal notice (Impressum), privacy policy and cookie banner hold up is a question for a lawyer or a legal text service that accepts liability for its texts.
How up to date is the list?
The list is current as of October 9, 2026. The details on Germany’s BFSG, DDG and TDDDG and on the EU AI Act were checked as of that date.
Free 30-minute check
Prefer to go through the critical items together?
30 minutes by video call: we look at your site and work out which critical items are still open.
Prefer email? [email protected]