MVP launch checklist 2026: 15 things before you go live
I've watched founders build a working product in 3 days and then spend 3 weeks "getting ready to launch." They tweak the hero section. They debate button colors. They add one more feature. Then another.
Meanwhile, nobody is using the thing.
This checklist exists to prevent that. 15 items. Check them off. Launch. Everything else can wait until you have real users giving you real feedback.
The infrastructure basics
1. Custom domain registered and connected
Buy your .com. It costs $12 per year on Namecheap or Cloudflare. Don't launch on a yourapp.vercel.app subdomain. It signals that you're not serious and it makes you look temporary. If the exact .com isn't available, try .co or .app. But get a custom domain before anything else.
2. Hosting deployed and working
Your app should be deployed to a production environment, not running on localhost. Vercel, Railway, Fly.io, or whatever platform fits your stack. Make sure it loads in under 3 seconds. Test it on mobile. Test it on slow wifi. If the first impression is a loading spinner, you've already lost.
3. SSL certificate active
This should be automatic with modern hosting platforms. But check anyway. Go to your URL and make sure you see the padlock. No SSL means browsers show a "Not Secure" warning, which kills trust instantly. If you're on Vercel or Netlify, SSL is included. If you're on a VPS, use Let's Encrypt.
4. Environment variables locked down
Double check that no API keys, database passwords, or secrets are hardcoded in your frontend code. Open your browser's dev tools, go to the Network tab, and make sure nothing sensitive is being sent to the client. This sounds obvious but I've seen live MVPs leaking Stripe secret keys in the console.
Analytics and tracking
5. Google Analytics 4 installed
You need to know how people use your product from day one. GA4 is free and takes 10 minutes to set up. Track page views at minimum. Set up conversion events for your key actions: signups, purchases, form submissions.
6. Google Search Console verified
This is how you know if Google is indexing your site. Submit your sitemap. Check for crawl errors. Monitor which queries bring people to your site. If you skip this, you're flying blind on SEO.
7. Error tracking configured
Sentry, LogRocket, or even just a basic error logging setup. When your first users hit a bug (and they will), you need to know about it before they tell you. Nothing kills early momentum faster than bugs you don't know about.
SEO fundamentals
8. Meta titles and descriptions on every page
Every page needs a unique title tag and meta description. Your homepage, your pricing page, your about page. Not just your blog posts. If you're not sure what to write, our SEO Optimizer skill generates these automatically along with structured data, Open Graph tags, and sitemap configuration.
9. Sitemap.xml and robots.txt in place
Your sitemap tells search engines what pages exist. Your robots.txt tells them what to crawl. Most frameworks generate these automatically. Verify they exist by going to yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml and yourdomain.com/robots.txt. If they're missing, add them before launch.
10. Open Graph images for social sharing
When someone shares your link on Twitter/X, LinkedIn, or Discord, what do they see? If you haven't set up OG images, they see nothing. Or worse, a broken image placeholder. Create an OG image for at least your homepage and main landing pages. 1200x630 pixels. Your Landing Page Builder skill includes patterns for this.
Legal and payments
11. Privacy policy and terms of service published
If you collect any data (even just email addresses), you need a privacy policy. It's not optional. GDPR, CCPA, and a dozen other regulations require it. Use Termly, iubenda, or a similar generator. It takes 20 minutes and covers you legally.
Terms of service matter too. They define the relationship between you and your users. Don't skip this because you think you're too small. You're not.
12. Payment processing tested end to end
If you're charging money, test the full payment flow with a real card (or Stripe's test mode). Signup, payment, access to paid features, cancellation, refund. Walk through every scenario. I've seen MVPs launch where the payment works but the user never gets access to what they paid for. That's a refund request plus a lost customer.
13. Cookie consent banner (if required)
If you serve users in the EU or use any third-party tracking cookies, you need a cookie consent banner. It doesn't have to be ugly. Tools like CookieYes handle it cleanly. But it needs to exist.
Testing and launch prep
14. Mobile responsive and tested on real devices
Not just "it looks okay when I shrink my browser window." Actually open your site on a phone. An iPhone and an Android if possible. Tap every button. Fill out every form. Read every page. Half your traffic will be mobile. If the mobile experience is broken, you're turning away half your potential users.
15. One real human has tested it (not you)
This is the most important item on the list. Before you launch publicly, give your product to one person who isn't you. A friend, a partner, a random person in a Slack community. Watch them use it. Don't explain anything. Just watch. You will find problems you never noticed. Buttons that confuse people. Copy that doesn't make sense. Steps that feel wrong.
Fix the critical issues. Ignore the cosmetic ones. Then launch.
The stuff that can wait
Here's what I intentionally left off this checklist because founders use it as an excuse to delay: perfect design (ship ugly, iterate later), full test coverage (you need basic tests, not 100% coverage), documentation (your users will tell you what they need documented), and a blog (start it after launch, not before).
The point of an MVP is to learn. You can't learn from users you don't have. Check these 15 items off and go live. Use the SEO Optimizer skill to handle items 8 through 10 automatically. Use the Landing Page Builder skill to make sure your first impression converts.
Then ship it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should MVP launch prep take?
If your MVP is already built, launch prep takes 2 to 3 days. Most of these checklist items can be done in parallel. Domain and hosting take minutes. Analytics and SEO setup take an hour. Legal pages take a few hours. Payment testing takes an afternoon. Don't let prep become procrastination.
Do I need a privacy policy for my MVP?
Yes. If you collect any user data at all, including email addresses, you need a privacy policy. It's legally required in most jurisdictions including GDPR in Europe and CCPA in California. Use a generator like Termly or iubenda to create one in 20 minutes.
Should I launch on a custom domain or a subdomain?
Custom domain. Always. A .com costs $12 per year and makes your product look legitimate. Launching on a Vercel or Netlify subdomain signals that you're not committed to the product. Buy the domain before you start building.
What analytics should I set up before launching?
At minimum, Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console. GA4 tracks user behavior on your site. Search Console tracks how Google sees your site and what queries bring people there. Both are free and take 10 minutes to set up.