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Website launch

Before you publish: check the domain, hosting, and HTTPS

Meta tags, robots.txt, sitemaps, favicons, and manifests only work as intended when the production URL and hosting setup are ready too.

Updated: 2026-09-18

First decide where the site will actually live

If your current host already works, there is no reason to move only because a different service has more features. What matters before launch is that the production hostname, HTTPS, file paths, and rollback path are clear.

If you still need both a custom domain and hosting, compare the combined cost, renewal terms, DNS controls, SSL support, and how easy it is to move later.

Keep the production URL consistent

Canonical tags, hreflang, Open Graph URLs, robots rules, and sitemap entries should all point to the URLs you actually intend to publish. Mixing a temporary hostname and the final domain is a common source of duplicate or broken references.

Do a small launch check before announcing the site

Open the site over HTTPS, check a few real pages, verify robots.txt and sitemap URLs, then confirm that the old version or previous deployment can still be restored if necessary.

Related topics

Five things to check before launch

1. Production domainRequiredUse the same host in canonical, sitemap, sharing metadata, and internal links.
2. HTTPSRequiredConfirm the certificate is valid and HTTP redirects to HTTPS as intended.
3. DNSCheckMake sure A/AAAA/CNAME records point to the intended production service.
4. robots.txt and sitemapCheckRemove accidental staging blocks and make sure URLs use the production hostname.
5. RollbackPrepareKeep the previous deployment or backup available until the launch is stable.

If you still need a domain or hosting

Namecheap

Namecheap offers domains and hosting. Compare the initial price, renewal price, included SSL/DNS features, and migration requirements against your current setup before switching.

  • Do not move if the current host already meets your needs.
  • If you are starting from zero, compare domain + hosting as one launch cost.