The launch checklist: everything to set up after AI writes the code
Your app works on localhost. This is the list of what to set up before real people sign up, in the order I'd do it.
Check your inbox
I've sent you an email with a confirmation link. Click it, and the launch checklist is on its way.
- 01 · NowClick the link in the confirmation email.
- 02 · Right afterThe launch checklist arrives.
- 03 · LaterAn email per new video, once a week or less.
Nothing after a couple of minutes? Check Spam and the Promotions tab. If it's there, move it to your inbox so the next emails land in the right place.
Typed the wrong address? . Nothing is sent until you confirm.
01 · Domain and DNS
Bought where the renewal price is fair. Check the renewal price, not the first-year one.
Auto-renew is on and the card on file is valid. An expired domain takes your site and your email with it.
The full list goes to your inbox
What's inside
Eight things to check before launch
- 01
Domain and DNS
Renewal price, auto-renew, where DNS lives, apex and www, HTTPS everywhere.
- 02
Keys and secrets
What stays on the server, what may reach the browser, how to rotate a leaked key.
- 03
Who can read your database
Access rules, so one user can never read or change another user's data.
- 04
Production setup
Production kept apart from dev: its own database, keys and environment variables.
- 05
Email that lands
SPF, DKIM and DMARC, so signup and password emails skip the spam folder.
- 06
Signup and abuse
Email confirmation, a captcha on public forms, rate limits on login and on anything that costs you money.
- 07
When something breaks
Error alerts, uptime checks, and backups you have actually restored once.
- 08
Costs and privacy
Billing alerts on every paid service, free tiers that pause, a privacy page, cookies only if you use them.
Launch with a list, not a guess.
Check your inbox
I've sent you an email with a confirmation link. Click it, and the launch checklist is on its way.
- 01 · NowClick the link in the confirmation email.
- 02 · Right afterThe launch checklist arrives.
- 03 · LaterAn email per new video, once a week or less.
Nothing after a couple of minutes? Check Spam and the Promotions tab. If it's there, move it to your inbox so the next emails land in the right place.
Typed the wrong address? . Nothing is sent until you confirm.