Launch checklist: what to do before, during and after launch day

Launch day goes by fast. The thing you forgot shows up as a broken sign-up form at the worst possible moment. Here's the checklist I'd use. Copy it, cut what doesn't apply, and tick it off.

Two to four weeks before

• Pick your day: one where you can be online all day.
• Start posting about it: progress, screenshots, the problem you're solving. People back launches they've watched happen.
• Collect a list: a waitlist, beta users, people who replied "I want this". These are your launch-day people.
• Get early feedback: let five people use it and watch where they get stuck.
• Write your one-liner: what it is and who it's for, in one sentence. You'll use it everywhere.

The week before

Your product

• Sign-up works on a phone, on a slow connection, and with a typo in the email.
• The first five minutes make sense without you there to explain.
• Payments work, if you charge. Make a real purchase and refund it.
• Error tracking is on, so you see problems before users report them.
• Your hosting can handle a spike.

Your site

• The top of the page says what it is and who it's for.
• There's one clear button.
• Link previews work. Paste your URL into the X composer and check the image and title.
• Analytics are set up, so you know where people come from.

Your launch kit

• A short demo video or GIF, 30 to 60 seconds.
• Three to five screenshots that show the product doing its job.
• Your launch post, written and read out loud once.
• A short answer ready for "how is this different from the big one?"
• Your launch page on the board, filled in and ready.

Launch day

• Post your launch post early in your audience's day, and pin it.
• Share your launch page on X and with your list. Ask for honest feedback, not votes.
• Reply to every comment, on X and on the launch page. All day.
• Post updates as things happen: first users, first feedback, a quick fix.
• Thank people by name.
• Watch errors and sign-ups. Fix what breaks, then say you fixed it.
• Eat something. Seriously.

The day after

• Post a recap: what happened, what you learned, numbers if you're comfortable.
• Reply to late comments. People keep finding launches for days.
• Message the people who signed up and ask one question: what almost stopped you?
• Write down the top three complaints. That's your next week.

The weeks after

• Fix the top complaints, and tell people you did.
• Keep posting progress. The launch is a chapter, not the ending.
• Link your launch page from your site, so visitors see the comments and support.
• Turn good comments into testimonials, with permission.
• Update your launch page when you ship something big.
• Plan the next push: a big feature, a new audience, another board.

Not on the checklist

• Buying upvotes or followers. Bots don't buy anything, and getting caught can bury your launch.
• Mass messaging strangers for support. It burns your name fast.
• Launching everywhere on the same day. Spread it out and learn between launches.

Where to launch

Start where your people already are. For most products that's X, plus a launch board that gives you a page that lasts. On FollowX every upvote comes from a verified X profile, so the support and feedback you get are real. Launching is free. Add our small badge to your site.

Looking for more places? See Product Hunt alternatives where upvotes come from real people. For the X side of launch day, read how to launch your product on X.

Launch your product