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WordPress launch checklist

WordPress site going live?

Plugins, themes, and wp-admin defaults create a unique risk profile — exposed xmlrpc, missing security headers from shared hosting, duplicate meta from SEO plugins, and slow LCP from unoptimized media.

Launch benchmark · WordPress

Based on 2 audits, 100% of WordPress launches miss title tag too short (under 30 characters).

83/100 avg score · 0% score below 80

Anonymized aggregate from completed clearance scans — no customer data.

Security & headers

Production deploys need baseline HTTP hardening before you share the URL.

  • Confirm HSTS is enabled — many WordPress hosts omit it unless you configure at CDN level.

    Audit check SEC-001 · security

  • Block or rate-limit xmlrpc.php if you don't need remote publishing.

    Audit check SEC-015 · security

  • Verify wp-config.php and .env backups are not web-accessible.

    Audit check SEC-010 · security

  • Check TLS certificate validity and chain — shared hosting renewals fail silently.

    Audit check DNS-001 · dns ssl

SEO & discoverability

Metadata, crawlability, and structured data that search and AI systems rely on.

  • Resolve duplicate title tags from Yoast/RankMath on archive and tag pages.

    Audit check SEO-002 · seo

  • Ensure sitemap.xml is reachable and not blocked by a security plugin.

    Audit check SEO-010 · seo

  • Set canonical URLs on paginated blog and product listing pages.

    Audit check SEO-011 · seo

Performance

Core Web Vitals and load behavior under real traffic — not just localhost.

  • Optimize hero and featured images — WordPress uploads often ship uncompressed.

    Audit check PERF-001 · performance

Trust & legal

Policy pages, contact signals, and checkout trust before paid or viral traffic.

  • Privacy Policy and Terms pages must be linked in footer and return 200 — not draft status.

    Audit check TRUST-001 · trust

  • Contact page or support email visible for commerce and lead-gen sites.

    Audit check TRUST-003 · trust

FAQ

WordPress launch questions

Does Launch Auditor work on WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress?

Yes. Scan your public site URL. Launch Auditor checks headers, pages, performance, and trust signals regardless of hosting — it does not require wp-admin access.

Audit your WordPress site

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