When we launch a website we want it to go off without a hitch, but there are so many things that can go wrong it's almost too many to list. Well, almost! We list here the top 100 points we check to make sure everything is A-Ok before launch, reflecting years of experience building up a system geared towards minimizing any and all errors as much as possible.

We cover everything from speed and performance, to UX and accessibility, to handling all different kinds of browsers and device sizes, to security.

Also, if you would like this list in a Google Sheet format, with many more cross checks and lists and parameters than we can list here, can access it here for your own use

Let's go!

Speed & Performance (1–15)  

1. Page load time  

● What/Why: Page load time measures how long it takes for a page to fully appear to a  user. Fast pages create a positive first impression, reduce bounce rates, and improve  conversions. Google uses load speed as a ranking factor, meaning faster pages rank  better. Users on mobile or slow connections are particularly sensitive—every second of  delay can lead to measurable traffic loss.

 
● How:  Free: PageSpeed Insights  Paid: WebPageTest  

PageSpeed Insights by Google

Webpagetest.org

2. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)  

● What/Why: LCP tracks when the main content—like the hero image, headline, or  primary text—loads. Users perceive a site as fast when meaningful content appears  quickly. A slow LCP makes the page feel sluggish and can increase bounce rates.  Optimizing LCP improves engagement, especially on the first visit.  

● How:  Free: Chrome DevTools → Performance  Paid: SpeedCurve  

SpeedCurve

3. First Input Delay (FID) / INP

 
● What/Why: FID measures the time from a user interacting with the page (clicks, taps, or  keyboard input) to the browser responding. INP extends this to overall interactivity.  Pages that load visually fast but respond slowly feel broken and frustrate users.  Improving interactivity increases trust, conversions, and retention.  

● How:  Free: PageSpeed Insights  Paid: SpeedCurve  

4. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)  

● What/Why: CLS measures unexpected movement of elements during loading, like  buttons or images jumping. High CLS can cause accidental clicks, reduce usability, and  frustrate users. Reducing layout shifts increases perceived stability and creates a more  professional experience.  

● How:  Free: Lighthouse  Paid: Calibre  

Calibre App

5. Image optimization  

● What/Why: Images are often the largest files on a page and can slow load times.  Optimizing image size, format, and quality reduces load time, improves Core Web Vitals,  and enhances user experience—especially for mobile users with limited bandwidth.  

● How:  Free: Squoosh | TinyJPG  Paid: ImageKit  

TinyJPG

6. Lazy loading  

● What/Why: Lazy loading defers loading images or content until they’re visible in the viewport. This reduces initial page load time, saves bandwidth, and allows users to  interact faster with visible content, improving perceived performance.  

● How:  Free: Chrome DevTools → Network tab  Paid: SpeedCurve  

7. Minification (CSS/JS/HTML)  

● What/Why: Minification removes unnecessary characters like whitespace and comments from code, reducing file sizes. Smaller files load faster and reduce server load, which boosts page speed and Core Web Vitals.  

● How:  Free: Build tools / Lighthouse  Paid: Cloudflare Auto Minify

8. Compression (Gzip/Brotli)  

● What/Why: Compression reduces the size of files sent over the network, allowing pages  to load faster. Faster downloads improve user experience, reduce bounce rates, and  help users on slower connections.  

● How:  Free: Check Gzip Compression  Paid: CDN dashboards  

Check GZIP Compression

9. Caching headers

 
● What/Why: Proper caching ensures that repeat visitors don’t have to reload unchanged  assets. This reduces server load, speeds up page load for returning users, and improves  overall site performance.  

● How:  Free: Chrome DevTools  Paid: GTMetrix  

GTMetrix

10. CDN enabled  

● What/Why: A Content Delivery Network (CDN) delivers content from servers closer to  users, reducing latency and load times globally. This improves user experience for  international visitors and helps handle traffic spikes.  

