Magento 2 Launch Checklist

1. Moved to production mode and test reviews have been added to confirm the working status.
2. 1. At product level
   2. At site level (if applicable)
3. All product reviews includeproper schema markup.
4. Existing site reviews have been imported across the platform.

1. Product images show correctly, as do hover secondary images if applicable.
2. Correct pricing is displayed for:
3. 1. Simple products
   2. Bundle products
   3. Configurable products
   4. Grouped products
   5. Gift cards
4. Filtering works as expected.
5. Category title is clear and wrapped around an H1 tag.
6. Category description is feeding through correctly onto the front end.
7. ‘Sort By’ option functions correctly.
8. Pagination functions as planned.

There is a precise checklist to be followed while using the out-of-the-box site search or a 3rd party service. To garner the benefits of numerous search functionalities, you need to make sure that everything from this checklist is implemented on the website:

1. Suitable attributes for optimized searchingsuch as SKU, name, description, etc have been selected.
2. Popular searches on the site (that can be identified via Google Analytics) are assessed and customized to retrieve the projected results.
3. The search result filtering features work as planned.
4. All potential search term redirects have been migrated from the previous site and checked for correct functioning.
5. Create and assign new landing page redirects for popular search terms.
6. Applicable synonyms for common terms have been added.

The structure of site search results is subject to inclination due to the individual preferences of users. However, you can gather a collective algorithm for optimal efficiency by performing a series of relevant searches. Also, keep in mind that 3rd party services take time to properly assimilate into the system and that section of the platform calls for post-launch monitoring.

Search engines tend to index the website before it’s even ready to be launched which can proliferate into a myriad of technical problems. Therefore, it is essential to prepare the site for lucrative search engine optimization. Make sure to abide by the following SEO checklist in the pre-launch phase:

1. The site is set to noindex/nofollow.
2. Robots.txt in this phase should:
3. 1. Block search engines temporarily from reading the site
   2. Prevent the indexing of dynamic URLs.
4. Implement a product schema.
5. <title> tags and meta descriptions have been correctly implemented and checked from the current website.
6. Both of these should not contain HTML.
7. Fall back <title> tags and meta descriptions have been set up.
8. leave meta keywords blank (don’t use them if possible).
9. Href-langs implemented if applicable
10. Images should:
11. 1. Contain alt tags.
    2. Be optimized for the search engine
12. 301 redirects must always be manually checked by the team for corrections. Make sure that these redirects are ready to be added at the server level.
13. Canonical URLs for products and categories have been set up.

1. All ‘test’ promo rules should be disabled.
2. Check all active Shopping Cart rules to ensure they function properly.
3. Check if the Catalog Price rules work correctly and amend prices on the front end in accordance with it.

1. Breadcrumbs appear correctly across different parts of the website.
2. Breadcrumbs link to destination page is accurate

1. Check all social icons for appropriate linking to the destination.
2. Check the linking and redirection of social sharing buttons on product pages.

In Magento2 development, it is crucial that all tabs within ‘Stores > Settings > Configuration’ are checked for each site on the newplatform to conclude that nothing important has been missed. The following checklist consists of some commonly avoided options:

1. General
2. 1. The selection of a default country and applicable shipping countries is complete
   2. Store information is correctly filled out.
   3. Single store mode is enabled for managing just one store.
   4. The email addresses for contacting the store have been updated from the placeholder
   5. The contact placeholder has been replaced by accurate details.
   6. Currency – Add the currenciesacceptedby the store
3. Catalog
4. 1. Catalog – the fallback meta data should be added
   2. XML sitemap – Adjust the setting to‘update daily’
5. Customers
6. 1. Customer configuration – The share customer accounts option should be enabled to ‘as desired’.
7. Sales – This part of the checklist will potentially take time, but it’s essential. The sales setup must enclose the following information:
8. 1. Tax – Make sure that properly calculated tax info can be seen sitewide.
   2. Checkout – With the selection of checkout look & function, follow your instincts and finalize it accordingly.
   3. Shipping settings – Fill in a suitable origin.
   4. Shipping methods – A pivotal check!
   5. Google API – to add in credentials for GA and/or GTM

Make sure that payment methods have been changed from sandbox to production. It will facilitate the testing of live transactions.

If you need to customize Magento for transactional emails, you will need to ensure that the following emails function and look as expected on various devices:

1. Sales order
2. 1. Guest
   2. Logged in user
3. New account sign up
4. Forgotten password
5. Link to reset password
6. Back in stock notification

1. Tax rules, rates and classes have been filled in.
2. Tax display settings in configuration have been set up.
3. The front end displays the accurate VAT price per product on:
4. 1. Product pages
   2. Category pages
   3. Page builder blocks

1. Cart total aptly displays the following details:
2. 1. Subtotal
   2. Total
   3. Tax
   4. Discount
3. Promo code field
4. 1. Showcases valid codes.
   2. Displays precise and user-friendly error messages for invalid codes.
5. Updated changes in the product quantity as planned.
6. The removal of products from the cart functions properly.
7. Clicking on the site logo should always return users to the homepage.
8. The ‘Continue Shopping’ button should function correctly and return users to the homepage.
9. The gift card field accurately works.

