Pre-Launch Checklist
Comprehensive pre-launch checklist covering technical, product, legal, and marketing readiness for a successful product launch
The Pre-Launch workflow ensures you have covered all critical areas before announcing your product to the world. This comprehensive checklist helps you avoid common launch pitfalls and sets you up for success.
Overview#
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Categories | 4 (Technical, Product, Legal, Marketing) |
| Tier | Free |
| Typical Duration | 1-2 weeks |
| Best For | First launches, major releases, rebrands |
Outcomes#
A successful pre-launch preparation results in:
- Production-ready infrastructure with monitoring
- Polished user experience with onboarding flow
- Legal compliance and terms in place
- Marketing assets and launch announcements ready
- Contingency plans for common issues
Technical Readiness#
Infrastructure (Critical)#
- Production environment deployed - Not staging, actual production
- Domain configured with SSL - HTTPS working correctly
- Database backups automated - Daily backups with tested restore
- CDN configured - Static assets served efficiently
- Error tracking enabled - Sentry, LogRocket, or similar
- Uptime monitoring active - Get alerts when things break
# Verify SSL certificate
curl -I https://yourdomain.com | grep -i strict-transport
# Test database backup restore
pg_restore --dry-run backup.sqlPerformance (High Priority)#
- Page load under 3 seconds - Test on 3G connection
- Core Web Vitals passing - LCP, FID, CLS metrics green
- Images optimized - WebP format, lazy loading enabled
- API response times under 200ms - For critical endpoints
- Rate limiting configured - Prevent abuse and DDoS
1// Verify Core Web Vitals
2import { getCLS, getFID, getLCP } from 'web-vitals';
3
4getCLS(console.log); // Target: < 0.1
5getFID(console.log); // Target: < 100ms
6getLCP(console.log); // Target: < 2.5sSecurity (Critical)#
- Security headers configured - CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options
- No exposed secrets - API keys, credentials secured
- Dependencies audited - No critical vulnerabilities
- Input validation complete - All forms protected
- Authentication tested - Login, logout, password reset working
Scalability (Medium Priority)#
- Load tested - Can handle 10x expected traffic
- Auto-scaling configured - Resources scale with demand
- Database indexed - Queries optimized for load
- Caching strategy implemented - Redis, CDN, or browser caching
Product Readiness#
Core Experience (Critical)#
- Onboarding flow complete - New users can get started easily
- Core features working - Test every user journey
- Error states handled - Graceful failures with helpful messages
- Empty states designed - New accounts look inviting, not broken
- Mobile responsive - Works on all screen sizes
User Experience (High Priority)#
- Loading states implemented - Users know something is happening
- Success confirmations - Users know their actions worked
- Help documentation - FAQs, guides, or tooltips available
- Feedback mechanism - Users can report issues or suggestions
- Analytics tracking - Know what users actually do
1// Track key user events
2analytics.track('signup_completed', {
3 source: 'landing_page',
4 plan: 'free'
5});
6
7analytics.track('feature_used', {
8 feature: 'export',
9 format: 'csv'
10});Quality Assurance (Critical)#
- Cross-browser testing - Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
- Accessibility audit - WCAG 2.1 AA compliance
- Spell check content - No typos in UI copy
- Broken links checked - All links work
- Form validation tested - Edge cases handled
Legal Readiness#
Required Documents (Critical)#
- Terms of Service published - Clear, accessible
- Privacy Policy published - GDPR/CCPA compliant
- Cookie consent implemented - If using tracking cookies
- Refund policy documented - If accepting payments
Compliance (High Priority)#
- GDPR compliance verified - If serving EU users
- CCPA compliance verified - If serving California users
- Data processing documented - Know what data you collect
- Contact information visible - Legal entity info available
Business (Medium Priority)#
- Business entity formed - LLC, Corp, or equivalent
- Payment processor approved - Stripe/PayPal account active
- Tax configuration - Sales tax/VAT handling
- Insurance considered - Professional liability if needed
Marketing Readiness#
Assets (High Priority)#
- Logo files ready - SVG, PNG in various sizes
- Screenshots updated - Current UI, high quality
- Demo video created - 60-90 second overview
- Press kit assembled - For media coverage
- Social media graphics - Optimized for each platform
Content (Critical)#
- Landing page copy finalized - Clear value proposition
- Email templates ready - Welcome, confirmation, notifications
- Blog launch post written - Share your story
- Social media posts scheduled - Platform-specific content
- Launch announcement prepared - For Product Hunt, Hacker News, etc.
Distribution (High Priority)#
- Email list warmed up - Engaged waitlist subscribers
- Social accounts active - Not dormant profiles
- Community identified - Where your users hang out
- Influencer outreach done - Beta testers, early supporters
- PR contacts identified - Journalists, bloggers in your space
Recommended Agents#
| Phase | Agent | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Technical | devops-expert | Infrastructure and deployment |
| Technical | security-expert | Security audit and hardening |
| Technical | performance-expert | Load testing and optimization |
| Product | frontend-expert | UX polish and accessibility |
| Product | testing-expert | QA and cross-browser testing |
| Marketing | copywriting-expert | Landing page and email copy |
Starting the Workflow#
1# Start pre-launch checklist
2bootspring workflow start launch/pre-launch
3
4# Check current progress
5bootspring workflow status
6
7# Mark items complete
8bootspring workflow checkpoint "Technical readiness complete"
9
10# Export checklist
11bootspring workflow export --format markdownCompletion Signals#
Track progress with these milestones:
- Technical readiness complete - All infrastructure and security items done
- Product readiness complete - Core experience polished and tested
- Legal readiness complete - Terms, privacy policy, compliance verified
- Marketing readiness complete - Assets, content, and distribution ready
Deliverables#
| Deliverable | Description |
|---|---|
| Pre-launch checklist | Completed checklist with sign-offs |
| Infrastructure diagram | Production architecture documentation |
| Security report | Audit results and remediations |
| Launch assets | Graphics, copy, and media kit |
| Contingency plan | Rollback and incident response procedures |
Best Practices#
- Start 2 weeks early - Give yourself buffer time for unexpected issues
- Prioritize ruthlessly - Focus on critical items first
- Test everything twice - Once yourself, once with fresh eyes
- Have a rollback plan - Know how to undo if things go wrong
- Communicate with your team - Everyone should know the launch timeline
- Document decisions - Future you will thank present you
Common Pitfalls#
- Launching without monitoring - You won't know if things break
- Skipping mobile testing - Half your users might be on phones
- Ignoring legal requirements - Can lead to serious consequences
- Underestimating load - Success can be its own problem
- No customer support plan - Users will have questions
Related Workflows#
- Landing Page - Build a high-converting landing page
- Waitlist System - Capture and engage pre-launch signups
- Launch Day - Execute your launch perfectly
- Post-Launch - Optimize after launch