Priority Key:
Critical
High
Medium
90+ items · 8 categoriesLaunch Timeline
4-Week Launch Countdown
Use this timeline to sequence your checklist items. Work backwards from your target launch date.
T-4 Weeks
Infrastructure & Legal
▸Set up production environment
▸Configure monitoring & backups
▸Draft privacy policy & ToS
▸Set up Stripe billing
T-2 Weeks
Product & Security
▸Complete onboarding flow
▸Security audit & fixes
▸Mobile testing across devices
▸Set up error tracking
T-1 Week
Marketing & Analytics
▸Finalise landing page copy
▸Install analytics & tracking
▸Write welcome email sequence
▸Prepare launch post content
Launch Day
Go Live
▸Switch DNS to production
▸Post on Product Hunt / HN
▸Monitor error tracking closely
▸Respond to every early user
⚙️
01Category
Product Readiness
Your core product must work reliably before launch. These are the non-negotiables that determine whether users stay or leave immediately.
12Items
Core features work end-to-end without errors in production environmentCritical
User registration, login, and password reset flow tested thoroughlyCritical
Onboarding flow guides new users to their first value momentCritical
Email verification is enabled and workingCritical
User dashboard loads correctly and displays accurate dataHigh
Settings and profile pages are complete and functionalHigh
Empty states are designed — new users see helpful prompts, not blank screensHigh
Mobile responsiveness tested on iOS Safari and Android ChromeHigh
Loading states and skeletons prevent layout shifts during data fetchingMedium
Error messages are clear and user-friendly — no raw technical errors shownMedium
User data persists correctly between sessionsMedium
Account deletion flow is in place (required for GDPR)Medium
4 critical · 4 high · 4 medium
🔧
02Category
Technical Infrastructure
A live SaaS product needs production-grade infrastructure. These steps prevent outages, data loss, and performance issues from day one.
14Items
Production environment is separate from development — no shared databasesCritical
SSL certificate installed and HTTPS enforced on all routesCritical
Database backups configured — automatic daily backups with retention policyCritical
Error monitoring set up (Sentry or similar) — you get alerted on crashesCritical
Uptime monitoring configured — you are notified when the app goes downCritical
Environment variables are secured — no secrets in version controlHigh
Rate limiting implemented on auth endpoints to prevent brute forceHigh
CDN configured for static assets and imagesHigh
Custom domain connected and DNS propagated correctlyHigh
Email delivery service configured (Resend, SendGrid, or Postmark)High
Database connection pooling configured for production loadMedium
Logs are being collected and stored for debuggingMedium
Core Web Vitals score above 85 on LighthouseMedium
Database indexes on frequently queried columnsMedium
5 critical · 5 high · 4 medium
💳
03Category
Billing & Payments
Billing errors cost you real money and real users. Every payment flow must be tested in production before you accept real customers.
12Items
Stripe (or payment provider) integration tested with real test cardsCritical
Subscription plans are correctly configured with accurate pricingCritical
Stripe webhook endpoint is live and handling all critical eventsCritical
Failed payment handling is implemented — users are notified and given grace periodCritical
Subscription cancellation flow works and properly downgrade user accessCritical
Trial period correctly converts to paid after expiryHigh
Upgrade and downgrade between plans updates user access immediatelyHigh
Invoices and receipts are automatically sent after each paymentHigh
Proration calculated correctly when users change plans mid-cycleHigh
Refund process is defined and accessible to your teamHigh
Tax collection configured if required in your target marketsMedium
Currency and localisation handled correctly for international customersMedium
5 critical · 5 high · 2 medium
⚖️
04Category
Legal & Compliance
Legal compliance is not optional. Missing these items exposes you to liability from your very first user.
