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WordPress Site Launch Checklist

Medium 20 items · 2 hours
testuser's avatar
testuser Published 2 weeks ago
Technical

This checklist guides you through the technical steps to launch a WordPress site, from hosting and DNS to SEO, security, and backups. It’s designed for site owners, developers, and agencies preparing a site for public launch.

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  1. Set up hosting account — Choose PHP 8+, MySQL/MariaDB, adequate storage, and SSH if needed.
  2. Point domain DNS to host — Update A record or nameservers; set low TTL while propagating.
  3. Install WordPress — Use the host's installer or manual install; secure the admin email.
  4. Create a staging environment — Create a staging copy to build and test before going live.
  5. Block staging from search engines — Add noindex via robots or password-protect the staging site.
  6. Choose and install a theme — Pick a responsive, updated theme; check reviews and support.
  7. Activate a child theme and import demo content — Use a child theme for customizations; import demo data if helpful.
  8. Install essential plugins (SEO, cache, backup, security, forms) — Include an SEO plugin, caching, backups, security, and a form plugin.
  9. Set permalink structure to 'Post name' — Choose SEO-friendly URLs and save permalinks after install.
  10. Configure SEO plugin (site title, meta templates, enable sitemap) — Set global title/description templates and turn on the XML sitemap.
  11. Verify site in Google Search Console — Add a property and verify via HTML tag, DNS, or your SEO plugin.
  12. Submit XML sitemap in Google Search Console — Submit the sitemap.xml URL produced by your SEO plugin.
  13. Install SSL certificate and force HTTPS — Use Let's Encrypt or host SSL and redirect HTTP to HTTPS site-wide.
  14. Configure caching and enable a CDN — Enable page caching and connect a CDN like Cloudflare for speed.
  15. Set up automated backups and test a restore — Schedule off-site backups and verify you can restore a copy.
  16. Enable spam protection (reCAPTCHA, Akismet) — Add reCAPTCHA and use Akismet or similar to block comment spam.
  17. Harden WordPress security (salts, disable file edits, limit logins) — Rotate salts, disable theme/plugin file editing, and limit login attempts.
  18. Test forms and email deliverability (SMTP or transactional service) — Send test emails and configure SMTP or a transactional provider.
  19. Set up analytics tracking (GA4) and tag manager — Install GA4 or Tag Manager and verify events are recorded.
  20. Perform final pre-launch checks: redirects, speed, mobile, legal pages — Check redirects, run performance tests, verify mobile layout, and publish legal pages.
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