● How:  Free: Cloudflare Free  Paid: Fastly / Akamai / KeyCDN

KeyCDN

11. Font loading strategy  

● What/Why: Fonts can block page rendering, causing text to appear late or cause layout  shifts. Using strategies like font-display: swap improves perceived performance  and ensures text is readable immediately.  

● How:  Free: Lighthouse  Paid: SpeedCurve  

12. Third-party scripts audit  

● What/Why: Third-party scripts (ads, analytics, chat widgets) can slow down pages or  block interactivity. Auditing and deferring non-critical scripts improves speed, Core Web  Vitals, and security.  

● How:  Free: Chrome DevTools Coverage  Paid: Request Metrics  

Request Metrics

13. Server response time (TTFB)  

● What/Why: Time to First Byte (TTFB) measures how quickly the server responds to  requests. Slow server response delays page rendering and can hurt SEO. Optimizing  backend performance improves both speed and search rankings.  

● How:  Free: WebPageTest  Paid: Pingdom  

Pingdom

14. HTTP/2 or HTTP/3  

● What/Why: Modern protocols allow multiple files to be sent simultaneously, reducing  load times. Upgrading to HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 improves efficiency, especially for pages  with many assets.  

● How:  Free: KeyCDN HTTP/2 Test  Paid: CDN analytics  

15. Resource hints (preload/prefetch)  

● What/Why: Preloading critical assets or prefetching resources for upcoming pages  allows browsers to prioritize what’s needed first, reducing perceived load times and  making navigation smoother. 

● How:  Free: Lighthouse  Paid: SpeedCurve  

SEO & Discoverability (16–30)  

16. Title tags  

● What/Why: Title tags define the clickable headline shown in search engine results.  They’re crucial for both SEO ranking and user click-through. A clear, descriptive title  helps search engines understand your page content, while a compelling title encourages  users to click, directly affecting traffic and engagement.  

● How:  Free: Screaming Frog (free tier)  Paid: Ahrefs

Screaming Frog Spider Tool

Ahrefs

17. Meta descriptions  

● What/Why: Meta descriptions provide a short summary of a page in search results.  Well-written descriptions can increase click-through rates even if your ranking stays the  same, as users are more likely to click pages that clearly explain the value or content.  

● How:  Free: Screaming Frog  Paid: Semrush  

Semrush

18. H1–H6 structure

 
● What/Why: Heading tags organize content hierarchically, helping both users and search  engines understand the structure of your page. Proper H1–H6 usage improves  readability, SEO, and accessibility, guiding search engines to identify key topics and  subtopics.  

● How:  Free: Web DevTools  Paid: Ahrefs  

19. Indexability  

● What/Why: A page must be crawlable by search engines to appear in search results.  Indexability issues—like blocked pages or improper meta tags—can prevent your  content from ranking, which limits organic traffic and discoverability.  

● How:  Free: Google Search Console  Paid: Oncrawl  

Oncrawl

20. Robots.txt  

● What/Why: The robots.txt file controls which pages search engines can crawl. Proper  configuration prevents indexing of private, staging, or duplicate content, protecting SEO  value and preventing sensitive pages from appearing in search results.  

● How:  Free: GSC Tester  Paid: Screaming Frog  

21. XML sitemap  

● What/Why: An XML sitemap lists all the pages on your site for search engines,  improving content discovery and indexing. It’s particularly important for large websites or  sites with deep content structures, ensuring search engines find all your valuable pages.  

● How:  Free: CMS plugins  | SEOptimer

SEOptimer

22. Canonical tags  

● What/Why: Canonical tags prevent duplicate content issues by specifying the  “preferred” version of a page. This consolidates SEO authority and avoids penalties or  dilution of ranking signals across multiple URLs.  

● How:  Free: View Source  Paid: Sitebulb  

Sitebulb

23. Structured data  

● What/Why: Structured data (schema markup) helps search engines understand the  content and context of your pages, enabling rich results like featured snippets, FAQs, or  product details. This can improve visibility and click-through rates in search results.  

