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Product launch checklist
The product launch checklist: everything to check before, during and after launch
A product launch is not a post. It is a path: a stranger sees your promise, decides it matters, clicks through, understands the offer, trusts you enough to act, and either signs up, pays or leaves. This checklist makes sure that path exists before the traffic arrives.
It is written for founders and small teams launching a software product, an app or an AI tool, often for the first time. Each step has a short checklist. Where our scan data covers a step, you will see how the 241 launch pages we have scored actually do on it, so you know which steps people skip most.
Data updated November 4, 2026 from 241 scans
1. Lock the promise
Before you touch the page, write one sentence: this helps [who] do [job] so they get [outcome], and you can believe it because [proof].
If that sentence is hard to write, the launch is not ready. Not because the product is bad, but because every launch asset depends on it: the headline, the launch post, the ads, the onboarding email. Pick one promise for this launch. You can test other angles later; the first launch needs a clean signal.
- One-sentence promise written down: who, job, outcome, proof
- One primary audience chosen for this launch
- Headline drafted from the promise, in the customer's words
- Two or three competitors or alternatives named, and how you differ
How launch pages score on this item (Clear headline (H1)): missing on 38% of 237 launch pages we scanned. It was missing on 5% of pages scoring 70 or more and 68% of pages under 50. Across all scanned pages, those with it averaged 60.3 points out of 100; those without it, 34.4.
2. Make the launch page show the product
Launch visitors believe what they can see. A real screenshot of the product doing its main job, above the fold, is the cheapest fix with the biggest effect. A short demo video goes further, and almost no launch page has one, so it is also the easiest way to stand out. See product demo video examples.
- Real product screenshot above the fold, with realistic data
- A 20 to 60 second demo or a 5 to 15 second hero loop
- Captions on any video, since most autoplay is muted
- Visuals readable on a phone
How launch pages score on this item (Product screenshots / creative): missing on 52% of 237 launch pages we scanned. It was missing on 7% of pages scoring 70 or more and 83% of pages under 50. Across all scanned pages, those with it averaged 62.6 points out of 100; those without it, 39.7.
3. Add proof you can stand behind
Proof is the widest gap between strong and weak launch pages in our data. It does not have to be a logo wall. One named beta user with a real quote, an honest usage number, a public changelog, or your own name and face as the builder all count. Never invent proof: a small true number beats a big fake one.
- At least one proof point near the top of the page
- Every quote has a real name and permission to use it
- Every number is true and has a unit and timeframe
- Founder name or team visible somewhere on the page
How launch pages score on this item (Social proof / testimonials): missing on 51% of 237 launch pages we scanned. It was missing on 5% of pages scoring 70 or more and 85% of pages under 50. Across all scanned pages, those with it averaged 63.2 points out of 100; those without it, 38.3.
4. Say what it costs
Launch visitors want the price before they invest time. Say it on the page, or say it is free, or say "free during beta". A visitor who has to sign up to find the price often leaves. See pricing page examples.
- Price, "Free" or a clear offer visible from the homepage
- Plan limits stated plainly
- Launch-day offer (if any) with a real end date
- Checkout or signup tested end to end with a real or test payment
How launch pages score on this item (Pricing or offer): missing on 34% of 237 launch pages we scanned. It was missing on 2% of pages scoring 70 or more and 60% of pages under 50. Across all scanned pages, those with it averaged 58.4 points out of 100; those without it, 35.2.
5. Build one clear path to act
The ad or post, the page, the signup and the follow-up email should feel like one conversation. Pick one primary action and repeat it. If you are not ready to sell, capture an email so launch traffic becomes a list. The minimum path: source → page with one CTA → signup, checkout or waitlist → confirmation that says what happens next → follow-up email.
- One primary call to action, same label everywhere
- Signup, checkout or waitlist form working on desktop and phone
- Confirmation page or message says what happens next
- Welcome or follow-up email written and tested
How launch pages score on this item (Primary call-to-action): missing on 55% of 237 launch pages we scanned. It was missing on 28% of pages scoring 70 or more and 76% of pages under 50. Across all scanned pages, those with it averaged 60.4 points out of 100; those without it, 42.5.
6. Make the link look good when shared
A launch is mostly links being shared. Set an Open Graph title, description and a 1200 × 630 share image so your link unfurls into a proper card on X, LinkedIn, Slack and in messages. Paste the link into a private chat to check it before launch day. See OG image examples.
- Open Graph title and description on the homepage
- Share image at 1200 × 630, absolute URL
- X card set to summary_large_image
- Preview checked in a real chat app
How launch pages score on this item (Social share image (OG)): missing on 32% of 237 launch pages we scanned. It was missing on 12% of pages scoring 70 or more and 53% of pages under 50. Across all scanned pages, those with it averaged 57.4 points out of 100; those without it, 36.
7. Get the trust and technical basics live
Trust details are boring until they are missing. Real buyers look for a way to contact you and the legal basics. Search engines need a sitemap and no accidental noindex tags. Neither needs to be perfect on day one, but both need to exist. For a deeper technical pass, use the website launch checklist.
