Website QA before launch: what to test and how

A launch is the one moment your product gets tested by everyone at once. QA before launch is simply doing that testing first, deliberately, so the problems surface in private instead of in front of your first real users. Here's what a proper pre-launch QA pass covers and how to run one.

Start with the journeys that matter

Not everything deserves equal attention. List the two or three flows that make or break your launch - usually sign-up, the main conversion path, and any flow that touches money - and test those end to end first, on real devices, as a real user would.

Functionality

• Every link, button and navigation item goes where it should
• Forms validate, submit and actually deliver the data
• Account, login and password-reset flows work
• Search and filters return sensible results, including empty states

Cross-device and cross-browser

Test the main flows on a real phone and in the browsers your audience uses - Chrome, Safari (desktop and iOS especially), Firefox, Edge. Most launch-day surprises are mobile or Safari.

Content, trust and legal

• No placeholder copy, broken images or dead links
• Privacy policy, terms and contact details are present and correct
• Pricing, claims and product details are accurate

Technical and SEO basics

• No console errors or failed requests on load
• Unique titles and meta descriptions; sitemap and robots correct
• Analytics installed and recording; social preview renders
• Reasonable load speed on a mid-range phone

Accessibility basics

Keyboard-only navigation works, focus is visible, images have alt text, forms have labels, and contrast passes. It's the right thing to do - and in the EU, increasingly a legal one.

Then re-check what you fixed

Fixes create regressions. Before you call the launch ready, re-run the flows you changed and the ones next to them. A short second pass is the cheapest insurance you'll buy all week.