● How:  Free: Schema Validator  Paid: SEMrush  

Schema.org Validator

24. Image alt text  

● What/Why: Alt text describes images for search engines and users with visual  impairments. It improves accessibility, provides SEO signals for image search, and  ensures content is meaningful when images fail to load.  

● How:  Free: Screaming Frog  Paid: Ahrefs  

25. Internal linking  

● What/Why: Internal links guide both users and search engines through your site’s  structure. They distribute link equity, improve crawl efficiency, and help search engines  understand page relationships, boosting SEO.  

● How:  Free: Google Search Console  Paid: Sitebulb

26. 404 handling  

● What/Why: Proper 404 (page not found) handling prevents broken pages from  negatively impacting SEO and user experience. Custom 404 pages guide users back to  relevant content, reducing bounce rates and preserving site authority.  

● How:  Free: Google Search Console  Paid: Ahrefs  

27. Redirects (301 vs 302)  

● What/Why: 301 redirects permanently move pages and pass SEO value, while 302  redirects are temporary. Using the correct type ensures link equity is preserved and  prevents loss of search rankings.  

● How:  Free: httpstatus.io  Paid: Screaming Frog  

httpstatus.io

28. Mobile-first readiness  

● What/Why: Google indexes and ranks pages based on their mobile version first.  Ensuring your site is mobile-friendly improves user experience on small devices,  enhances SEO, and helps capture the growing mobile audience.  

● How:  Free: Google Search Console  Paid: SEMrush  

29. Open Graph & Twitter cards  

● What/Why: Open Graph and Twitter cards control how links appear on social media,  including images, titles, and descriptions. Optimized tags increase engagement,  click-through, and sharing, driving more traffic from social platforms.  

● How:  Free: Facebook Debugger  Paid: SEMrush  

30. No test/staging indexed  

● What/Why: Preventing test or staging environments from being indexed avoids duplicate  content, confusion in search results, and potential SEO penalties. Only your live,  finalized content should be discoverable.  

● How:  Free: Google search  Paid: Ahrefs  

Accessibility (31–45)  

31. Color contrast  

● What/Why: Color contrast ensures text is readable against its background, which is  critical for users with visual impairments or color blindness. Poor contrast can make  content inaccessible and frustrate readers. High contrast improves readability, user  experience, and helps meet WCAG compliance standards.  

● How:  Free: WebAIM Contrast Checker  Paid: Axe Monitor  

WebAIM Contrast Checker

32. Keyboard navigation  

● What/Why: Many users rely on keyboards instead of a mouse, such as those with mobility impairments. Ensuring users can navigate your site using only the keyboard  improves accessibility, usability, and inclusivity.  

● How:  Free: Manual tab testing  Paid: UserWay  

UserWay Checker

33. Focus states  

● What/Why: Focus states visually indicate which element (link, button, input) is active as  users navigate with a keyboard. Clear focus states improve navigation clarity, reduce  confusion, and ensure compliance with accessibility standards.  

● How:  Free: Browser testing  Paid: Axe  

34. ARIA labels  

● What/Why: ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) labels provide screen readers  with meaningful descriptions of UI elements. Proper ARIA labeling ensures users who  rely on assistive technology understand the function and purpose of interactive  elements.  

● How:  Free: Axe DevTools  Paid: Deque  

35. Semantic HTML  

● What/Why: Using semantic HTML (like <header>, <main>, <article>) gives  structure to your content and communicates meaning to both users and assistive  technologies. This forms the foundation of accessibility and improves SEO by helping  search engines understand your content hierarchy.  

● How:  Free: Lighthouse  Paid: Siteimprove

Siteimprove

36. Image alt accuracy  

● What/Why: Alt text should accurately describe images, providing context for screen  readers and improving accessibility. Accurate alt text ensures visually impaired users  can understand content, and also benefits SEO by giving search engines descriptive  information.  

