The Checklist I Use to Publish a Live Squarespace Website

Sep 22

You know that moment when your website design is finally done and you're ready to show it to the world?

It's exciting! It's nerve-wracking! And if you're anything like most of my clients, you're probably thinking: "Right, so I just... make it live now?"

Well, not quite.

There's actually a whole checklist of things that need to happen before your beautiful new website can make its grand debut. And trust me, missing even one of these steps can be the difference between a smooth launch and a "why is nothing working?!" panic.

I've launched hundreds of websites over the years, and I've learned (sometimes the hard way) that the magic is in the details. The boring, technical, absolutely-essential details that make sure your website actually works when people visit it.

So here's the exact checklist I use for every single launch:

The "Please Don't Skip These" Essentials:

First things first - that little favicon. You know, the tiny icon that appears in your browser tab? Squarespace defaults to a black box, and honestly, it just screams "I didn't finish setting up my website." Quick fix, massive difference.

Then we check every single page URL and title. Sounds boring, but when someone searches for you on Google, these are the first things they'll see. We want them short, snappy, and actually related to what's on the page.

The SEO Bits (That Actually Matter):

Squarespace has this brilliant AI tool that'll generate SEO titles and descriptions for each page. I always use it, but here's the catch - double-check everything it suggests. Sometimes it gets a bit creative with American spelling (we're British, thank you very much), and occasionally it just gets things wrong.

Don't forget alt tags for your images either. Screen readers need them, and Google loves them.

The "60% of Your Visitors" Check:

Mobile styling check! Because roughly 60% of your website traffic will come from phones and tablets. If your website looks amazing on desktop but rubbish on mobile, you've just lost over half your potential clients before they've even read a word.

The Legal Bits (Yawn But Necessary):

Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. I know, I know - about as exciting as watching paint dry. But they're legal requirements, and there are actually some decent tools to make this painless.

For a free option that does the job, I recommend this one. If you want something more comprehensive that automatically updates when laws change, there are subscription services that handle it all for you. Set them up once and forget about them.

The "Does Everything Actually Work?" Test:

This is where I turn into a proper detective. Every button gets clicked. Every link gets tested. The contact form gets a test message sent through it (because there's nothing worse than losing enquiries to a broken contact form).

The Final Countdown:

Set up your Squarespace subscription (pro tip: there's almost always a 20% discount code floating around if you Google it).

Connect your domain - if you're getting it through Squarespace, do this after setting up your annual subscription as you'll get your first year free. If your domain's with a third-party provider like GoDaddy or 123 Reg, there are handy guides to connect it properly.

Switch from private to public view.

And then - this is crucial - check the mobile view again on an actual mobile device. Sometimes things shift slightly between the preview and the real thing.

The Best Bit:

Share your website everywhere! Social media, email signature, family WhatsApp groups - the lot. Not only does this drive traffic, but it also gives Google a lovely signal that your website is worth paying attention to.

Here's the thing about launch checklists...

They might seem like a faff when you're itching to get your website live, but they're what separate the professionals from the "oh no, why isn't this working?" crowd.

Every item on this list exists because I've seen what happens when it gets missed. The broken contact forms, the mobile disasters, the SEO opportunities lost forever.

Your website deserves a proper launch - not a "fingers crossed and hope for the best" approach.

If you're thinking "This sounds like a lot of work" - you're not wrong! But the good news is, when you work with me, this entire checklist gets handled for you.