Before every launch, we test thoroughly in preview: pages, templates, mobile, apps, translations. Still, some things can only be fully checked once the store is live. The real domain, apps with live connections, checkout with real payment methods, redirects from old URLs. That’s why a final end-to-end check is a fixed part of our go-live. It doesn’t replace the tests before it, it completes them.
The case
A preview is a very good approximation of the live store, but not an exact copy. Typical small things on switchover day: an app that has to be reconnected on the real domain, a link that still points to a test page, a translation that only kicks in on the live store. None of it is dramatic. But otherwise, a customer finds each one first.
What works in preview and what doesn’t
| Reliable in preview | Only fully checkable live |
|---|---|
| Layout on desktop and mobile | Behavior on the real domain |
| Templates, building blocks, copy | Apps with live connections |
| Navigation and internal links | Checkout with real payment methods |
| Product and collection pages | Redirects from old URLs |
| Translated content | Shipping and order emails in the real flow |
How our go-live check works
- Switch over at a quiet time, not right before a promotion.
- A test order right afterwards all the way to the confirmation email.
- Spot checks of the most important old URLs to see if they redirect correctly.
- Click through every app once that exchanges data with other systems.
- Briefly check every language version, especially checkout and emails.
Anything that turns up after that is cleanly separated: a bug in what was agreed is part of launch support. A new wish is a new job.
Your takeaways
- A screenshot isn’t a check. Tested means run through once from start to finish.
- Build the final check into the launch. Not as an emergency program, but as a fixed step.
- Don’t switch over right before a promotion. A quiet day leaves room to fix the small things.
- Separate bugs from wishes. That keeps launch support fast and fair for both sides.
Relaunch coming up? We support your go-live with a fixed check routine, so your customers don’t have to find the bugs.