● How:  Free: Manual review  Paid: Siteimprove  

37. Form labels  

● What/Why: Every form input should have a clear label describing its purpose. Proper  form labeling helps screen readers convey the correct information, preventing user  errors and improving usability for all users.  

● How:  Free: Axe  Paid: Deque  

38. Error messaging  

● What/Why: Accessible error messages inform users when something goes wrong (e.g.,  form validation) and guide them to fix it. Clear messaging improves usability, reduces  frustration, and ensures accessibility compliance.  

● How:  Free: Manual testing  Paid: User testing tools  

39. Skip navigation links  

● What/Why: Skip navigation links allow keyboard and screen reader users to bypass  repetitive content (like menus) and go directly to the main content. This improves  efficiency and overall accessibility.  

● How:  Free: Keyboard testing  Paid: Axe  

40. Accessible modals  

● What/Why: Modals must allow users to open, navigate, and close dialogs using the  keyboard, without trapping focus. Accessible modals prevent confusion and ensure  users relying on assistive technologies can interact properly.  

● How:  Free: Axe  Paid: Deque  

41. Video captions

 
● What/Why: Captions provide a textual representation of spoken content in videos,  essential for hearing-impaired users and for viewers in sound-off environments. Captions  also improve comprehension and engagement for all users.  

● How:  Free: YouTube captions  Paid: Rev 

42. Audio transcripts  

● What/Why: Transcripts of audio content make podcasts, webinars, or audio clips  accessible to deaf users and assist in SEO by providing searchable text for search  engines. They also serve as an alternative for users who prefer reading. 

● How:  Free: Manual  Paid: Rev  

43. Language attribute  

● What/Why: Specifying the primary language of a page using the lang attribute helps  screen readers pronounce content correctly. This is essential for multilingual sites and  compliance with accessibility guidelines.  

● How:  Free: View source  Paid: Axe  

44. WCAG level target  

● What/Why: Defining a target level (A, AA, or AAA) ensures your website meets recognized accessibility standards. Meeting WCAG guidelines protects against legal risk,  improves inclusivity, and enhances the experience for users with disabilities.  

● How:  Free: WCAG checklist  Paid: Accessibility audits  

45. Screen reader test  

● What/Why: Testing your site with real screen readers ensures the experience matches expectations and that content is navigable and understandable for users with visual  impairments. This is a critical real-world check beyond automated tools.  

● How:  Free: NVDA  Paid: JAWS  

NVDA Screen Reader

Browsers, Devices & Situations (46–60)

46. Chrome latest  

● What/Why: Testing on the latest version of Chrome ensures your site works on the most  widely used desktop browser. Chrome updates frequently, so keeping compatibility  ensures users don’t experience layout issues, broken scripts, or performance problems.  

● How: Manual testing + BrowserStack  

BrowserStack

47. Firefox latest  

● What/Why: Firefox has unique rendering quirks and CSS handling. Testing the latest  version ensures features like animations, fonts, and form inputs display correctly for  users on this browser, maintaining a consistent experience across platforms.  

● How: Manual testing + BrowserStack  

48. Safari (macOS & iOS)  

● What/Why: Safari has its own engine (WebKit), which can behave differently than  Chrome or Firefox. Testing both macOS and iOS ensures that layout, touch interactions,  and media playback function correctly for Apple users.  

● How: Real device / BrowserStack  

49. Edge  

● What/Why: Edge uses Chromium but can still have minor differences in rendering or  JavaScript execution. Testing ensures enterprise users and Windows-based audiences  get a reliable experience.  

● How: Manual testing / Sauce Labs  

SauceLabs

50. Android Chrome  

● What/Why: Mobile Chrome is the dominant browser for Android users. Testing ensures  touch, responsive design, performance, and input behavior function properly on real  devices, reflecting real-world mobile usage.  

