> A launch checklist for a new website: indexing, titles, redirects, the sitemap, Search Console, Analytics and speed, plus what to watch in the first week. - Canonical: https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/website-launch-checklist/ --- # A website launch checklist for search A new website can look finished and still be invisible to search engines. The checks below catch the faults that most often keep a new site out of results: blocked indexing, missing titles, broken redirects and tracking that was never switched on. Updated 6 October 2026 ## Before the switch ### Indexing is allowed Test sites are hidden from search engines on purpose, and the setting is easily carried into the launch. View the source of the home page and search for the word `noindex`. Then open `/robots.txt` and check that no line reads `Disallow: /` beneath `User-agent: *`. Either one keeps the whole site out of search. ### Every page has its own title and description Titles and descriptions are what a searcher reads in the results. Each page needs its own, written for that page. A site where every page carries the home page’s title gives search engines one answer for every question. ### One address for each page A site should answer at one form of its address. Type in the version beginning `http://` and the version with or without `www`, whichever you did not choose. Each should redirect in a single step to the secure address you did choose. ### Old addresses redirect A site that replaces an older one needs a permanent redirect from each old address to its replacement. The full method is in [how to redesign a website without losing rankings](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/redesign-a-website-without-losing-rankings/). ## On launch day Launch day has six checks, and each one takes minutes. - Verify the site in Google Search Console and submit the sitemap. - Confirm that Google Analytics is recording, by visiting the site and watching the Realtime report. - Send a test enquiry through every form, and tap every phone number on a phone. - Visit an address that does not exist. A proper “not found” page should appear. - Run the main page types through PageSpeed Insights. Our guide to [checking your website speed](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/how-to-check-your-website-speed/) explains the results. - Share a link to the site in a messaging app, and check the image and title that appear with it. ## In the first week The first week shows whether Google can read what was launched. - Read Search Console’s Pages report for errors and for pages marked as excluded. - Search Google for `site:` followed by your domain, and watch the pages arrive. - Open the Performance report and note the first searches the site appears for. They are the start of the record every later change is judged against. ## Questions people ask ### How long does a new website take to appear on Google? A new site with a submitted sitemap is usually visited by Google within days, and its pages appear over the following days and weeks. Requesting indexing for the main pages in Search Console's URL Inspection tool can bring the first visit forward. ### Do I need to submit my site to Google? Google finds most sites by following links, and a new site may have none. Verifying the site in Search Console and submitting its sitemap tells Google the site exists and lists its pages. ### What is a sitemap? A sitemap is a file, usually at /sitemap.xml, that lists the pages a site wants search engines to index. It does not improve where a page is placed. It makes sure the page is found. ## Free competitor gap report A launch is the best moment to record where you stand. Name up to three competitors and we measure your new site against theirs, then send you where it already leads and where it starts behind. 1. Speed and technical health, side by side 2. On-page SEO and site structure 3. The content they are found for and you are not 4. Who holds the searches that matter in your market 5. A prioritised list of what to fix first [Request your free report by email](mailto:contact@hadalmedusa.com?subject=Competitor%20gap%20report%3A%20Guide%3A%20A%20website%20launch%20checklist%20for%20search&body=Website%3A%0D%0A%0D%0AWhere%20you%20compete%20(area%2C%20country%20or%20countries)%3A%0D%0A%0D%0ACompetitors%20to%20compare%20against%20(up%20to%20three)%3A%0D%0A%0D%0AAnything%20else%20we%20should%20know%3A%0D%0A%0D%0A) - **Address** — contact@hadalmedusa.com - **Include** — your site; up to three competitors; where you compete ## More guides - [How to check your website speed, and what the numbers mean](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/how-to-check-your-website-speed/) - [How to choose a web design company](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/how-to-choose-a-web-design-company/) - [Why a competitor outranks you, and how to check](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/why-a-competitor-outranks-you/) - [All guides](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/) - [New websites: what the service includes](https://hadalmedusa.com/services/website-design/)