Plan a website launch with a recovery path

A preview URL and a public domain can serve different code or settings. Before launch, identify what will change and what must keep working. Capture the current configuration and verify that your release process targets the intended domain and environment.

Work through it

1. Create a release checklist for pages, redirects, forms, analytics and search metadata. Identify any private routes or payment integrations that require separate verification.
2. Publish the reviewed version and check the public URLs directly. Test the primary journey on desktop and phone, including a deliberately invalid form input.
3. Keep the previous working version and the exact rollback procedure. Define which failures justify reverting and who makes that decision.

Check your result

• Public pages serve the intended version.
• Critical integrations have direct evidence.
• Rollback instructions identify the previous working artifact.