● How: Real device / BrowserStack

51. iPhone Safari  

● What/Why: iPhone users primarily use Safari, which handles some CSS, viewport, and  JavaScript features differently. Testing guarantees a smooth mobile experience,  preventing layout breaks or inaccessible features.  

● How: Real device / Sauce Labs

52. Tablet layouts  

● What/Why: Tablets have intermediate screen sizes and touch interfaces. Testing  ensures responsive design adapts correctly, navigation is touch-friendly, and readability  is maintained.  

● How: DevTools / BrowserStack

53. Small screens  

● What/Why: Small screens (phones under 6") need optimized layouts to prevent  horizontal scrolling, cut-off content, or unusable menus. Testing ensures mobile-first  design principles are applied correctly.  

● How: DevTools responsive mode  

54. Large monitors  

● What/Why: Large desktop or 4K monitors can reveal layout issues like stretched  images, oversized whitespace, or misaligned grids. Testing ensures a polished visual  experience across all display sizes.  

● How: Manual testing  

55. Touch interactions  

● What/Why: Many devices rely on touch gestures like swipes, taps, or pinch-to-zoom.  Testing ensures all interactive elements respond correctly and don’t break with touch  input.  

● How: Real devices  

56. Slow 3G  

● What/Why: Simulating slow connections tests page load and performance under  constrained bandwidth. This ensures users with limited or unstable internet can access  content without frustration.  

● How: Chrome throttling  

57. Offline behavior  

● What/Why: Testing offline functionality is crucial for progressive web apps (PWAs) or  cached content. Proper offline behavior ensures users can still access key information or  features without an internet connection.  

● How: DevTools  

58. JS disabled fallback  

● What/Why: Some users or environments block JavaScript. Testing for JS-disabled  scenarios ensures critical content and navigation remain accessible, improving  accessibility and SEO.  

● How: Browser settings  

59. High zoom (200%)  

● What/Why: Users with visual impairments may zoom pages. Testing high zoom ensures  layouts, fonts, and images scale without breaking, supporting accessibility compliance.  

● How: Browser zoom  

60. Dark mode  

● What/Why: Many users enable dark mode at the OS or browser level. Testing ensures  your site’s colors, contrast, and readability adapt appropriately, providing a consistent  experience for all users.  

● How: OS/browser toggle  

Security, Infrastructure & Ops (61–85)  

61. HTTPS enforced  

● What/Why: HTTPS ensures that all data between the user’s browser and your server is  encrypted, protecting sensitive information like passwords, payment details, and  personal data. It also boosts trust, prevents man-in-the-middle attacks, and improves  SEO rankings.  

● How: SSL Labs / Cloudflare  

SSL Labs

62. HSTS  

● What/Why: HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) forces browsers to use HTTPS for all  requests to your site, preventing downgrade attacks and ensuring secure connections.  This is a key layer of security against interception or protocol stripping attacks.  

● How: SecurityHeaders.com  

Security Headers

63. SPF records  

● What/Why: Sender Policy Framework (SPF) records prevent spammers from sending  emails using your domain. Proper SPF setup improves email deliverability and protects  your domain from phishing attacks.  

● How: MXToolbox SPF Check

MXToolbox

64. DKIM  

● What/Why: DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) adds a cryptographic signature to emails from your domain. It verifies that emails are authentic and have not been altered,  boosting deliverability and security.  

● How: MXToolbox

65. DMARC  

● What/Why: Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) works with SPF and DKIM to prevent spoofing, phishing, and fraudulent  emails. It allows you to define policies for how unauthorized emails should be handled.  

● How: DMARCian

DMARCian

66. DNS TTL sanity  

● What/Why: DNS Time-to-Live (TTL) settings affect how quickly DNS changes  propagate. Proper TTL ensures stability, reduces downtime during updates, and  prevents caching issues that could block access or expose outdated configurations.  

