Why a production launch checklist
Putting an e-commerce site live without a checklist is a guaranteed launch-day incident: a failing payment, an unindexed product page, a form that sends no email. This checklist covers six domains. Every line is binary: done or not done. No launch until every mandatory line is checked.
We apply it on every production launch. Done seriously, it takes about half a day.
1. Performance
A slow site loses sales. In the Senegalese market, many visits happen on 3G or unstable 4G. Target these thresholds on mobile.
| Control | Target threshold | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile LCP | under 2.5 s | to verify |
| INP | under 200 ms | to verify |
| CLS | under 0.1 | to verify |
| Images in WebP or AVIF | 100 percent | to verify |
| Lazy loading off-viewport | active | to verify |
| Product page weight | under 1.5 MB | to verify |
Real 3G test
Do not test on fiber only. Run an audit with 3G throttling: if the product page takes more than 5 seconds to become interactive, optimize before launch.
2. Technical SEO
A non-indexable shop generates no organic traffic. Verify indexability before, not after.
| Control | Expected | Status |
|---|---|---|
| sitemap.xml present and submitted | yes | to verify |
| robots.txt does not block indexing | yes | to verify |
| Unique title tags per page | yes | to verify |
| Meta description on key pages | yes | to verify |
| Correct canonical tags | yes | to verify |
| Product structured data (JSON-LD) | present | to verify |
| Clean, readable URLs | yes | to verify |
3. Payment
The checkout funnel is the most critical point. An error here costs revenue directly.
| Control | Expected | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Payment tested in real conditions | success | to verify |
| Confirmation webhook operational | yes | to verify |
| Failure case handled cleanly | yes | to verify |
| Cancellation case handled | yes | to verify |
| Confirmation email sent | yes | to verify |
| Idempotency on orders | yes | to verify |
| Prod keys, not sandbox | yes | to verify |
Full journey test
Place a real order in production with a small amount. Verify the order moves to the paid status, the email arrives and stock decrements.
4. Security
| Control | Expected | Status |
|---|---|---|
| HTTPS forced across the whole site | yes | to verify |
| Security headers (HSTS, CSP) | configured | to verify |
| Secrets out of versioned code | yes | to verify |
| Rate limiting on forms and API | active | to verify |
| Server-side input validation | yes | to verify |
| Automatic database backups | active | to verify |
5. Legal and compliance
In Senegal, legal notices and personal data compliance are not optional.
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| Control | Expected | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Legal notices accessible | yes | to verify |
| Terms and conditions of sale | published | to verify |
| Privacy policy | published | to verify |
| Cookie consent banner | if tracking | to verify |
| Contact details visible | yes | to verify |
6. Analytics and tracking
Without measurement, optimization is impossible. Verify tracking before the first real visitor.
| Control | Expected | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Analytics tool installed | yes | to verify |
| Purchase event firing | tested | to verify |
| Traffic source tracking | active | to verify |
| Search console connected | yes | to verify |
| Server error alerts | configured | to verify |
Real launch example
For a fashion shop launched in May 2026: performance audit with LCP at 2.1 s on mobile 4G, sitemap submitted to the search console, Orange Money payment tested with a real 1,000 FCFA order refunded, legal notices and terms online, and purchase tracking validated via a test event. All six domains were checked before opening. Zero payment incidents in the first week, 47 orders processed without error.
Numeric thresholds recap
| Indicator | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Mobile LCP | under 2.5 s |
| INP | under 200 ms |
| CLS | under 0.1 |
| Product page weight | under 1.5 MB |
| Time to interactive 3G | under 5 s |
FAQ
How long does this checklist take?
About half a day to go through seriously. That is negligible against the cost of a payment incident on launch day.
Which lines are truly blocking?
The entire payment and security block, plus HTTPS and the legal notices. Without those lines checked, do not launch.
Should I test payment in production or sandbox?
Both. Sandbox during development, then at least one real small-amount transaction in production before public opening.
Can SEO wait until after launch?
Not for indexability: sitemap, robots and title tags must be correct at launch. Content optimization can be spread out afterwards.
How do I verify confirmation emails are sent?
Place a test order and check delivery, including spam. Also verify the SPF and DKIM configuration of the sending domain.
Let's talk about your project. Kolonell ships fast, secure and compliant e-commerce sites in Senegal. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
