Website QA Checklist Before Launch for Teams and Agencies

Content and spelling review

Start with the words, because they are the first thing people read. Every page needs a pass for spelling, grammar and consistency of the English variant. Placeholder text such as lorem ipsum, names of the wrong client and half written sentences are common leftovers in the final days, so search for them deliberately.

Do not rely on reading alone. People skip over repeated words and swapped letters in text they have seen many times. Run a full site spell check, preferably on the staging address, and read the findings in context. TypoMonitor can scan staging URLs with basic authentication on the Team plan, so you can fix text before the site is public.

• Spelling and grammar on every page, in one language variant.
• No placeholder text, test names or draft notes.
• Brand and product names written the same way everywhere.
• Legal pages, prices and contact details reviewed by the owner of that information.
• Headings, button labels and form messages read in context.

Links, redirects and images

Run a full link check on both internal and external links. Look for 404 and 410 responses, 5xx errors, timeouts and redirect chains. Links that still point to the staging domain, or to http addresses when the live site uses https, are especially common after a build. Fix them before launch, not after.

If the new site replaces an older one, prepare a redirect map. Every old address that had traffic or inbound links should return a 301 to the closest new page. Test a sample of old addresses by hand, then confirm that each ends on a 200 page in a single hop. Finally check images: missing files, wrong paths and images that load from a test location need attention, and every meaningful image needs alt text.

Forms, checkout and email

Anything that takes input must be tested end to end. Submit every contact form, signup form and newsletter box with a real test entry and confirm that the message arrives where it should, with sensible wording and a correct sender name. Check error states too: empty fields, an invalid email address and a very long message should all produce clear messages.

If the site sells anything, run through the full purchase path including taxes, shipping options, confirmation pages and receipt emails. Confirm that thank you pages exist and that the wording on them is correct. These are the pages that visitors see at the moment of highest commitment, so they deserve the most careful review.

Metadata, indexing and technical basics

Review the title tag and meta description on each important page for length, accuracy and typos. Make sure every page has one clear main heading. Check that the robots settings are correct: staging sites are usually blocked from indexing, and the block must be removed for launch, while pages that should stay private remain blocked.

Confirm that sitemap.xml lists the live addresses, that a custom 404 page exists and returns a real 404 status, and that https works on every page without certificate warnings. Check that canonical tags point to the live domain and not to a test address. These items are invisible to most visitors, yet they decide how the site behaves in search results.

• Unique title and meta description on key pages.
• One main heading per page.
• Indexing allowed on the live site and blocked where needed.
• sitemap.xml with live addresses only.
• Custom 404 page that returns a real 404 status.
• Valid https certificate and canonical tags on the live domain.

Devices, speed and accessibility

Open the site on a phone, a tablet and a desktop screen in at least two browsers. Look for text that overflows, menus that do not open, buttons that are too small to tap and images that stretch. Test the slowest realistic connection you can, because pages that feel fast on an office network can feel slow elsewhere.

For accessibility, check that text has enough contrast, that every form field has a label, that images have descriptive alt text, and that the whole site can be used with a keyboard. These checks improve the experience for everyone and reduce the risk of excluding visitors.

Sign off and keep monitoring after launch

Close the checklist with a final full scan of the live site and a short written sign off, so it is clear who approved what. Keep the first report as a baseline. If something changes after launch, you will know whether it is new.

QA does not end on launch day. Editors keep publishing, and every edit can add a typo or a broken link. TypoMonitor keeps watching with scheduled scans, email alerts for new issues and a weekly digest. Agencies can use client workspaces and white-label PDF reports with their own logo on the Agency plan at 499 USD per month, while Starter at 49 USD and Team at 149 USD cover single sites and small portfolios. Annual billing is 50 percent off, there is no free plan, and subscriptions are not refundable. Create an account and run your first full scan now.