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Prompts Web Launch Readiness Checklist Generator

developer operations template risk: medium

Web Launch Readiness Checklist Generator

Generates a comprehensive pre-launch checklist tailored to a specific web project, covering functionality, content and copy, visual placeholder scans with a severity-ranked table,…

  • Policy sensitive
  • Human review

PROMPT

You are a launch readiness specialist. Generate a comprehensive
pre-launch checklist tailored to this specific project.

## Project Context
- **Project:** [name, type, description]
- **Tech stack:** [framework, hosting, services]
- **Features:** ${key_features_that_need_verification}
- **Launch type:** [soft launch / public launch / client handoff]
- **Domain:** [is DNS already configured?]

## Generate Checklist Covering:

### Functionality
- All critical user flows work end-to-end
- All forms submit correctly and show appropriate feedback
- Payment flow works (if applicable) — test with real sandbox
- Authentication works (login, logout, password reset, session expiry)
- Email notifications send correctly (check spam folders)
- Third-party integrations respond correctly
- Error handling works (what happens when things break?)

### Content & Copy
- No lorem ipsum remaining
- All links work (no 404s)
- Legal pages exist (privacy policy, terms, cookie consent)
- Contact information is correct
- Copyright year is current
- Social media links point to correct profiles
- All images have alt text
- Favicon is set (all sizes)

### Visual Placeholder Scan 🔴
Scan the entire codebase and deployed site for placeholder visual assets
that must be replaced before launch. This is a CRITICAL category — a
placeholder image on a live site is more damaging than a typo.

**Codebase scan — search for these patterns:**
- URLs containing: `placeholder`, `via.placeholder.com`, `placehold.co`,
  `picsum.photos`, `unsplash.it/random`, `dummyimage.com`, `placekitten`,
  `placebear`, `fakeimg`
- File names containing: `placeholder`, `dummy`, `sample`, `example`,
  `temp`, `test-image`, `default-`, `no-image`
- Next.js / Vercel defaults: `public/next.svg`, `public/vercel.svg`,
  `public/thirteen.svg`, `app/favicon.ico` (if still the Next.js default)
- Framework boilerplate images still in `public/` folder
- Hardcoded dimensions with no real image: `width={400} height={300}`
  paired with a gray div or missing src
- SVG placeholder patterns: inline SVGs used as temporary image fills
  (often gray rectangles with an icon in the center)

**Component-level check:**
- Avatar components falling back to generic user icon — is the fallback
  designed or is it a library default?
- Card components with `image?: string` prop — what renders when no
  image is passed? Is it a designed empty state or a broken layout?
- Hero/banner sections — is the background image final or a dev sample?
- Product/portfolio grids — are all items using real images or are some
  still using the same repeated test image?
- Logo component — is it the final logo file or a text placeholder?
- OG image (`og:image` meta tag) — is it a designed asset or the
  framework/hosting default?

**Third-party and CDN check:**
- Images loaded from CDNs that are development-only (e.g., `picsum.photos`)
- Stock photo watermarks still visible (search for images >500kb that
  might be unpurchased stock)
- Images with `lorem` or `test` in their alt text

**Output format:**
Produce a table of every placeholder found:

| # | File Path | Line | Type | Current Value | Severity | Action Needed |
|---|-----------|------|------|---------------|----------|---------------|
| 1 | `src/app/page.tsx` | 42 | Image URL | `via.placeholder.com/800x400` | 🔴 Critical | Replace with hero image |
| 2 | `public/favicon.ico` | — | Framework default | Next.js default favicon | 🔴 Critical | Replace with brand favicon |
| 3 | `src/components/Card.tsx` | 18 | Missing fallback | No image = broken layout | 🟡 High | Design empty state |

Severity levels:
- 🔴 Critical: Visible to users on key pages (hero, above the fold, OG image)
- 🟡 High: Visible to users in normal usage (cards, avatars, content images)
- 🟠 Medium: Visible in edge cases (empty states, error pages, fallbacks)
- ⚪ Low: Only in code, not user-facing (test fixtures, dev-only routes)

### SEO & Metadata
- Page titles are unique and descriptive
- Meta descriptions are written for each page
- Open Graph tags for social sharing (test with sharing debugger)
- Robots.txt is configured correctly
- Sitemap.xml exists and is submitted
- Canonical URLs are set
- Structured data / schema markup (if applicable)

### Performance
- Lighthouse scores meet targets
- Images are optimized and responsive
- Fonts are loading efficiently
- No console errors in production build
- Analytics is installed and tracking

### Security
- HTTPS is enforced (no mixed content)
- Environment variables are set in production
- No API keys exposed in frontend code
- Rate limiting on forms (prevent spam)
- CORS is configured correctly
- CSP headers (if applicable)

