Website Launch Engineering Blog
In-depth technical guides, pre-launch sign-off checklists, and security practices for modern freelancers and web agencies.
The Exhaustive Pre-Launch Checklist for Freelancers & Web Agencies (2026 Edition)
An actionable, step-by-step pre-launch audit protocol covering dead links, Open Graph cards, HSTS headers, and placeholder text removal before client handoff.
How a Single 404 Destroys Client Trust (and How to Catch It Before Launch)
A deep dive into why dead internal links ruin client relationships right after launch, how Google treats 404s, and why manual testing always misses them.
SSL & Security Headers 101: Moving Beyond Just HTTPS on Client Websites
Why having a free SSL certificate is no longer enough in 2026. How HSTS, X-Frame-Options, and CSP protect your agency's client sites from browser warnings.
How to Find Broken Links on a Website (and Fix Them Before a Client Does)
Four practical ways to find broken links: Search Console, a free online checker, a manual spot check and a full crawl. Plus how to fix each kind properly.
robots.txt Mistakes That Quietly Block Google (and How to Check Yours)
A leftover Disallow rule can keep a whole new site out of Google. Learn the most common robots.txt mistakes, how to test yours, and how to fix them safely.
Canonical Tag Mistakes: What They Are, How to Spot Them and How to Fix Them
A wrong canonical tag can make Google ignore the page you care about. Here are the common canonical mistakes on new sites and a simple way to check every page.
Site Not Showing on Google? Check for a Leftover noindex Tag First
The most common reason a freshly launched site never appears on Google is a noindex setting left over from staging. How to find it in WordPress, Webflow and Shopify, and what to do next.
Title Tag Best Practices: Length, Keywords and Mistakes to Avoid
How long should a title tag be, where should the keyword go, and why does Google sometimes rewrite it? A practical guide with examples for freelancers and agencies.
Website Handoff Checklist for Freelancers: What to Give a Client on Launch Day
A clear handoff avoids angry emails a month later. This checklist covers access, ownership, documentation, backups, a final audit and a sign-off for any client website.
Pre-Launch SEO Checklist: 12 Mistakes to Catch Before a Site Goes Live
The launch-day SEO mistakes that quietly keep new sites out of Google: leftover noindex tags, staging robots rules, missing redirects, wrong canonicals and more.
Meta Description Length: What Actually Matters (and What Is a Myth)
There is no official meta description limit. Here is how Google really treats descriptions, how long to aim for, and how to write ones people click.
How to Check a Website's Security Headers for Free (3 Ways)
Three free ways to see which security headers a site sends: your browser's developer tools, one curl command, and a free online checker. Plus what each header means.
WordPress Pre-Launch Checklist: 20 Checks Before You Hand Over the Site
A practical WordPress launch checklist for freelancers: search visibility setting, demo content, permalinks, forms, backups, security basics and a final audit.
Shopify Store Launch Checklist: Technical Checks Before You Go Live
The technical checks to run before a Shopify store opens: storefront password, domains and redirects, test orders, policies, product SEO and link checks.
Webflow Client Handoff Checklist: What to Check Before You Transfer the Project
Before you hand a Webflow project to a client, check indexing settings, redirects, forms, hosting and ownership, and give them a short editing guide.
How to Present a Website Audit Report to a Client (Without Overwhelming Them)
How freelancers and agencies can turn an audit into a clear client conversation: lead with a verdict, show the top fixes, explain in plain language and agree next steps.