E-commerce Launch Checklist: 50 Must-Haves Before Going Live (2026)

1. Technical Foundation (8 items)

1. ☐ Active SSL certificate (A+ SSL Labs)
2. ☐ HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 enabled
3. ☐ Mobile responsive tested on 4 devices + DevTools
4. ☐ LCP mobile < 2.5s, INP < 200ms, CLS < 0.1
5. ☐ Lighthouse Performance > 90 mobile
6. ☐ Broken links scanned (Screaming Frog)
7. ☐ Custom 404 page redirecting to home
8. ☐ Automated daily backup, restore tested

2. Legal Compliance (8 items)

9. ☐ Privacy Policy (GDPR / regional)
10. ☐ Cookie Policy + consent banner
11. ☐ Terms of Service
12. ☐ Pre-contract info / product information
13. ☐ Return / cancellation policy
14. ☐ Business registration visible
15. ☐ Data protection representative listed
16. ☐ Tax ID / VAT number in footer

3. SEO Basics (8 items)

17. ☐ Unique title + description per page
18. ☐ Correct canonical URLs
19. ☐ robots.txt and XML sitemap
20. ☐ Search Console + Analytics 4 connected
21. ☐ Product schema.org on all products
22. ☐ Breadcrumb schema
23. ☐ hreflang (multilingual)
24. ☐ OG + Twitter Card meta

4. Security (6 items)

25. ☐ WAF active (Cloudflare / Sucuri)
26. ☐ 2FA on admin accounts
27. ☐ Automatic security updates
28. ☐ PCI DSS compliance (if storing card data)
29. ☐ Password hashing bcrypt/argon2
30. ☐ Rate limiting on login, register, checkout

5. Payments (5 items)

31. ☐ Payment gateway (3D Secure / SCA required)
32. ☐ Test orders via every major bank''s test card
33. ☐ Wire transfer option (bank account info)
34. ☐ Installment options (if applicable)
35. ☐ Alternative payments (PayPal, Stripe, local wallets)

6. Shipping and Operations (6 items)

36. ☐ Shipping carrier integration (DHL, UPS, FedEx, local)
37. ☐ Shipping cost logic (flat / weight / zone)
38. ☐ Automatic tracking email/SMS
39. ☐ Returns flow in system
40. ☐ Invoicing integration
41. ☐ Stock management tested (concurrent-order scenario)

7. Customer Experience (5 items)

42. ☐ Live chat / WhatsApp Business
43. ☐ FAQ page + FAQPage schema
44. ☐ Product review system
45. ☐ Out-of-stock / add-to-cart flows tested
46. ☐ Abandoned cart email flow

8. Marketing Stack (4 items)

47. ☐ Meta Pixel + Google Ads tag
48. ☐ Email marketing platform (Mailchimp, Sendgrid)
49. ☐ UTM conventions + URL shortener
50. ☐ A/B testing infrastructure (recommended)

Final 3 Checks (Last 24h)

• End-to-end test: View → cart → order → shipment tracking
• Invoice test: Small real payment — does the invoice reach the tax authority?
• Analytics validation: Purchase event shown in GA4?

First 7 Days After Launch

• Day 1: Hourly uptime checks + first 10 orders manually tracked
• Day 2-3: User behavior (Hotjar/Clarity), bottleneck review
• Day 4-5: Collect first customer feedback
• Day 6-7: Weekly performance report + improvement list

Common Mistakes

1. Copy-pasted privacy policies mismatched to site
2. Missing terms of service
3. No 3D Secure on payment
4. Mobile testing only on iPhone — skipping Android
5. No concurrent-order stock test (negative-stock bugs)

FAQs

Can I manage this list alone?

Technical items need a developer; legal items need counsel/tax advisor.

How often update?

Review twice a year. Regulation changes should trigger updates.

Next Step

Pre-launch technical review — book an audit.