The Pre-Launch Checklist: 50 Things to Do Before Releasing Your Product

Most product launches don’t fail because the idea was bad.
They fail because teams ship before they’re ready.

Bugs slip through. Messaging is unclear. Support isn’t prepared. Analytics aren’t wired. And once the product is live, every mistake is harder—and more expensive—to fix.

This guide gives you a practical, end-to-end product launch checklist you can use before any release—startup MVP, SaaS feature, or full product launch. It’s designed to reduce risk, align teams, and help your launch actually convert.

Use it as a reference, not a ritual. You don’t need perfection—but you do need coverage.

Technical Readiness Checklist (1–15)

These are non-negotiable. If these aren’t done, everything else is noise.

Core Functionality and Stability

1. All critical user flows tested end-to-end
2. No known P0 or P1 bugs left unresolved
3. Error states designed and handled gracefully
4. Edge cases reviewed, not ignored
5. Feature flags in place for risky functionality

Performance and Reliability

6. Page load times tested under realistic conditions
7. API rate limits defined and enforced
8. Background jobs monitored and retryable
9. Graceful degradation for partial outages
10. Infrastructure scaling limits understood

Security and Compliance

11. Authentication and authorization reviewed
12. Sensitive data encrypted in transit and at rest
13. Basic security scan or review completed
14. Privacy policy and terms accessible
15. Compliance requirements validated (if applicable)

This is the foundation of software release preparation. Skipping it shows up later as churn and fire drills.

Product and UX Readiness Checklist (16–25)

Your product may work—but does it make sense to users?

User Experience and Onboarding

16. Onboarding flow tested with first-time users
17. Empty states explain what to do next
18. Copy reviewed for clarity and tone
19. Mobile and desktop experiences verified
20. Accessibility basics checked (contrast, labels, focus)

Product Clarity

21. Value proposition clear within first 30 seconds
22. Primary call-to-action obvious
23. Feature naming consistent across UI
24. No dead ends or confusing loops
25. Exit points (logout, cancel, back) behave correctly

A surprising number of launches fail here—not because of tech, but because users feel lost.

Go-To-Market and Marketing Assets Checklist (26–35)

Shipping without distribution is not a launch. It’s a deploy.

Messaging and Positioning

26. One-sentence product description finalized
27. Core problem and audience clearly defined
28. Feature list mapped to user benefits
29. Competitive positioning documented
30. Internal teams aligned on messaging

Launch Assets

31. Landing page live and tested
32. Signup or conversion flow tracked
33. Email sequences written and reviewed
34. Social or announcement copy prepared
35. Visual assets sized and ready

This is your go-to-market checklist in action. If users don’t understand the value, they won’t care how well it’s built.

Analytics, Feedback, and Measurement Checklist (36–43)

If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.

Analytics and Tracking

36. Core events defined (activation, retention, conversion)
37. Analytics tools installed and verified
38. Funnels tested with real data
39. Error and performance monitoring enabled

Feedback Loops

40. In-product feedback mechanism available
41. Support or contact channel visible
42. User feedback ownership assigned
43. Early signals to watch documented

This is where launches turn into learning instead of guessing.

Team, Process, and Contingency Checklist (44–50)

Launch day isn’t just about users—it’s about readiness behind the scenes.

Internal Readiness

44. Support team briefed and trained
45. Known issues documented internally
46. Escalation path defined for incidents

Contingency Planning

47. Rollback or kill switch tested
48. Backup and recovery verified
49. Launch owner clearly assigned
50. Post-launch review scheduled

These steps are boring—and they save launches.

Visual Framework: The Pre-Launch Readiness Stack

You can embed this as a simple diagram or image in Ghost CMS.

Product Stability
→ User Experience
→ Market Readiness
→ Measurement
→ Contingency

If any layer is weak, the stack collapses under pressure.

Common Pre-Launch Mistakes to Avoid

• Treating launch as a deadline instead of a process
• Shipping without analytics “just this once”
• Assuming support can figure it out live
• Over-polishing marketing while ignoring UX
• Skipping rollback plans

A strong product launch checklist exists to catch these before users do.

FAQs: Product Launch Preparation

What is a product launch checklist?

A product launch checklist is a structured list of tasks covering technical readiness, UX, marketing, analytics, and risk management before releasing a product.

How far in advance should you start launch preparation?

Ideally 4–6 weeks before launch, depending on scope. Smaller releases still benefit from a condensed checklist.

Do startups really need a full pre-launch checklist?

Yes. Smaller teams have less margin for error, making structured preparation even more important.

What’s the most commonly missed launch item?

Analytics and rollback plans. Teams often realize too late they can’t measure or reverse issues.

Should every feature release use this checklist?

Not every item—but every release should use a version of it. Scale the checklist to the risk.

Conclusion: Launching Well Is a Competitive Advantage

Shipping fast matters—but shipping prepared matters more.

Teams that consistently use a software release preparation checklist:

• Catch issues earlier
• Learn faster after launch
• Build trust with users

Before your next release, don’t ask “Is it done?”
Ask “Is it ready?”