Last updated: May 2026
Your website is almost ready. The design is finished. The content is in place. You are about to press the launch button. Stop. Run through this checklist first. The items most people miss are the ones that cost the most to fix after the fact.
In brief: Before launching a website, verify: every page has a unique title tag and meta description, the XML sitemap is ready for Google Search Console submission, Core Web Vitals pass, mobile works on a real phone, legal pages are in place (privacy policy, cookie notice), forms are tested, analytics is tracking, and SSL is active. Missing any of these on launch day creates problems that compound.
Content checks
Every page has a unique title tag under 60 characters with the primary keyword near the start. This is what appears in Google search results. Generic titles like "Home" or "Services" waste the most valuable SEO real estate on your site.
Every page has a unique meta description of 150 to 160 characters. Include the primary keyword and a clear benefit or call to action. This text appears below the title in search results and directly affects click-through rates.
All body copy has been proofread. Not just spell-checked. Read aloud. Typos on a homepage tell visitors you do not pay attention to detail. If you do not pay attention to your own website, they wonder whether you will pay attention to their project.
Images have descriptive alt text. Not "IMG_4521.jpg." Not "image." A description of what the image shows, ideally incorporating relevant keywords naturally. This is an accessibility requirement and an SEO opportunity.
Contact information is correct and visible. Phone number, email address, physical address (if applicable). Test the email link. Call the phone number. Visit the address on Google Maps. Basic errors in contact details are surprisingly common and immediately undermine trust.
Technical checks
The site loads in under 3 seconds. Test at PageSpeed Insights (https://pagespeed.web.dev). Aim for a performance score above 80. Core Web Vitals (LCP under 2.5 seconds, INP under 200 milliseconds, CLS under 0.1) should all pass. If they do not, optimise images, reduce font files, and improve server response time before launching.
The site works on mobile. Not "looks okay when I resize my browser." Test on a real phone. Navigate every page. Fill out every form. Read body text without zooming. Over 60% of your visitors will use a phone. If the mobile experience is broken, you are broken for 60% of your audience.
SSL is active. The site loads over HTTPS with a valid certificate. The padlock icon appears in the browser. Without SSL, browsers display security warnings and Google penalises your rankings.
404 pages work. Visit a URL that does not exist on your site (e.g. yoursite.com/asdfgh). A custom 404 page should appear with navigation back to the main site. The default server 404 page is ugly and unhelpful.
All links work. Click every link on every page. Broken links tell Google your site is poorly maintained and tell visitors you do not care. Use a link checker tool or manually verify.
SEO checks
XML sitemap is generated and ready to submit. Once the site is live, submit it to Google Search Console immediately. Without a sitemap, Google discovers your pages slowly and may miss some entirely.
Google Search Console is set up and verified. This takes five minutes and gives you visibility into how Google sees your site. Set it up before launch so it starts collecting data from day one.
Analytics is installed and tracking. Google Analytics or a first-party alternative. Verify it is tracking by visiting the site and checking the real-time report. Without analytics, you have no way to measure whether the site is performing.
Schema markup is in place. At minimum: Organisation schema on the homepage, FAQ schema on pages with FAQ sections. This helps both Google and AI search tools understand your content. Read our GEO guide (/thinking/what-is-geo) for why this matters.
Robots.txt is not blocking important pages. Check yoursite.com/robots.txt. Ensure it is not blocking Google from crawling your key pages. A common mistake is launching with a "noindex" directive left over from the development environment.
Legal checks
Privacy policy is published. Required under UK GDPR if you collect any personal data, including through contact forms, analytics, or email subscriptions.
Cookie notice is in place. Required under UK PECR if your site uses cookies beyond those strictly necessary for functionality. If you use Google Analytics, you need a cookie consent mechanism.
Business information is displayed. Company name, registered address (if a limited company), company registration number, and VAT number (if applicable). These are legal requirements for UK business websites.
Terms and conditions are published (if selling products or services through the site).
Form checks
Every form has been submitted and tested. Fill out the contact form. Submit it. Check that the submission arrives at the correct email address. Check the confirmation message or redirect. Check the form on mobile.
Spam protection is in place. A honeypot field (hidden field that bots fill but humans do not) or reCAPTCHA. Without spam protection, your contact form will fill with bot submissions within days of launch.
Post-launch (within 24 hours)
Submit the XML sitemap to Google Search Console. Request indexing for the homepage and key pages. Verify analytics is tracking real visitors. Test all forms again from a different device. Check the site on multiple browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox). Monitor for any errors in the Search Console Coverage report.
Frequently asked questions
What if I launch without some of these items?
The legal items (privacy policy, cookie notice, business information) are legal requirements. Launching without them creates compliance risk. The SEO items (title tags, sitemap, Search Console) directly affect when and whether Google finds your site. Every day without them is a day of lost visibility.
How long after launch will my site appear on Google?
With a sitemap submitted to Search Console, key pages are typically indexed within a few days to two weeks. Without a sitemap, it can take weeks or months. Ranking for competitive terms takes three to six months of consistent effort.
Should I announce the launch or wait?
Launch quietly. Verify everything works for 24 to 48 hours. Fix any issues that surface. Then announce. Driving traffic to a site with broken forms or missing pages wastes the launch moment.
Do I need all of this for a simple website?
Yes. Even a five-page site needs title tags, mobile testing, SSL, analytics, and legal compliance. The checklist scales with site size, but the foundations apply to every business website.
Sources
- UK Information Commissioner's Office, UK GDPR Guidance: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/ (https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/)
- Google, Search Console Help: https://support.google.com/webmasters (https://support.google.com/webmasters)
- Google, PageSpeed Insights: https://pagespeed.web.dev (https://pagespeed.web.dev)