06 · Checklist
Checklist: launch a new website
Texts, redirects, measurement and backup. Tick them off before you publish.
yourweb.se/en/tools/checklists/launch-a-website/
22 items in 5 groups
Your ticks are only saved in this browser. Nothing is sent to us.
Content and language
3 items
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Why: Placeholder text, typos and dead links are otherwise found by your visitors.
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Why: Screen readers read the text aloud and search engines understand the image. Purely decorative images get an empty alt attribute.
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Why: Online shops and many other online services must make these details easy to find, and a clear sender builds trust.
Technology and security
6 items
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Why: Without a valid certificate the browser shows a warning. Send the other variants (http, with or without www) on with a 301 so that search engines know which address counts.
Check https and redirects in the website test -
Why: An image of several megabytes makes the page slow on the mobile network. Aim for about 200 kB or less per image, preferably as WebP.
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Why: Whoever ends up in the wrong place should get a way forward. The page must answer with status code 404, otherwise search engines may think it is a real page.
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Why: Menu, buttons and forms behave differently on a real screen. Cut-off text and the wrong keyboard only show up there.
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Why: Many forms look as if they work, but the email never arrives. Check that it ends up in the right inbox and not in spam.
The form does not send email? We fix it -
Why: Without them, email from your domain easily looks forged and ends up in spam.
Run the email check on your domain
SEO
5 items
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Why: The classic launch mistake: the site is live but search engines are not allowed to index it. Check robots.txt, meta robots and the box in the CMS.
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Why: The sitemap shows search engines which pages exist. WordPress and most website builders can create it for you.
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Why: It is the text that shows in Google and the first thing the visitor reads. The same title on several pages makes the pages compete with each other.
Preview title and description -
Why: Without them, old links and Google results give 404 errors. Send each old page to its equivalent, not all of them to the home page.
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Why: The icon shows in browser tabs and in Google’s search results on mobile. The sharing image (og:image) makes the link look serious on social media and in messages.
See the sharing image in the website test
Measurement and consent
4 items
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Why: There you see which pages Google has indexed and get notified of errors. If you verify the domain with a DNS record, it applies to all address variants.
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Why: Without measurement from the first day you do not know what the launch gave you. Open the page, accept cookies and see that the visit appears in the real-time report.
We install Google Analytics 4 and Search Console -
Why: Analytics and ads must not load before the visitor has said yes. Test in a private window.
Go through the checklist for cookies and privacy -
Why: Visitors must be able to see what data you collect and why. The links must be on every page.
Launch day and the week after
4 items
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Why: If something goes wrong you can go back, and deleted content cannot otherwise be recovered. Keep the copy for at least a month.
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Why: The domain should be in the company’s name, not in the name of whoever built the site. Change passwords that were shared during the build.
We move website, domain and DNS -
Why: A lot on this list can be checked automatically: https, titles, sitemap, robots and sharing image.
Open the website test -
Why: That is where you see pages that cannot be indexed, 404 errors and redirects that do not work, before traffic drops noticeably.
All done
You have ticked off all items. Print the list or copy it as text if you want to keep it as a record.
Remove all ticks in this list? This cannot be undone.
- No sign-up, no account
- The ticks are only saved in your browser
- Can be printed or copied as text
How to use the list
Three steps through the list
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Tick off what is already done
Tap a row to tick it off, or use Tab and Space. Items that do not apply to your site can be ticked off too.
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Read why and follow the link
Under each item it says why it is there. Where a tool, a guide or a fixed package can help, there is a link.
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Carry on when you have time
What you have ticked off is saved in your browser. Print the list or copy it as text if you want to share it with someone.
Good to know
- Your ticks are only saved in this browser, on this device. Nothing is sent to us.
- They are not synced between phone and computer, and disappear if you clear the browser’s data or browse in private mode.
- The list is based on an ordinary company website. If you have an online shop, payment, shipping and terms come on top.
What is most often forgotten when a new website is launched?
Three things come up again and again. The first is that the test environment’s block goes live with the site. If the site is built with “discourage search engines from indexing” switched on, or with a robots.txt that shuts everyone out, Google never gets to see the new site. Look in robots.txt, in the page source and in the settings in your CMS.
The second is the redirects. If the pages change address, it is not enough that the new site exists: every old address must be sent on to its equivalent, otherwise links and rankings disappear. Make the list of old and new addresses in a spreadsheet before the build is finished.
The third is the form. The browser says that the message has been sent, but the email never arrives or ends up in spam. Send a real test message and check the domain’s email settings.
If you want to read more about the technical side, there is our guide on technical SEO for small businesses (in Swedish). If you want help, we set up measurement with Google Analytics 4 and Search Console, fix forms that do not send email and move website, domain and DNS. The prices are further down the page.
Fixed packages
Do you want to avoid doing it yourself?
There are packages for most of what is on the list. Prices include VAT, and the scope is confirmed in writing before we start.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about launching a website
How do I change website without losing my rankings in Google?
Make sure every old address is sent on with a 301 redirect to its new equivalent, keep titles and headings on pages that already show up well and submit the new sitemap in Search Console. Then follow up there during the first week. Swings in rankings are common after a change, but pages that do not recover often point to a missing redirect.
Which items must be done before launch?
Everything under Content, Technology and SEO should be done before you publish, and measurement and the cookie banner should be in place from the first day. The group about launch day and the week after you do in connection with and after the launch. Most important is that search engines are let in, that old addresses are sent on and that the forms work.
How long does it take to go through the list?
For a small website it often takes an afternoon, if you have the logins for the website, domain and analytics tools to hand. The redirects and the form tests usually take the longest, so start with them.
Do you want a launch without surprises?
Tell us where you stand, and we say what remains and what it costs. You get a written price before we start.