PRE
Before the build
Keep a copy of the current site and list pages, forms, analytics, integrations, downloads and the most useful search queries.
- URL inventory
- content owner
- known failures
- success measure
CHECKLIST / 004
What to check before the new site replaces the old one.
The list is deliberately concise. Each item represents a risk that is easy to miss when the new design takes all the attention.
BUILD
During the build
Check structure on a small screen, semantic headings, keyboard focus, contrast, images, metadata and behaviour without animation.
- phone and keyboard
- meaningful links
- forms and errors
- reduced motion
LIVE
Before release
Lock the redirect map and check sitemap, robots, canonical, hreflang, structured data, status codes and the privacy policy.
- 301 map
- 404 response
- CSP and HTTPS
- backup
POST
After release
Repeat key paths on the live domain and monitor unexpected 404 responses. Save the release date and verification results.