Why the final check ofa relaunch can onlyhappen at go-live

In short

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

How our go-live check works

1. Switch over at a quiet time, not right before a promotion.
2. A test order right afterwards all the way to the confirmation email.
3. Spot checks of the most important old URLs to see if they redirect correctly.
4. Click through every app once that exchanges data with other systems.
5. 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.