The following checklist must be carried out for both logged in and guest users (if applicable):

1. Error messages on address/billing information are accessible.
2. Promo and gift card fields function as planned.
3. Applicable shipping options with appropriate shipping value.
4. Multiple payment options.
5. 1. Configured as per the guided instructions and adjusted to production accounts.
   2. Show explanatory error messages for invalid information.
   3. Set payment acceptance only to the submission of correct details.
   4. 1. Order shown in a suitable state in Magento.
      2. Order exports effectively to ERP.
      3. Payment is received in assigned gateways.
      4. Order completes successfully as planned.
6. For guests checking out after the order, keep the registration option on the success page.

The account area functionality doesn’t obtain any significant adaptation from the proposed changes due to coding limitations. Nonetheless, the following checks are definitely worth the attention:

1. Options for pulling through the personal details and updating passwords.
2. Address feature must cover:
3. 1. vivid visibility for existing addresses
   2. Addition of new addresses
   3. Regular update of addresses
4. Orders
5. 1. New orders appear with the correct order state.
   2. The re-order button functions properly.
6. Newsletter subscription
7. 1. Displays the right mailing list user is subscribed to.
   2. Allow users to unsubscribe from the mailing list whenever they want.
8. Wishlist
9. 1. Items in the Wishlist should appear as planned.
   2. Clicking on specific products in the Wishlist will redirect the user to the corresponding items.

With a circumspect use of Pagebuilder functionality, the possibility of changes in CMS pages rises high. Hence, it becomes essential to monitor the functioning of each block on different types of devices. In that case, creating an example page with pagebuilder blocks can come in handy! This way, you can assess the look and functionality of various blocks across a wide range of devices.

1. Available on the website for new users.
2. It doesn’t appear for users who have already accepted it.

Live GA/GTM credentials to be added if you are filtering out traffic to a live website

Looks and functions as expected.

The launch of a new website can possibly result in downtime that often lasts for a couple of hours. This is the span during which the holding page appears. Make sure that your page is ready to be displayed in front of the key stakeholders and users with the following details

1. Check holding page for launch is correct
2. 1. Phone number (including tel: link)
   2. Email address
   3. Content

1. Place multiple test orders
2. 1. Logged in and as guest users
   2. Same billing/ shipping address
   3. Multiple tests of numerous payment options
3. Orders go through as expected
4. 1. To Magento
   2. To ERP / Order management software
   3. Tax amount correction
5. Payment is captured in the suggested gateways.

1. Resolved to HTTPS
2. Non-HTTPS redirected to HTTPS
3. Non www resolved to www or vice versa

This is the vital part of a website launch! Make sure everything mentioned in the following listis checked as the site launches:

1. Spot check for 301 redirects.
2. XML sitemap(s) creation in Magento.
3. Site set up for INDEX/FOLLOW.
4. 1. View page source across several on FE to confirm the text.
5. Search engines unblocked from robots.txt.
6. Webmaster tools account is created/updated
7. 1. New sitemap(s) are added
8. Check for broken links across the site and fix.
9. Run product pages through schema markup tool https://search.google.com/structured-data/testing-tool
10. Double check canonical URLs are in place.
11. Double check href-lang implementation.

The next segment of the checklist is a repetition of the pre-launch steps. Evidently, checking on twice never hurts! Make sure that the following emails go accurately on all types of devices:

1. Sales Order
2. 1. Guest
   2. Logged in user
3. New account sign up
4. Forgotten password
5. Functioning ink to reset password
6. Back in stock notification

An error-proof addition of SPF records with the help of the development team can simplify the flow of emails and prevent them from going into spam

1. Use real-time reports to ensure that the external traffic surfaces on the website.
2. Revise the site search parameters to make sure that the search queries are recorded.
3. The recording of transactions must be in working order.

Running Google lighthouse audit to compare the site with the older version can be precisely helpful.Don’t skip to address any apparent concerns with the technical team.

There is a wide chance that your site will acquire a set of 3rd party modules to function unstoppably on the web.This form of configuration can result in license issues and affect the site performance drastically.The following checks must be ensured shortly after the site launch:

1. Site Search – run a re-index and check results for correction.
2. Email - sign up for marketing email lists is enabled.
3. Live chat
4. Personalization software
5. Reviews
6. Tax extensions
7. Shipping extensions
8. PSP modules

The post-launch span isn’t probably the time to settle down and forget about potential technical errors plummeting the performance of the website. Following is a checklist of the elements that need to be taken care of over the next few weeks post-launch

1. Ongoing checks of the following in webmaster tools.
2. 1. Error log and address
   2. Easily readable sitemap(s)
   3. Valid robots.txt file
3. Frequent checks of search listings.
4. 1. Title tags properly displayed in the results.
   2. Accurate visibility of meta descriptions.
   3. Unaltered schema markup.
   4. Reviews and ratings are displayed distinctively.
   5. The correct store version appears in the correct search engine locale.
5. Daily update of XML sitemap.
6. optimization of every new content and images added to the site.

1. Go through the following traffic sources to compare with old site data:
2. 1. Organic traffic
   2. Direct traffic
   3. Referral traffic
3. Ensure that all orders continue to flow through to GA.
4. If using GTM, all tags are firing.

No matter how flawless your project strategies have been throughout the development span, having a word with the end-user will always result in something far more efficient. Communicate with the customer service team to go through the feedback your website receives. It will help you address the issues you possibly may have missed

The complete order cycle discretely encompasses Magento status change and utilization of relevant 3rd party software