Indexing status
Confirm the site is not accidentally blocked from indexing. A wrong noindex setting can hide pages from search results after launch.
WordPress Pre-Launch Checklist
Launching a WordPress site without a final technical review can leave indexing, security, or configuration issues unresolved right when the site goes live.
This checklist helps freelancers and agencies review critical points before delivery. If you want to speed up this process, PreFlight can automate part of the technical verification before launch, and you can use this technical checks before launch hub for a topic-by-topic view.
Why a pre-launch checklist matters
Final technical checks reduce avoidable launch-day problems. Many WordPress projects look finished in staging but still carry details that can hurt indexing, accessibility, or trust after publication.
Small issues often appear only after go-live, when DNS, redirects, cache behavior, and crawl settings are exposed to real users and search engines. A repeatable checklist gives teams a clear closing process and more reliable delivery quality.
Core technical checks before launching a WordPress website
robots.txt
Review robots rules for unintended disallow directives. A restrictive file can prevent key pages from being crawled.
XML sitemap
Check that the sitemap exists, loads correctly, and reflects current URLs. Missing or stale sitemaps slow down discovery.
HTTP to HTTPS redirect
Verify HTTP traffic is consistently redirected to HTTPS. Partial redirect setups can create duplicate or insecure entry points.
Homepage response
Confirm the homepage responds reliably and with the expected status code. Unstable responses can cause launch friction for users and bots.
WordPress installer exposure
Make sure installer routes are not publicly accessible. Open setup paths are a common post-deployment mistake.
XML-RPC exposure
Review whether XML-RPC is exposed and whether it is required. Unnecessary exposure can increase attack surface.
Title and meta description
Validate page title and meta description outputs for correctness and clarity. Empty or duplicated metadata weakens search presentation.
Canonical tags
Ensure canonical URLs point to the correct final version. Incorrect canonicals can split indexing signals.
Open Graph tags
Check that social metadata exists and matches page intent. Missing OG tags can produce poor sharing previews.
Basic performance signals
Review baseline delivery signals like HTML response, compression, and cache headers. Basic misconfiguration can slow down first load.
What PreFlight helps you verify
PreFlight analyzes technical points related to launch readiness and flags issues before a WordPress website is published or delivered. It helps teams identify critical gaps in indexing, access, redirects, metadata, and baseline technical configuration.
It is designed as a practical pre-launch verification step, not a full replacement for specialized SEO or security audits.
Who this checklist is for
WordPress freelancers
Use a consistent closing checklist before handoff to reduce revision cycles and avoid launch surprises.
Agencies
Standardize final technical QA across projects and teams before client delivery or go-live.
Technical teams
Apply shared launch criteria to keep release quality consistent across WordPress builds.
Before launch, review the essentials
Run a final check before go-live and resolve critical technical issues while there is still time to fix them safely.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a full WordPress audit?
No. This checklist focuses on key launch-readiness checks and does not replace a full technical audit.
Can I use this on a live website?
Yes. You can run these checks on websites that are already live to catch issues that were missed before launch.
Does it replace a security or SEO audit?
No. It helps cover critical pre-launch verification points, but deeper SEO and security audits are still valuable when needed.