Settle the business basics behind the page before you take money or personal data. Test payments end to end: a test purchase, then one real purchase you refund, with access granted by the payment webhook (see adding Stripe payments). Decide on the business entity and bank account, and check whether you need to collect sales tax or VAT where your customers are; a merchant-of-record payment provider handles tax for you at a higher fee. None of this is legal or tax advice: requirements depend on where you live and sell, so ask a qualified professional once rather than reading forum threads for a week.
- Contact page or support email that works
- Privacy policy and terms live; refund policy if you sell
- Payments tested end to end, including a refunded live purchase
- Business entity, bank account and sales tax or VAT decided
- Page title and meta description on every key page
- robots.txt, sitemap.xml and canonical URLs in place
- No accidental noindex on pages you want found
How launch pages score on this item (Page title + meta description): missing on 12% of 237 launch pages we scanned. It was missing on 2% of pages scoring 70 or more and 23% of pages under 50. Across all scanned pages, those with it averaged 53.3 points out of 100; those without it, 31.
8. Instrument before traffic arrives
You cannot recover launch-day data later. Track only what changes your next decision: page viewed, CTA clicked, signup started, signup completed, purchase or lead captured, and the source of each. Tag every link you post with UTM parameters. Our scanner cannot fully verify analytics from outside (most load through JavaScript), so check events by hand.
- Analytics installed and verified with a real visit
- Events for CTA click, signup start, signup complete, purchase
- UTM-tagged link for every channel you will post in
- A simple dashboard or sheet to read on launch day
9. Show the product is alive
A changelog, a blog or a "what's new" page tells visitors the product is maintained. It also gives launch channels and directories something to link to, and gives you a place to post the launch itself.
- A changelog or updates page with dated entries
- A launch announcement post ready to publish
- Social profiles linked from the site
How launch pages score on this item (Blog / changelog / updates): missing on 59% of 237 launch pages we scanned. It was missing on 23% of pages scoring 70 or more and 85% of pages under 50. Across all scanned pages, those with it averaged 62.8 points out of 100; those without it, 42.2.
10. Plan the channels
Pick two or three channels where your audience already is, rather than ten where they might be. Write the launch post for each one in that channel's style. If Product Hunt is one of them, follow the Product Hunt launch checklist. If you are launching a mobile app, use the app launch checklist.
- Two or three channels chosen, with a reason for each
- Launch post drafted for each channel
- A list of 20 to 50 people to tell personally
- Launch date and time chosen, with time to respond all day
11. Decide what success looks like
The most common launch failure is not bad results. It is ambiguous results. Before the launch, write down what would make you keep going, change course or stop: for example, a signup rate from targeted visitors, or a number of paying customers in the first month. The exact numbers depend on your price and audience; deciding in advance is what matters.
- Keep, revise and stop thresholds written down
- The one metric you will read first each day
- A date to review the results
12. Run launch day and the week after
Launch day is when the checklist starts producing evidence. Watch the path you built: errors, signups, the support inbox, comments. Reply to every comment and message the same day. After the first week, write down what happened: what converted, what confused people, what broke and what you will test next. For the days after launch, see the day-two launch dashboard.
- Someone watching errors, signups and support all day
- Every comment and message answered the same day
- A short written review after day one and after week one
- The next test chosen from what you learned
If you built it with an AI tool, check these twice
AI app builders and coding agents make shipping fast, and that speed leaves predictable gaps on the launch page. Replace any template headline with your own promise (step 1). Add a real screenshot or demo, because generated pages often only describe the product (step 2). Delete any placeholder testimonials the template shipped with; fake proof is worse than none (step 3). Check the share card, since many generated sites still unfurl with a placeholder title or no image (step 6). And before real users arrive, run the vibe coding security checklist for exposed keys and missing database rules.
The short version
If you only have an hour before you share your link, the data suggests this order: add one real screenshot above the fold, add one true proof point, say what it costs, pick one call to action, and set your share image. Then record a short demo when you can; almost nobody has one.
To check your page against the same 13 items and seven dimensions behind the numbers on this page, run it through the free landing page analyzer. For the full data, read We scored 238 launch pages.
FAQ
What should a product launch checklist include?
At minimum: a clear one-sentence promise, a launch page that shows the product, real proof, visible pricing, one clear call to action, share tags, legal and contact basics, analytics with UTM links, a channel plan, success thresholds and a launch-day routine.
How long before launch should I start the checklist?
Two to four weeks is comfortable for a small product. The page and proof steps take the longest, because you need real screenshots, a demo and permission to use quotes. The technical steps can usually be done in a day.
Is this the same as an MVP launch checklist?
Yes. This page replaces our earlier MVP launch checklist. The steps are the same whether you call the product an MVP or not: the market sees a page, not a version number.
Where do the numbers come from?
They are aggregates from 241 launch pages people scanned with the free LaunchBuddy scanner, using each site's latest scan. We never publish which sites were scanned.
Check your launch page in a minute
The free analyzer runs the same 13-item launch checklist behind the numbers on this page, scores your page out of 100 and names the one gap to fix first. No account needed.
Numbers are aggregates from launch pages people scanned with LaunchBuddy; we never publish which sites were scanned. Items marked found or missing come from a static read of one page, so content that only appears after JavaScript runs can be missed.