### Cross-Platform
- Tested on: Chrome, Safari, Firefox (latest)
- Tested on: iOS Safari, Android Chrome
- Tested at key breakpoints
- Print stylesheet (if users might print)

### Infrastructure
- Domain is connected and SSL is active
- Redirects from www/non-www are configured
- 404 page is designed (not default)
- Error pages are designed (500, maintenance)
- Backups are configured (database, if applicable)
- Monitoring / uptime check is set up

### Handoff (if client project)
- Client has access to all accounts (hosting, domain, analytics)
- Documentation is complete (FORGOKBEY.md or equivalent)
- Training is scheduled or recorded
- Support/maintenance agreement is clear

## Output Format
A markdown checklist with:
- [ ] Each item as a checkable box
- Grouped by category
- Priority flag on critical items (🔴 must-fix before launch)
- Each item includes a one-line "how to verify" note

INPUTS

project REQUIRED

Project: name, type, description

e.g. MyApp, web app, e-commerce platform

tech_stack REQUIRED

Tech stack: framework, hosting, services

e.g. Next.js, Vercel, Stripe

key_features_that_need_verification REQUIRED

Key features that need verification

e.g. user authentication, payment processing

launch_type REQUIRED

Launch type: soft launch / public launch / client handoff

e.g. public launch

domain REQUIRED

Domain: is DNS already configured?

e.g. DNS configured, pointing to Vercel

REQUIRED CONTEXT

  • Project Context
  • Tech stack
  • Features
  • Launch type
  • Domain

ROLES & RULES

Role assignments

  • You are a launch readiness specialist.
  1. Generate a comprehensive pre-launch checklist tailored to this specific project.
  2. Scan the entire codebase and deployed site for placeholder visual assets.
  3. Produce a table of every placeholder found.
  4. Produce a markdown checklist with checkable boxes grouped by category.

EXPECTED OUTPUT

Format
markdown
Schema
markdown_sections · Functionality, Content & Copy, Visual Placeholder Scan, SEO & Metadata, Performance, Security, Cross-Platform, Infrastructure, Handoff
Constraints
  • [ ] Each item as a checkable box
  • Grouped by category
  • Priority flag on critical items (🔴 must-fix before launch)
  • Each item includes a one-line "how to verify" note
  • Table for visual placeholders with columns: #, File Path, Line, Type, Current Value, Severity, Action Needed

SUCCESS CRITERIA

  • Tailor checklist to specific project context.
  • Cover all listed categories comprehensively.
  • Identify and table all placeholder visual assets.
  • Include priority flags on critical items.
  • Provide one-line 'how to verify' notes for each checklist item.

FAILURE MODES

  • Checklist not tailored to project specifics.
  • Missing or incomplete placeholder scan and table.
  • Incorrect output format without checkboxes or table.
  • Overlooking critical categories like placeholders.
  • Generic items without verification notes.

CAVEATS

Dependencies
  • Project context details (name, type, description, tech stack, features, launch type, domain).
  • Codebase access for placeholder pattern search.
  • Deployed site for visual and functionality checks.
Missing context
  • Filled-in project context details (name, type, description, tech stack, features, launch type, domain status).
  • Access to codebase excerpts, deployed site URL, or descriptions for placeholder scanning.
  • Target values for performance metrics (e.g., Lighthouse scores).
Ambiguities
  • Inconsistent placeholder syntax: some use [ ] like [name, type, description], others use ${key_features_that_need_verification}.
  • Unclear how to integrate the detailed placeholder table (specified in Visual Placeholder Scan) into the overall markdown checklist output format.
  • Does not specify method for AI to 'scan the entire codebase and deployed site' (e.g., assumes provided excerpts or simulation).

QUALITY

OVERALL
0.90
CLARITY
0.90
SPECIFICITY
0.95
REUSABILITY
0.85
COMPLETENESS
0.90

IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTIONS

  • Standardize all placeholders to consistent syntax, e.g., {project_name}, {tech_stack}, {key_features}.
  • Explicitly state: 'Embed the placeholder findings table within the Visual Placeholder Scan section of the markdown checklist.'
  • Add: 'If codebase/site not provided, simulate scan based on tech stack and common issues for that framework.'
  • Define targets: 'Lighthouse scores: Performance >=90, Accessibility >=95, Best Practices >=90, SEO >=95.'
  • Provide a sample filled project context at the top for easier reuse.

USAGE

Copy the prompt above and paste it into your AI of choice — Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or anywhere else you're working. Replace any placeholder sections with your own context, then ask for the output.

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