About the Website Launch SEO Checklist
A new site can be beautiful and still invisible to search if it launches with a leftover noindex, no sitemap or broken forms. This website launch checklist covers four stages: before launch, go-live, search engines and sitemaps, and performance with tracking.
It is useful for agencies handing over client sites and for owners launching their first site. Items link to tools that check indexability, HTTPS and www consolidation, soft 404s, security headers and broken links, and generate sitemaps and WebSite schema. Share the exported Markdown with your developer so nothing is assumed. If you are replacing an existing site, use this list alongside the website migration checklist. Progress stays in your browser.
How to use it
- Work through the before-launch section on staging.
- Run the go-live checks within an hour of launch.
- Verify Search Console and Bing and submit sitemaps.
- Test speed, tracking and every form on the live site.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take for a new website to show in Google?
It varies from a few days to several weeks. Submitting an XML sitemap in Search Console, requesting indexing for key pages and earning a few links from established sites can speed up discovery. Indexing is not guaranteed, so focus on useful, crawlable pages and check the Page indexing report.
Should I block my website from Google before launch?
Protect the staging site with a password or IP restriction rather than relying on robots.txt or noindex, which can leak into production. robots.txt only controls crawling and is not a security measure. On launch, double-check that no noindex or Disallow: / rule remains on the live site.
What should I set up in Search Console after launch?
Verify a Domain property using DNS so it covers all subdomains and protocols, submit your XML sitemap, inspect and request indexing for the homepage and key pages, and check the Page indexing and HTTPS reports over the following weeks. Add your team as users with appropriate permissions.