The pre-launch checklist we actually use

Copy this. It's the real list, not a teaser for one.

Performance

• Largest Contentful Paint under 2.5s on a throttled connection
• No render-blocking scripts above the fold
• Images served in modern formats (WebP/AVIF) with explicit dimensions set
• Fonts self-hosted, not loaded from a third-party origin
• Total page weight audited on the heaviest template, not just the homepage

Accessibility

• Every interactive element reachable and operable by keyboard alone
• Color contrast checked against WCAG AA on all text/background pairs, not just the obvious ones
• All images have meaningful alt text, or empty alt for purely decorative ones
• Form fields have real associated labels, not placeholder text standing in for one
• Focus states are visible, not suppressed for aesthetic reasons
• Page structure uses real heading hierarchy, not styled divs pretending to be headings

SEO

• Every page has a unique title tag and meta description
• One clear H1 per page, matching the actual page topic
• Structured data (schema.org) in place for the content types that support it
• Sitemap generated and submitted
• Canonical tags correct on any page with potential duplicate-URL variants
• 404 handling that actually helps someone, not a dead end

Analytics & tracking

• Confirm what's actually being tracked, and why, before launch, not after
• If any tracking requires consent, the banner works correctly and blocks non-essential requests until accepted
• Key conversion events (form submissions, key clicks) are wired and verified with real test submissions, not assumed to work
• Confirm no tracking scripts fire before consent is given, where consent is required

One last pass

• Test the actual contact/quote form end to end, including what the submitter sees after
• Check the site on a real phone, not just a resized browser window
• Confirm legal pages (privacy, terms) are linked from the footer and actually load