Discover what things you should absolutely not forget before launching your Wix website with this handy launch checklist. Avoid any costly oopsies on launch day.
✅ Pre-Launch Essentials
Some things you just absolutely can’t forget before launching your Wix website project. Double-check these and then double-check them again.
🎯 Domain & Hosting Setup
- Connect your custom domain – Don’t launch with that free wix.com subdomain! Go to Settings > Domains and connect your purchased domain for professional credibility
- Verify domain connection – Actually type your domain into a browser and make sure it loads your site (not an error page)
- Set up domain forwarding – If you own multiple domains (like .com and .net versions), forward them all to your main domain in the Domains panel
- Check SSL certificate – Look for the padlock icon in your browser’s address bar; if it’s missing, your site isn’t secure and visitors will see warnings
📱 Mobile Responsiveness
- Test on actual mobile devices – Don’t just rely on Wix’s mobile editor preview; grab your phone and your friend’s phone to test different screen sizes
- Check mobile menu functionality – Tap that hamburger menu icon multiple times to ensure it opens smoothly and doesn’t overlap content
- Verify touch targets – All buttons, links, and clickable elements should be at least 44×44 pixels for easy finger tapping
- Test horizontal scrolling – Swipe left and right on mobile; nothing should break your layout or cause awkward sideways scrolling
🎨 Design & Content Polish
- Replace ALL placeholder text – Hunt down every “Lorem ipsum” (with ctrl+f) and generic text block, including footer copyright notices and hidden page sections
- Upload high-quality images – Use Wix’s built-in image editor to compress files while maintaining visual quality (aim for under 1MB per image)
- Add alt text to images – In the image settings, write descriptive alt text for accessibility and SEO (example: “Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting”)
- Check image loading speed – Large image files slow down your site; use Wix’s optimization tools or compress images before uploading
- Ensure consistent fonts – Stick to 2-3 font families maximum throughout your site; check that headings and body text complement each other
- Test all animations – Click through every hover effect, scroll animation, and transition to ensure they enhance user experience rather than distract
🔧 Wix-Specific Must-Dos
Wix also offers some built-in website features that are highly recommended before launching your project. You might survive skipping a few of these but why risk it when you have this handy checklist.
🏷️ SEO Settings (The Wix Way)
- Set up SEO titles and descriptions – Use Wix SEO Wiz to create unique, compelling titles and meta descriptions for every page (aim for 50-60 characters for titles, 150-160 for descriptions)
- Add your site to Google Search Console – Go to Marketing > SEO Tools and connect directly through Wix’s built-in Google integration for easier management
- Enable Wix SEO Assistant – This AI-powered tool gives personalized recommendations; actually follow through on the suggestions, don’t just enable it
- Set up 301 redirects – If you’re migrating from another site, create redirects in Marketing > SEO Tools > URL Redirect Manager to give yourself the best chance of preserving backlink juice and SEO rankings
- Add structured data – Use Wix’s automatic markup for businesses, events, and products, or add custom schema in the SEO settings
📊 Analytics & Tracking
- Connect Google Analytics through Wix Analytics
- Set up Facebook Pixel if you’re running (retargeting) ads
- Enable Wix Analytics for built-in insights
- Add conversion tracking for forms and purchases
🛡️ Site Settings & Security
- Review privacy policy – especially important for EU visitors (GDPR)
- Set up cookie consent if required in your region
- Enable HTTPS redirect in domain settings
- Configure backup settings – Wix does this automatically, but verify
📞 Functionality Testing
Check this section for website-specific things to check before launching your project on Wix.
📝 Forms & Contact Methods
- Test all contact forms – submit a test message to yourself
- Check email notifications – make sure form submissions reach you
- Verify autoresponders work correctly
- Test phone number links on mobile devices
- Check social media links actually go to your profiles
🛒 E-commerce (If Applicable)
- Test the entire purchase process from cart to confirmation
- Verify payment methods are working properly
- Check shipping calculations and zones
- Test email confirmations for orders
- Ensure inventory tracking is accurate
🎵 Media & Interactive Elements
- Test all videos – make sure they play and aren’t too large
- Check audio files and background music volume
- Verify lightbox galleries open and close correctly
- Test any embedded content (maps, social feeds, etc.)
🔍 Cross-Browser & Speed Testing
These Wix website launch checklist points are somewhat less essential but they will still often have an impact on your business results and visitor experience.
🌐 Browser Compatibility
- Test in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge at minimum
- Check older browser versions if your audience uses them
- Verify on different operating systems (Windows, Mac, mobile)
⚡ Performance Optimization
- Run Google PageSpeed Insights – aim for 90+ on mobile
- Use Wix Turbo if available for your plan
- Optimize images through Wix’s built-in tools
- Enable browser caching in Wix settings
- Minimize apps and widgets – only keep what you actually need
🎯 Content & Legal Checks
I call them the boring pages but the negative results of not having them are not-so-boring. Make sure these checkpoints are ready on your Wix website.
📄 Essential Pages
- About page tells your story compellingly
- Contact page has all necessary info and working forms
- Privacy policy is current and comprehensive
- Terms of service (especially for e-commerce)
- 404 error page is customized and helpful
🔗 Link Maintenance
- Check all internal links work correctly
- Verify external links open in new tabs and go to right places
- Test navigation menu on all pages
- Ensure footer links are functional
🚀 Final Launch Steps
When you check off all the to-do’s above, you can start thinking about going live and getting into your post-launch routine. Here are a few ideas on how to do both.
📢 Going Live
- Remove “Coming Soon” or password protection from site settings
- Submit sitemap to Google Search Console
- Announce on social media with proper hashtags
- Email your list about the new site
- Update business listings with new website URL
📈 Post-Launch Monitoring
- Set up Google Alerts for your brand/website
- Schedule regular backups (Wix does this, but double-check)
- Monitor site speed weekly for the first month
- Check analytics setup is tracking correctly
- Review and respond to any user feedback quickly
🎉 Bonus Wix Pro Tips
- Explore the Wix App Market and especially this Wix app developer (😉) for additional functionality
- Set up Wix Bookings if you offer services
- Use Wix Stores advanced features if selling products
Pin this checklist and share it with fellow Wix website builders! 📌
