SaaS Launch Checklist
Before going live, a SaaS product needs to pass 60+ checks across 8 categories: product readiness, security, infrastructure, billing, analytics, monitoring, legal, and go-to-market. The five most commonly missed items are Stripe left in test mode, webhook URL pointing at localhost, empty states not designed, Sentry not configured for production, and no analytics event on the activation action.
This is the exact checklist 4Byte Agency runs before every SaaS product goes live at the end of the 28-day build.
▸ Launch Timeline
What to do at each milestone before and after launch
Launch is not a single moment — it's a four-milestone sequence. Each milestone has a defined focus and concrete actions. Missing any one creates avoidable chaos.
Week Before Launch
T-7 Days- Complete all 8 checklist categories — no open Critical items
- Run full end-to-end test of all core user flows
- Switch Stripe to live mode and test with a real card
- Configure all production environment variables
- Set up uptime monitoring and error tracking for production URL
48 Hours Before
T-48 Hours- Deploy to production and verify production domain is live
- Run smoke tests on production — signup, login, core feature, checkout
- Verify all transactional emails fire correctly in production
- Confirm Stripe webhook endpoint is pointed at production URL
- Brief the support contact (Slack, email, or intercom) so it's ready to respond
Launch Day
T-0- Publish to the first cohort (beta list or public — based on launch strategy)
- Monitor Sentry error dashboard for the first 2 hours
- Watch Posthog funnel: signup → onboarding → core action → paid
- Be available to respond to support messages within 30 minutes
- Celebrate — then watch the data, not just the numbers
First Week Post-Launch
T+7 Days- Review activation funnel — where are users dropping off?
- Fix any bugs surfaced by real user behaviour
- Conduct 3–5 user interviews with early adopters
- Review Day 1 retention — are users returning the day after signup?
- Plan the first post-launch sprint based on data, not gut feeling
▸ Full Launch Checklist
60+ items across eight categories — every one before you go live
Items marked Critical must be complete before the first user signs up. All other items should be completed within the first week post-launch at the latest.
Product Readiness
Security
Infrastructure
Billing
Analytics & Tracking
Monitoring & Alerting
Legal & Compliance
Go-to-Market
▸ Most Commonly Missed
Six items most often missed — and how to verify each one
These six items appear consistently in post-launch incident reports. Each one includes an exact verification step so you can confirm it's done — not just assume it.
Stripe test mode left on in production
Very commonConsequence If Missed
Payment attempts silently fail or complete without real charges. Real users see checkout errors. Revenue is lost.
How To Verify
Go to Stripe Dashboard → top-left toggle shows 'Test mode' or 'Live mode'. Production must show 'Live mode'.
Stripe webhook still pointing at localhost or staging URL
Very commonConsequence If Missed
Production subscription events (payment success, failures, cancellations) never reach your handler. Subscription state becomes permanently stale.
How To Verify
Stripe Dashboard → Developers → Webhooks → verify endpoint URL matches your production domain.
Empty states not designed — new users see blank screens
CommonConsequence If Missed
New users land on the dashboard and see nothing. No guidance, no CTA. They close the tab and don't return.
How To Verify
Sign up with a fresh account and navigate every main route. Any blank screen is a missing empty state.
Sentry not configured for production (only development)
CommonConsequence If Missed
Production errors are invisible. The first signal of a bug is an angry support email or a drop in activation rate — not an alert.
How To Verify
Trigger a deliberate error in production (visit /test-error) and verify it appears in Sentry within 30 seconds.
Password reset emails going to spam or not firing in production
CommonConsequence If Missed
Users who forget their password cannot recover access. They churn permanently — a recoverable situation becomes an unrecoverable one.
How To Verify
Trigger a password reset in production and check delivery to a Gmail and Outlook inbox. Check spam folders.
No analytics event on the activation action
CommonConsequence If Missed
Without tracking the first meaningful user action, you have no data on activation rate — the most important early metric. You cannot improve what you cannot measure.
How To Verify
Complete the core activation action in production and verify the event fires in Posthog Live Events view.
▸ Launch Strategy
Soft launch vs hard launch — which one is right for your SaaS
The launch strategy choice determines how much risk you take on launch day and how much data you'll have before broad exposure. Here's the honest comparison.
