Go-Live Checklist

You've built it. You've tested it. Before you put it in front of real users paying real money, run through this checklist. Every item takes minutes to check — and catching a problem here saves you from catching it in front of customers.

Core Principles

This is a gate, not a process. If you pass, launch. If you don't, fix the gaps and come back.
"It works for me" is not the same as "it works." Test as if you're a stranger visiting for the first time.
Skipping items here is borrowing from your future self. You'll fix them eventually — it's cheaper to fix them now.
Perfect is the enemy of launched. But "payments don't work" is not a perfectionism issue — it's a showstopper.

The Checklist

Showstoppers (Must Pass)

These will directly lose you customers or money if broken. Do not launch without them.

Showstoppers:
- [ ] Core flow works end-to-end: signup → key action → value delivered
- [ ] Payments work: can complete a real purchase (use Stripe test mode, then one real transaction)
- [ ] Auth works: can sign up, log in, log out, reset password
- [ ] HTTPS is on: no "Not Secure" warning in browser
- [ ] No secrets in code: API keys are in environment variables, not committed to git

User Experience (Should Pass)

These won't break your app, but they'll make users bounce or lose trust.

User Experience:
- [ ] Mobile works: tested on an actual phone, not just browser resize
- [ ] 404 page exists: broken links show a helpful page, not a blank screen or error
- [ ] 500 page exists: server errors show "Something went wrong," not a stack trace
- [ ] Loading speed: pages load in under 3 seconds (test at pagespeed.web.dev)
- [ ] Error messages make sense: users see "Email already taken," not "Error 422"

Operations (Should Have)

These keep you informed and protected once real users show up.

Operations:
- [ ] Error tracking live: Sentry or similar installed, catching real errors
      → See **monitor** skill for setup
- [ ] Analytics tracking: you know where visitors come from and what they do
      → See **analytics** skill for setup
- [ ] Uptime monitoring: you get alerted if the site goes down
      → See **monitor** skill for setup
- [ ] Backups enabled: database is backed up automatically (daily minimum)
      → See **deploy** skill for database backup setup

Professional Polish (Should Have)

These signal "real business" vs. "side project."

Professional Polish:
- [ ] Custom domain connected: yourproduct.com, not yourapp.vercel.app
      → See **deploy** skill for domain setup
- [ ] Social/OG tags set: links look good when shared on LinkedIn, Twitter, Slack
- [ ] Favicon set: browser tab shows your icon, not a blank square
- [ ] Legal docs published: Terms of Service and Privacy Policy are linked in footer
      → See **legal** skill for templates

Industry-Specific (If Applicable)

If you're in a regulated industry:
- [ ] Compliance requirements met (HIPAA, SOC2, PCI, FERPA, etc.)
      → See **compliance** skill for your industry's requirements
- [ ] Data handling matches your Privacy Policy
- [ ] Required disclosures are visible

How to Use This Checklist

Tell AI:

I'm about to launch my SaaS app. Go through this pre-launch checklist with me:

My app: [what it does, one sentence]
Built with: [Lovable / Claude Code / Replit / Cursor]
Hosted on: [Vercel / Railway / Netlify / Lovable / Replit / other]
Payments: [Stripe / Lemon Squeezy / none yet]

For each item, check whether it's set up. For anything missing,
tell me the fastest way to fix it with my specific stack.

Go / No-Go

All Showstoppers pass?
  → YES: You can launch. Fix User Experience and Operations items this week.
  → NO:  Do not launch. Fix showstoppers first.

Launching with imperfect polish is fine. Launching with broken payments, broken auth, or exposed secrets is not.

After You Launch

Your go-live checklist becomes your post-launch monitoring list. In week 1, check daily:

Are errors showing up in Sentry? Fix them.
Are users completing signup? If not, the flow is broken.
Are payments processing? If not, you're working for free.
Is the site staying up? If not, check your hosting.

Related Skills

test — Structured QA workflow to find bugs before launch
deploy — Get your app live on a custom domain
secure — Security checklist (HTTPS, auth, secrets, input validation)
monitor — Error tracking, uptime alerts, and performance monitoring
legal — Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and business entity setup
analytics — Set up tracking so you know what users do
launch — Plan and execute your launch once you pass this gate