10Items
Privacy Policy is published and linked in footer and signup flowCritical
Terms of Service is published and users must accept at signupCritical
Cookie consent banner implemented if you use tracking cookies (GDPR)Critical
GDPR data subject rights are implemented — users can export and delete their dataHigh
Data processing agreement (DPA) available for EU business customersHigh
Third-party services used are listed in your privacy policyHigh
Refund policy is clearly stated in Terms of ServiceHigh
Age restriction notice if your product is not suitable for under-18sMedium
CCPA compliance if you serve California residents (data sale opt-out)Medium
Acceptable use policy defined — what users cannot use your platform forMedium
3 critical · 4 high · 3 medium
📣
05Category
Marketing & Positioning
Your landing page and messaging determine whether visitors become trial users. Get these right before driving any traffic.
12Items
Landing page clearly explains what the product does in one sentenceCritical
Value proposition is focused on outcome for the user, not feature listCritical
Call-to-action is clear — one primary CTA above the foldCritical
Social proof is present — testimonials, logos, or usage numbersHigh
Pricing page is live with clear plan comparison and feature breakdownHigh
FAQ section on landing page addresses top objectionsHigh
OG image and meta description set for social sharingHigh
Welcome email sequence is written and automated for new signupsHigh
Blog or content hub exists with at least 2–3 pieces targeting your core keywordsMedium
Social profiles created on channels where your audience existsMedium
Product Hunt, Hacker News, or community launch post draftedMedium
Affiliate or referral program configured if part of growth strategyMedium
3 critical · 5 high · 4 medium
📊
06Category
Analytics & Feedback
You cannot improve what you cannot measure. Set up analytics before launch so your first day of data is captured from the very first user.
9Items
Analytics platform installed (Posthog, Mixpanel, or GA4)Critical
Key events tracked: signup, activation, first action, upgrade, churnCritical
Funnel analysis configured to identify drop-off points in onboardingHigh
Session recording enabled (Posthog or Hotjar) for first 30 daysHigh
Revenue analytics connected — MRR, churn, LTV tracked automaticallyHigh
In-app feedback widget installed for qualitative user inputHigh
NPS survey scheduled to trigger at day 7 or day 14 for active usersMedium
Churn survey triggers when user cancels subscriptionMedium
Weekly email digest of key metrics set up for your teamMedium
2 critical · 4 high · 3 medium
💬
07Category
Customer Support
Your first users will have questions and encounter bugs. Have a support system in place before launch so no user request goes unanswered.
7Items
Support email address is set up and monitored (support@yourdomain.com)Critical
In-app chat or support widget installed (Intercom, Crisp, or Tawk.to)High
Help documentation or FAQ page exists for common questionsHigh
Bug report process is defined — users know how to report issuesHigh
Status page set up to communicate outages and incidentsMedium
SLA or response time commitment is publishedMedium
Canned responses prepared for the 10 most likely support questionsMedium
1 critical · 3 high · 3 medium
🔒
08Category
Security Essentials
Security failures destroy trust instantly. These are the baseline security measures every SaaS product must have before going live.
10Items
Passwords hashed with bcrypt or argon2 — never stored in plain textCritical
SQL injection prevention — all user inputs parameterised or ORM-handledCritical
XSS prevention — all user-generated content sanitised before renderingCritical
Authentication tokens have appropriate expiry and are invalidated on logoutCritical
Row-level security enforced at database level for multi-tenant dataHigh
File upload validation — type, size, and content checked before storingHigh
Admin panel protected — not accessible via standard user credentialsHigh
Dependency audit run — no known critical vulnerabilities in package.jsonHigh
Two-factor authentication available for user accountsMedium
Security headers configured (Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options)Medium
4 critical · 4 high · 2 medium
Post-Launch
First 30 Days After Launch
The work does not stop on launch day. Your first 30 days are the most important period for learning and iteration.
Built by 4Byte
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This checklist was built from our experience shipping 45+ SaaS products, web apps, and AI systems. We know exactly what gets missed before launch — because we have seen what happens when it is.
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Full-stack SaaS development — Next.js, Supabase, Stripe
Authentication, billing, multi-tenancy set up from day one
28-day MVP delivery — production-ready, not a prototype
Everything on this checklist handled before we hand over
45+
SaaS Products Shipped
All launch-ready on day one
28 days
MVP Delivery
Kickoff to production
100%
Launch Checklist Covered
Every item, every time
≤ 4hrs
Response Time
On all new enquiries
FAQ