Soft Launch (Recommended)
RecommendedRelease to a small, controlled cohort — your waitlist, beta users, or a community you're already part of. Get structured feedback before wide public release.
Advantages
- Bugs affect a small audience
- Real feedback before public exposure
- Lower pressure to be perfect
- Validates activation before scaling acquisition
- Build social proof (testimonials, case studies) first
Trade-offs
- Slower initial growth
- Requires a pre-existing audience or community
Best For
First-time SaaS founders, complex products, anything B2B
Hard Launch (Public from Day One)
High RiskAnnounce publicly from the first day — Product Hunt, Twitter, LinkedIn, community posts. Maximum initial visibility.
Advantages
- Maximum exposure from launch day
- Product Hunt can drive significant traffic
- Social proof builds faster with volume
Trade-offs
- Bugs affect everyone immediately
- No validation before scale
- High pressure to have a polished product from day one
- Wasted acquisition if activation is low
Best For
Consumer products, products with a proven waitlist of 1,000+ engaged signups, founders with large existing audiences
▸ Post-Launch Week
The first week after launch — what to focus on each day
The first week is the most information-dense week in the product's life. What you do with that information determines whether the product compounds or stalls.
Day 1
Watch and Fix- Monitor Sentry for error bursts
- Watch signup funnel in Posthog real-time
- Respond to all support messages within 30 minutes
- Fix any P0 bugs immediately — same day
Day 2–3
Support & Stabilise- Review activation rate (signups vs core action completions)
- Fix any UI/UX issues surfaced by real user sessions
- Respond to every user message personally — founder-led support
- Note every question asked — each is a gap in onboarding or copy
Day 4–5
Learn & Validate- Conduct 3–5 user interviews with early adopters
- Review session recordings in Posthog for friction points
- Check Day 1 retention: what % returned the day after signup?
- Identify the top 3 points where users drop out of onboarding
Day 7
Plan Sprint 1- Review all data: activation rate, D1 retention, support themes
- Prioritise fixes and improvements by user impact, not gut feel
- Plan and scope the first post-launch sprint — 2-week iteration cycle
- Set targets for Sprint 1: specific activation and retention improvement goals
▸ FAQ
Frequently asked questions about SaaS launch preparation
What should be on a SaaS launch checklist?+
A complete SaaS launch checklist covers eight categories: product readiness (core features, empty states, onboarding), security (auth, RLS, API validation), infrastructure (domain, SSL, CDN), billing (Stripe live mode, webhooks), analytics (error tracking, product analytics), legal (privacy policy, terms), monitoring (Sentry, uptime), and go-to-market (landing page, pricing, support).
How long before launch should you run a pre-launch checklist?+
Run the pre-launch checklist at least one week before your planned launch date. This gives time to fix critical issues. Items like switching Stripe to live mode and configuring production environment variables should be done 48 hours before launch in a controlled environment.
What is the most commonly missed item in a SaaS launch checklist?+
The most commonly missed items are: Stripe left in test mode in production, Stripe webhook still pointing at localhost, empty states not designed so new users see blank screens, Sentry not configured for production, and no analytics event on the activation action.
Should you do a soft launch or hard launch for a SaaS product?+
A soft launch to a small cohort of invited users is almost always better for an MVP. Soft launches reveal real-world bugs before they affect a large audience, let you validate the activation rate before scaling acquisition, and allow you to gather structured feedback before full public release.
What analytics should be set up before a SaaS launch?+
Before launch, set up: Sentry for error monitoring, uptime monitoring with alerts, Posthog for product analytics tracking the signup → activation funnel, and custom events for your core activation event. Set up before launch so data is captured from the first user.
How does 4Byte Agency prepare a SaaS product for launch?+
4Byte Agency runs a structured pre-launch checklist across all 8 categories in the final days of every 28-day build: product readiness review, security audit, infrastructure verification, Stripe live-mode switch, analytics configuration, legal document review, monitoring setup, and go-to-market preparation. Launch day is planned and controlled — not a surprise.
▸ Related Resources
Complete your SaaS launch preparation
▸ Ready to ship?
Want your SaaS product launched in 28 days with every box ticked?
4Byte Agency runs this exact checklist at the end of every 28-day SaaS build. Every critical item across all 8 categories is verified before a single user signs up. Let's build and launch your product together.