The short verdict
- Generated sites look finished long before they are ready to launch.
- Most launch problems are small, boring and easy to catch with a list.
- Block out an afternoon, use two devices, and go through it in order.
01Before you start
This is the list we run before any site goes live, adapted for sites made with AI builders. It does not need a developer. You need a laptop, a phone, an afternoon and someone who has not seen the site before for the last section.
02Content
- 1. No placeholder text. Search for lorem, example.com, 555, Acme and invented names.
- 2. No invented proof. Every testimonial, logo and number is real and approved.
- 3. Spelling and names. Your company name, product names and people’s names, spelled the same everywhere.
- 4. Contact details. Phone, email and address are correct and clickable on mobile.
- 5. Dates and prices. Nothing out of date, nothing that contradicts another page.
03Mobile and browsers
- 6. No sideways scroll on any page, on a real phone.
- 7. Menu opens, closes and works from every page.
- 8. Headlines read well at phone width, with no stranded single words.
- 9. Safari and Chrome both work. iPhone Safari catches the most surprises.
- 10. Tap targets are big enough, around 44 pixels, with space between them.
04Forms and links
- 11. Every form delivers. Test from another device and check the inbox and spam.
- 12. Errors are clear when a field is wrong or empty.
- 13. No broken links. Run a free link checker over the whole site.
- 14. Social icons go to your profiles, not to the platform’s homepage.
- 15. Buttons lead where they say. Especially booking links and checkout.
05SEO basics
- 16. Unique title and description on every page.
- 17. One H1 per page that says what the page is.
- 18. Share previews work. Test a few URLs in a preview checker.
- 19. robots.txt is not blocking the site, and there is no stray noindex tag.
- 20. A sitemap exists, and you have submitted it in Search Console.
- 21. Redirects are in place if any old URLs are changing.
06Speed and accessibility
- 22. Images are compressed and sized for where they are shown.
- 23. Mobile PageSpeed checked on the homepage and main landing page.
- 24. Every image has alt text, or an empty alt if it is decorative.
- 25. The keyboard test passes. Tab through the page and see where you are.
- 26. Text contrast passes at 4.5 to 1 for body copy.
07Legal and tracking
- 27. Privacy and cookie pages are yours, and name your company, not a template one.
- 28. Cookie consent works, and optional tracking stays off until accepted where required.
- 29. Analytics is recording. Visit the site and see yourself in the live view.
- 30. A favicon and a real 404 page are in place.
“Nobody remembers a launch that went smoothly. Everybody remembers the week the form did not work.”
08The last test
Give the site to someone who has never seen it. Ask them to find your price, work out what you do, and send you a message. Watch without helping. Whatever they struggle with is the most important thing to fix before you launch.
09Questions people ask
Do I need to check everything for a small site?
Yes, but it goes quickly on a small site. Forms, mobile and placeholder content matter most if you are short of time.
What about after launch?
Check Search Console after a week, retest forms monthly, and rerun the whole list after any big change.
Can I launch with a few known issues?
Small visual ones, yes. Broken forms, placeholder proof and blocked indexing, no.
Can you run this check for me?
Yes. Send us the link and we will tell you what we find before you go live.
