Real items worth checking before a site goes live — not a generic 50-item list padded with things that don't matter. Print this or keep it open in a second tab on launch day.
Content & Links
The most common source of an embarrassing launch-day fix.
Every internal link actually resolves — no leftover placeholder hrefs
Contact info, pricing, and any dates on the page are current, not draft placeholders
Spelling and grammar pass on every page, not just the homepage
Favicon and page titles are set — not the default "Untitled"
Mobile Pass
Check on an actual phone, not just a resized browser window.
Every page tested on a real phone, not just a resized desktop browser
Tap targets (buttons, links) are large enough to hit reliably
No horizontal scroll on any page at real mobile widths
Forms are actually usable with a mobile keyboard, not just visible
Performance & SEO Basics
The unglamorous checks that decide whether the site actually gets found.
Every page has a unique title and meta description — no duplicates
Images are compressed, not uploaded at full camera resolution
robots.txt and sitemap.xml exist and aren't blocking the whole site by accident
A real Core Web Vitals check run once, not assumed fine
Analytics & Forms, Tested Live
Visually correct is not the same as actually working — test the real submission.
Analytics tracking confirmed firing on the live URL, not just localhost
Every form tested end to end with a real submission, not just visually checked
Confirmation/thank-you behavior verified after a real form submit
404 page exists and isn't a raw server error
If Claude Code Built or Touched This Site
One extra pass specific to AI-assisted changes, not covered above.
Every diff from the final session actually read, not just accepted
No secrets or API keys committed anywhere in the deployed files
Anything touching payments or user data specifically re-reviewed line by line
Printable — use your browser's print dialog for a clean copy without the navigation.
New to Claude Code? Start With the Basics First
The free guide covers the permission model and a first real workflow — useful context before your next launch, not just this one.
Does this apply to any site, not just ones built with Claude Code?
Yes — nothing here is Claude-Code-specific. It applies to any site before launch. The extra section on reviewing AI-assisted changes is the only part specific to that workflow.
Do I need to check every item for a small site?
Skip what genuinely doesn't apply — a one-page portfolio has no checkout flow to test. But content, links, mobile, and analytics apply to every site regardless of size.
What's the single most-skipped item on this list?
Testing the actual form submission end to end, not just checking it visually renders. A form that looks fine but silently fails to send is one of the most common launch-day surprises.