● How: DNS checker tools  

67. WAF enabled  

● What/Why: A Web Application Firewall (WAF) protects your site from common attacks  like SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and bot traffic. Enabling a WAF prevents  vulnerabilities from being exploited in real-time.  

● How: Cloudflare / AWS WAF  /  Imunify360

Imunify360

68. DDoS protection  

● What/Why: Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks overwhelm servers with traffic.  Protection ensures your website remains available and responsive even under malicious  load, preserving uptime and user trust.  

● How: CDN dashboards  

69. Vulnerability scan  

● What/Why: Regular scans detect security flaws in your server, CMS, or code. Identifying  vulnerabilities before attackers do reduces risk, prevents data breaches, and helps  maintain compliance.  

● How:  Free: OWASP ZAP  Paid: Detectify / Acunetix / Burp Suite / Consult with SEIRIM Cybersecurity for assistance and options

ZAP Scanner

70. CMS updated  

● What/Why: Keeping your CMS up-to-date ensures you have the latest security patches, bug fixes, and performance improvements. Outdated software is a common attack vector  for hackers.  

● How: Admin dashboard  

71. Plugin/theme audit  

● What/Why: Plugins and themes can introduce vulnerabilities if not vetted or updated. Regular audits ensure only trusted, updated extensions are used, reducing security risks.  

● How: Manual / WPScan if using WordPress

WPScan

72. File permissions  

● What/Why: Correct file permissions prevent unauthorized access or modifications to sensitive files. Improper permissions can allow hackers to upload malware or  compromise data.  

● How: Server review  

73. Secrets not in repo  

● What/Why: API keys, passwords, and private credentials should never be committed to version control. Keeping secrets out of repositories prevents accidental leaks and  unauthorized access.  
● How: Git audit  

74. Backup system  

● What/Why: Regular backups protect against data loss due to hacking, accidental  deletion, or server failures. A reliable system ensures that you can restore your site quickly and minimize downtime.  

● How: Hosting tools  

75. Backup restore test  

● What/Why: Testing restores ensures backups are complete, functional, and can be  recovered when needed. Without testing, a backup may fail in a real emergency.  

● How: Manual restore  

76. Uptime monitoring  

● What/Why: Continuous monitoring alerts you when your website goes offline. Quick  response to downtime preserves revenue, SEO rankings, and user trust.  

● How:  Free: UptimeRobot  Paid: Pingdom  

UptimeRobot

77. Error logging  

● What/Why: Logging errors allows developers to detect, diagnose, and fix issues quickly.  Proper error tracking improves reliability, reduces downtime, and ensures a smoother  user experience.  

● How:  Free: Sentry free tier  Paid: Sentry  

Sentry

78. Access logs enabled  

● What/Why: Access logs record all requests to your server, helping track suspicious activity, debug issues, and perform audits. Logs are essential for incident response and  forensic analysis.  

● How: Server config  

79. Admin access review  

● What/Why: Regularly reviewing admin and privileged user access ensures only authorized personnel have control over critical systems. This reduces the risk of insider threats and accidental misconfigurations.  

● How: Manual audit

80. Rate limiting  

● What/Why: Rate limiting controls the number of requests a user or bot can make in a set  time. This protects against brute-force attacks, abuse, and server overload.  

● How: WAF rules  

81. CSP headers  

● What/Why: Content Security Policy (CSP) headers prevent cross-site scripting (XSS)  and other code injection attacks by restricting which scripts and resources can run. CSP  improves security and compliance.  

● How: SecurityHeaders

82. X-Frame-Options  

● What/Why: This header prevents clickjacking attacks by controlling whether your site  can be embedded in iframes. It protects users from malicious overlays or disguised  content.  

● How: SecurityHeaders  

83. X-Content-Type-Options  

● What/Why: This header prevents browsers from interpreting files as a different MIME  type, protecting against MIME sniffing attacks and ensuring secure rendering of content. 

