80% of post-launch WordPress site issues could have been avoided with a structured checklist — broken links, unindexed pages, forms that don't send, misconfigured SSL. This WordPress launch checklist contains 30 concrete checks, grouped by category, in the order they should be executed. It's the list we use internally at Creative Side before every launch.
Go through each item sequentially. Don't skip "details" — a forgotten SSL certificate or a misconfigured robots.txt can cost months of lost SEO work.
SEO — 8 Checks
Without these configurations, Google either won't index your site or will index it incorrectly — and recovery takes weeks.
1. Robots.txt configured correctly
Access example.com/robots.txt. Verify:
[ ] Does not contain Disallow: / (blocks the entire site)
[ ] Does not block /wp-content/uploads/ (images need to be indexed)
[ ] Includes Sitemap: https://example.com/sitemap_index.xml
[ ] Blocks wp-admin but allows wp-admin/admin-ajax.php
Common fatal error: WordPress has the "Discourage search engines from indexing this site" option in Settings → Reading. If it remains checked after launch, Google won't index anything. Verify this.
2. XML Sitemap generated and functional
[ ] Access example.com/sitemap_index.xml — loads without errors
[ ] Contains all published pages and posts
[ ] Does not contain noindex, draft, or private pages
[ ] Does not contain URLs with 301 redirects
3. Google Search Console configured
[ ] Property verified (DNS, HTML tag, or Google Analytics)
[ ] Sitemap submitted
[ ] URL prefix and domain property configured
4. Google Analytics / GA4 installed
[ ] GA4 tag present on all pages (verify with Google Tag Assistant)
[ ] Conversion events configured (form submitted, phone click, order placed)
[ ] Internal traffic filtered (team IP addresses)
5. Unique meta titles and meta descriptions
[ ] Each page has a unique meta title, under 60 characters, with the primary keyword
[ ] Each page has a unique meta description, 140–155 characters, with a clear benefit
[ ] Homepage, service pages, and categories have manually optimized meta tags (not auto-generated)
6. Correct heading structure
[ ] Only one H1 per page
[ ] Logical hierarchy: H1 → H2 → H3 (no jumps like H1 → H4)
[ ] Primary keyword in H1, secondary keywords in H2s
7. Correct canonical tags
[ ] Each page has a 8. Schema markup validated
[ ] Homepage: Organization or LocalBusiness
[ ] Posts: Article + BreadcrumbList
[ ] Service pages: Service / ProfessionalService
[ ] Validated with Google Rich Results Test on each page type
Performance — 6 Checks
A slow site at launch loses visitors from day one. Post-launch optimization is necessary, but the fundamentals must be resolved beforehand.
9. Caching active
[ ] Page cache configured (LiteSpeed Cache, WP Rocket, or WP Super Cache)
[ ] Browser cache with correct expiration (images: 1 year, CSS/JS: 1 month)
[ ] Object cache (Redis/Memcached) if hosting supports it
10. Images optimized
[ ] All images converted to WebP (ShortPixel, Imagify)
[ ] Correct dimensions — no image uploaded at 4000px if it displays at 800px
[ ] Lazy loading active on below-the-fold images
[ ] Hero image with loading="eager" and fetchpriority="high"
11. CDN configured (optional but recommended)
[ ] Cloudflare or BunnyCDN active
[ ] SSL via CDN functional (no mixed content)
[ ] Automatic cache purge on content publish
12. GZIP/Brotli compression active
[ ] Verify with GTmetrix or Chrome DevTools → Network → response headers content-encoding: br or gzip
13. Green Core Web Vitals
[ ] LCP < 2.5s on mobile
[ ] INP < 200ms
[ ] CLS < 0.1
[ ] Tested with PageSpeed Insights — score 80+ on mobile
14. PHP 8.2+ active
[ ] Verify in Dashboard → Tools → Site Health → Info → Server
[ ] All plugins compatible with the active PHP version
Have a WordPress site ready for launch and want to make sure nothing is missed? Creative Side provides complete launch services with a professional checklist included.
Security — 6 Checks
A compromised site in the first week after launch loses credibility and SEO rankings. These 6 items are the minimum.
15. SSL certificate active and functional
[ ] Site loads on https:// with a green padlock
[ ] http:// automatically redirects to https:// (301 redirect)
[ ] No HTTP resources on HTTPS pages (zero mixed content)
16. Strong passwords
[ ] WordPress admin: password of at least 16 characters, unique
[ ] Database: password different from the admin password
[ ] FTP/SFTP: strong password or SSH key access
[ ] No "admin" username exists (brute force target #1)
17. Limit Login Attempts
[ ] Active plugin that blocks IPs after 3–5 failed attempts
[ ] Options: Limit Login Attempts Reloaded (free), Wordfence (free)
[ ] Don't rely solely on reCAPTCHA — it doesn't protect against distributed brute force
18. Correct file permissions
[ ] Folders: 755
[ ] Files: 644
[ ] wp-config.php: 600 or 640
[ ] .htaccess: 644
[ ] wp-content/uploads/: 755 (not 777)
19. Functional backup
[ ] Full backup (files + database) before launch
[ ] Automatic daily backup configured (UpdraftPlus, hosting backup)
[ ] Backup stored off-site (Google Drive, S3, not on the same server)
[ ] Restoration tested at least once
20. Updates current
[ ] WordPress on the latest version
[ ] All plugins updated
[ ] Theme updated
[ ] Unused plugins deleted (not just deactivated)
Functionality — 6 Checks
These are the checks most easily forgotten — and the ones that generate the most client complaints.
