Website Checklist: What You Need Before Publishing Your Site in 2025
Launching a website feels like a milestone. You’ve put hours into building pages, adjusting fonts, maybe even debating over which photo to use in the hero section. Then comes the moment where the button is right there, daring you to click “publish.”
And it’s tempting, because you just want it live. But anyone who’s been through a rushed launch can tell you—going live without a checklist usually ends in awkward moments.
Visitors click broken links. Contact forms don’t work. Or worse, they can’t figure out what your site even does.
That’s where a website launch checklist comes in. This isn’t about adding extra work. It’s about catching those details that matter, so you don’t spend the next week fixing problems you could’ve avoided. We’ll walk through what to check before publishing a website, from branding to security, in plain terms. And if you’re building with Wepage—a no-code site builder that lets you drag and drop your way to a site—you’ll find the steps especially easy to follow.
Branding Basics to Lock In Before You Publish
Before you even think about hitting publish, your brand should feel steady and recognizable. People judge fast online, and small touches like a secure domain or a matching color scheme shape that first impression. Let’s look at the simple website checklist you don’t want to skip.
Domain and Hosting Setup
The domain is your website’s street address. You don’t want typos or confusing endings like .biz if you can help it. Double-check that it’s spelled right and that it’s pointing to the correct hosting plan. With Wepage, your free plan comes with a branded domain, but paid plans let you connect your custom domain. If you’ve invested in one, make sure it’s live before launch.
And don’t forget the lock icon. That little “https” in the browser tells people your site is secure. Many free tools, including Wepage, let you add SSL with just a click. Visitors notice when it’s missing, and so does Google.
Visual Identity Check
Does your logo look sharp on both desktop and mobile? Is your color palette consistent across the site? Small details like a favicon—the tiny image next to your site name in the browser tab—help your brand feel professional, even if you’re just starting out.
Think about tone too. If your homepage headline is playful but your about page reads like a legal contract, the mix can confuse people. Keep your voice steady across all pages.
Content Every Website Should Have: Checklist Before Launching a Website.
Every site needs a backbone. It’s not just about having pages—it’s about the right ones, written clearly, and tested so people trust you. Here’s where to start.
Homepage Must-Haves
Your homepage is the doorway. People should know within seconds what your site is about. Write a clear headline above the fold. Not clever for the sake of clever. Direct. “Affordable Web Design for Local Businesses” says more than “Designing Your Dreams.”
Make navigation obvious. Too many menus drive people away. And highlight one main action. Do you want them to sign up, shop, or contact you? Don’t scatter five buttons across the page. One clear CTA works better.
About Page
This is often where visitors check if you’re real. A short story about why you started, paired with a photo, goes further than jargon. If you’re a business, include team profiles. If you’re a freelancer, share a bit of your journey.
Products or Services
Descriptions should be easy to skim. Use plain language. If you’re selling a product, don’t bury the price. If you’re offering services, spell out what people get. And always check images—are they compressed so they load quickly but still look good?
Blog or Resources
A blog helps more than just SEO. It gives your site depth. A new site with zero posts can feel empty, like moving into a house with bare walls. Launch with at least three posts, even if they’re short guides or FAQs. Over time, add more.
Legal Pages
This part’s not fun, but it matters. Privacy policies, terms of service, and in some regions, cookie notices, are standard now. There are free generators online if you don’t want to write them from scratch.
Make It Easy to Contact You
A website without contact info feels incomplete.
Start with a contact page. It should include an email address, phone number if you have one, and your business address if that applies. Test the contact form. It sounds obvious, but many people launch and later realize they weren’t getting form submissions. If you use Wepage, you can add a form block easily, but take one minute to fill it out yourself before launch.
Add social media icons, but check the links. Clicking a Facebook icon that goes nowhere doesn’t inspire trust. And if you’re building an email list, set up double opt-in. That way you’re collecting quality subscribers, not spam.
Technical Tests Before Launch
Even if your design looks perfect, the behind-the-scenes checks can make or break launch day. Let’s run through the tests that keep your site fast, functional, and findable.
Mobile-Friendly Design
Most of your visitors will arrive on a phone. Scroll through your site on different devices. Does text shrink too small? Do buttons fit the screen? Wepage’s templates are responsive by default, but it’s still worth testing.
Site Speed
Slow sites lose people fast. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can show if your images are too large. Compress them before upload. Wepage handles some optimization behind the scenes, but lazy loading images is another good step.
SEO Basics
Search engines notice the basics. Write unique page titles and meta descriptions for each page. Use H1 for the main title and H2s for sections like the ones you’re reading now. Add internal links, like connecting your services page back to your contact form.
And don’t forget to submit a sitemap to Google Search Console. It tells Google your site exists.
Functionality Checks
Every button should lead somewhere. Test your CTAs. Test your forms again. Check your 404 page by typing a fake URL. If you’re selling online, run a test transaction through your payment gateway. Better to discover errors now than when your first customer tries to buy.
Security and Accessibility Checks
Security isn’t just for big companies. A hacked site makes visitors lose trust fast. So confirm SSL is active and that you’ve set up automatic backups.
Accessibility matters too. Add alt text to every image. Make sure colors have enough contrast. And try navigating your site with just a keyboard—you might be surprised how many sites fail this test.
What to Check Before Publishing Website: Your Pre-Launch Walkthrough
Before you go live, read every page out loud. It’s easier to catch typos that way. Ask a friend to click through and see where they get stuck.
Install analytics. Google Analytics is still the default, but if you’re privacy-focused, check out tools like Fathom. Either way, you’ll want to know where traffic comes from.
And think about launch announcements. A quick email to your list, a post on social, maybe even a small ad campaign. Treat it like opening day at a shop—you don’t just unlock the door quietly, you tell people you’re open.
Closing Thoughts
Publishing a site isn’t complicated, but it does take a checklist. Domain, branding, content, contact info, tests—skip any one of these and you’ll feel it later. Take a slow pass through the list, even if it feels repetitive.
And here’s the upside. With a builder like Wepage, most of these tasks are easier than they sound. Drag, drop, test, publish. You don’t need coding skills. What you do need is patience to check the details before launch.
Ready to try it? Start with Wepage’s free plan today. Build your site, walk through this pre-launch website checklist, and publish when you know it’s ready.