● How: SecurityHeaders  

84. Referrer policy  

● What/Why: Controlling referrer information prevents sensitive data leakage when users  navigate away from your site. Proper referrer policies improve privacy and security.  

● How: SecurityHeaders  

85. Legal pages present  

● What/Why: Terms of service, privacy policies, and cookie notices ensure legal compliance and transparency with users. Missing legal pages can lead to penalties, user  distrust, and compliance violations.  

● How: Manual check  

Analytics, User Experience & Business (86–100)

86. Analytics installed  

● What/Why: Analytics tools like GA4 or Plausible allow you to track user behavior, traffic sources, and engagement. Without analytics, you cannot measure the performance of  your site, optimize user experience, or make informed business decisions.  

● How: GA4 / Plausible  

Plausible

87. Events tracked  

● What/Why: Event tracking records specific user actions (button clicks, video plays, form submissions). This helps measure engagement, optimize user flows, and identify where  visitors drop off. 

● How: Tag Manager  

88. Conversion goals  

● What/Why: Setting conversion goals allows you to measure how well your site drives  desired actions, like purchases, sign-ups, or downloads. This provides insights into ROI  and the effectiveness of marketing efforts.  

● How: GA4 setup  

89. Cookie consent  

● What/Why: Cookie consent banners ensure compliance with privacy regulations like  GDPR and CCPA. They inform users about data collection and allow them to control  tracking, building trust and avoiding fines.  

● How: Cookiebot  

Cookiebot

90. Privacy compliance  

● What/Why: Ensuring privacy compliance covers legal requirements, protects user data,  and prevents penalties. It includes proper handling of personal data, consent  management, and privacy policy visibility.  

● How: Legal review  

91. Contact forms  

● What/Why: Contact forms are a primary way for users to reach your business. Testing  ensures forms submit correctly, emails are sent reliably, and required fields work as  expected, preventing lost leads.  

● How: Manual test  

92. Email delivery  

● What/Why: Testing email delivery ensures transactional or marketing emails reach  recipients without being flagged as spam. Reliable email communication is essential for  conversions and customer trust.  

● How: Send test emails  

93. Transaction testing  

● What/Why: For e-commerce or subscription sites, testing payments ensures the  checkout flow works correctly, transactions are processed, and customers receive  confirmations, preventing revenue loss.  

● How: Test payments  

94. Error pages (404/500)  

● What/Why: Custom error pages help users recover from broken links or server issues,  improving UX and reducing frustration. They also prevent SEO loss from poorly handled  errors.  

● How: Manual  

95. Search function  

● What/Why: Site search is a key navigation tool for content-heavy websites. Testing  ensures it returns relevant results, handles typos, and provides filters, improving user  satisfaction and conversions.  

● How: Manual  

96. Content proofreading  

● What/Why: Accurate, well-written content builds trust, reduces confusion, and improves  SEO. Errors can undermine credibility and frustrate users.  

● How: Manual / Grammarly  

Grammarly

97. Broken links  

● What/Why: Broken links harm SEO, frustrate users, and reduce trust. Regular checking  ensures internal and external links work correctly and content remains reliable.  

● How:  Free: Broken Link Checker  Paid: Ahrefs  

98. Favicon & icons  

● What/Why: Favicons and app icons improve brand recognition, user experience, and  professionalism. Missing or misconfigured icons can look unpolished on browsers and  devices.  

● How: Browser check  

99. Social links  

● What/Why: Social media links provide engagement channels and drive traffic. Testing  ensures links are correct, open properly, and display previews where applicable,  preventing broken or misdirected connections.  

● How: Manual  

100. Launch rollback plan  

● What/Why: A rollback plan ensures you can quickly revert to a previous stable version if  something goes wrong during launch. This mitigates risk, prevents downtime, and  protects revenue and user experience.  

● How: Deployment checklist

Conclusion

Before you launch (and again after you launch) check for all of these important points to ensure your website launch and online presence serves all your users and audience well.