21. Contact forms functional
[ ] Submit a test form
[ ] Email arrives (check spam folder too)
[ ] Redirect or confirmation message displayed correctly
[ ] Admin email notification functional
[ ] Anti-spam active (honeypot or reCAPTCHA)
22. Mobile testing
[ ] Navigate every page on a real phone (not just Chrome DevTools)
[ ] Menus work correctly (hamburger, dropdowns, close)
[ ] Buttons are large enough (minimum 44×44px)
[ ] Text is readable without zooming
[ ] Forms are usable on mobile (correct input types: tel, email)
23. Cross-browser testing
[ ] Chrome, Firefox, Safari (minimum)
[ ] Edge if the audience is corporate
[ ] Safari on iOS (the rendering engine differs from Chrome)
24. Custom 404 page
[ ] Access example.com/nonexistent-page/ — displays a useful page, not a server error
[ ] Includes navigation, search box, and links to main pages
[ ] Returns HTTP 404 status code (not 200 with an error message)
25. Working links
[ ] Zero broken internal links (verify with Screaming Frog or Broken Link Checker)
[ ] External links open in a new tab (target="_blank" with rel="noopener")
[ ] Links in header, footer, and sidebar work correctly
26. Specific functionality tested
[ ] WooCommerce: add to cart → checkout → test payment → confirmation email
[ ] Online payments: test with test card (Stripe test mode, payment gateway sandbox)
[ ] Shipping: shipping calculation functional
[ ] Invoicing: invoice auto-generated on test order
Content — 4 Checks
27. Complete proofreading
[ ] Text reviewed by a person other than the writer
[ ] Correct character encoding and special characters throughout (no garbled text or encoding issues)
[ ] Zero Lorem Ipsum on the site
[ ] Contact information correct (phone, email, address)
28. Images complete
[ ] No placeholder or missing images
[ ] Alt text on all images (descriptive, not keyword-stuffed)
[ ] Logo present in the header
[ ] Favicon configured (Site Identity → Site Icon)
29. Required pages published
[ ] Home
[ ] About Us / About the Company
[ ] Services / Products
[ ] Contact (with address, phone, email, form, map)
[ ] Blog (if applicable)
30. Menu links correct
[ ] Main menu — all links work
[ ] Footer menu — links correspond to the correct pages
[ ] Header logo links to the homepage
Legal — Additional Checks (GDPR)
These are not optional — they are legal obligations. A site without cookie consent or a privacy policy risks GDPR fines.
[ ] Privacy policy published, with site-specific details (not a generic template)
[ ] Cookie policy published
[ ] Cookie consent banner active and functional — blocks non-essential cookies until accepted
[ ] Terms and conditions (mandatory for e-commerce)
[ ] ANPC link (Romanian consumer protection authority) in footer (mandatory for e-commerce in Romania)
[ ] Company details visible: company name, CUI (tax ID), J (trade register number), registered office (legally required)
Recommended launch workflow
Day -7: Run through the checklist on staging/development
Day -3: Fix all identified issues
Day -1: Complete re-verification. Final backup. DNS prepared.
Day 0 (launch): Switch DNS, disable "Discourage search engines," submit sitemap in GSC, test everything on the live domain
Day +1: Check Google Search Console for crawling errors
Day +7: Verify indexing of main pages in Google
Day +30: Core Web Vitals report from real user data (Chrome UX Report)
Frequently asked questions
How long does a full checklist review take?
For a presentation site with 5–10 pages, 2–3 hours. For a WooCommerce store with 100+ products, 4–8 hours — functionality tests (payments, shipping, invoicing) require additional time. At Creative Side, the launch checklist is included in every project.
What if I already launched without a checklist?
Run through the list now. The most urgent items: active SSL (15), correct robots.txt (1), "Discourage search engines" unchecked (1), functional contact form (21), backup configured (19). These 5 items cover 80% of critical post-launch issues.
Do I need to complete all 30 items?
Yes. Every item exists because we've seen the real consequences of skipping it — from sites invisible on Google (misconfigured robots.txt) to stores with non-functional checkout (untested payments). There are no optional items on this list.
Next step
A properly launched site saves weeks of post-launch debugging and protects your investment in SEO, content, and functionality.
If you want a WordPress site launched without errors, with every checklist item checked and tested, Creative Side delivers complete projects — from design to launch with exhaustive verification.
Request a professionally built and launched WordPress site — full checklist included
