Preflight gates
- Confirm page links and asset paths from mobile + desktop breakpoints.
- Run a fast content pass: headings, metadata, CTA targets, and obvious typos.
- Verify telemetry endpoints and key event naming stay stable.
- Take a backup snapshot before deploy and store rollback notes.
Release-hour checks
- Smoke-test top navigation, journal links, and conversion CTAs.
- Confirm critical pages return healthy status and expected content.
- Watch first 30 minutes of logs/telemetry for broken routes or JS errors.
Rustwood Takeaway
A launch is not a single click—it is a controlled sequence. Checklists protect creative momentum by reducing preventable chaos.