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David Friedman
David Friedman

Posted on • Originally published at appbrewers.com

Web App Launch Checklist 2026: 47 Things to Check Before Going Live

#webdev #startup #saas #checklist

I have launched 80+ web apps. These are the 47 checks that prevent disasters on launch day.

By David Friedman, Founder of AppBrewers

Launch day is not the finish line -- it is the starting line. A bad launch kills user trust before it forms. I have launched 80+ web apps and made every mistake on this list. Here is the exact checklist we use at AppBrewers before any app goes live.

Pre-Launch (Week Before)

Technical Checks

  • [ ] All pages load in under 3 seconds
  • [ ] Mobile responsive on iPhone, Android, and tablet
  • [ ] No console errors in production
  • [ ] All API endpoints return 200 OK
  • [ ] Database backups configured
  • [ ] SSL certificate installed and valid
  • [ ] 404 page exists and is branded
  • [ ] Error tracking (Sentry) active
  • [ ] Analytics (Google Analytics 4) installed
  • [ ] Hotjar or similar heatmap tool installed

Authentication & Security

  • [ ] Sign up works with email/password
  • [ ] Social login works (Google, Apple, etc.)
  • [ ] Password reset email arrives
  • [ ] Password reset link works
  • [ ] Session timeout is reasonable (1-24 hours)
  • [ ] CSRF protection active
  • [ ] Rate limiting on login attempts
  • [ ] Sensitive data encrypted at rest

Payments & Billing

  • [ ] Stripe Checkout works end-to-end
  • [ ] Subscription creation successful
  • [ ] Subscription cancellation works
  • [ ] Customer Portal accessible
  • [ ] Webhooks handle payment events
  • [ ] Failed payment flow tested
  • [ ] Refund process documented
  • [ ] Tax calculation correct

Content & Legal

  • [ ] Privacy policy page live
  • [ ] Terms of service page live
  • [ ] Cookie consent banner active
  • [ ] GDPR compliance checked
  • [ ] Contact information accurate
  • [ ] All placeholder content removed
  • [ ] Meta titles and descriptions set
  • [ ] Open Graph tags present
  • [ ] Favicon set

Launch Day

Deployment

  • [ ] Production build successful
  • [ ] Environment variables set correctly
  • [ ] Database migrations run
  • [ ] CDN cache cleared
  • [ ] DNS propagated
  • [ ] Custom domain configured
  • [ ] www redirect working
  • [ ] HTTP to HTTPS redirect active

Monitoring

  • [ ] Uptime monitoring active (UptimeRobot, Pingdom)
  • [ ] Alert channels configured (email, Slack)
  • [ ] Database monitoring active
  • [ ] Server logs accessible
  • [ ] Error alerts tested

Post-Launch (First 48 Hours)

User Experience

  • [ ] First user can sign up without help
  • [ ] First user can complete core action
  • [ ] Onboarding flow is clear
  • [ ] No broken links
  • [ ] Images load correctly
  • [ ] Forms submit without errors
  • [ ] Email notifications arrive
  • [ ] Push notifications work (if applicable)

Marketing

  • [ ] Google Search Console verified
  • [ ] Sitemap submitted
  • [ ] robots.txt configured
  • [ ] Social media announcement posted
  • [ ] Product Hunt submission scheduled
  • [ ] Email to waitlist sent
  • [ ] Analytics events firing correctly

Week 1 After Launch

  • [ ] Daily active users tracked
  • [ ] Crash-free rate above 99%
  • [ ] Support tickets reviewed daily
  • [ ] User feedback collected
  • [ ] First bug fixes deployed
  • [ ] Performance baseline established
  • [ ] SEO rankings monitored

Common Launch Disasters

The Forgotten Password Reset

I have seen apps launch with broken password reset flows. Users sign up, log out, and can never get back in.

Fix: Test password reset on production before launch.

The Stripe Webhook That Fails

Your app charges users but never records the payment. Customers pay but have no access.

Fix: Test webhooks with Stripe CLI and verify Firestore/database updates.

The Mobile Layout That Breaks

60% of traffic is mobile. If your app breaks on iPhone, you lose 60% of users.

Fix: Test on real devices, not just Chrome DevTools.

The Missing Privacy Policy

App stores and payment processors require a privacy policy. No policy = rejection or account freeze.

Fix: Generate a privacy policy before launch. Update it as you add features.

Tools We Use

Purpose Tool Cost
Uptime monitoring UptimeRobot Free
Error tracking Sentry Free tier
Analytics Google Analytics 4 Free
Heatmaps Hotjar Free tier
SEO audit AppBrewers SEO Tool Free
Speed test PageSpeed Insights Free
SSL check SSL Labs Free

Need Help Launching?

We have launched 80+ web apps. If you want a professional launch without disasters:

Originally published on the AppBrewers Blog.

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