What belongs on a website acceptance checklist?
A website acceptance checklist covers content accuracy, mobile layout, forms and WhatsApp buttons, page speed, search basics, tracking, security, legal pages and handover. Test everything on the staging link, log each problem with a screenshot and page address, retest after fixes and approve in writing before the site moves to your domain.
Why you test on staging, not after launch
A staging link is a private copy of the site. You can click every button without confusing real customers or search engines. A problem found here costs a quick edit. A problem found after launch costs lost enquiries and a mistake everyone can see. That is why every project of ours includes a staging link: you check the site yourself before it goes to your domain.
Set aside a focused hour on a laptop and another on your phone. Bring a colleague who has not seen the pages before. They notice what you stopped seeing.
How to log findings
Keep one shared sheet with these columns:
| No. | Page address | What is wrong | Device and browser | Screenshot | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | /services/ | Phone number has a typo | Phone, Chrome | link | Must fix | Open |
Severity helps both sides: Must fix blocks launch, Should fix is worth doing soon, Later goes on a list for after launch. Send all findings in one batch rather than as scattered messages.
- Content
- Company name, address, phone and email are correct everywhere.
- Opening hours match reality.
- Arabic and English versions say the same thing.
- No placeholder text such as “lorem ipsum” or “text here”.
- Service descriptions, team names and project details are accurate.
- Every claim can be backed up. Remove numbers you cannot prove.
- A native reader of each language has checked spelling and grammar.
- Design and mobile
- Check the home page and one inner page at phone, tablet and desktop width.
- Arabic pages read right to left with correct alignment and punctuation.
- Text is large enough to read without zooming.
- Buttons are easy to tap, with space around them.
- Images are sharp and not stretched.
- The menu opens, closes and lists every page on a phone.
- Nothing is cut off at the screen edge.
- Forms, WhatsApp and calls
- Submit each form with real data, then check that the email or lead reaches you.
- Submit with empty required fields and look for a clear error.
- Submit twice quickly. A good form blocks duplicate submissions.
- Test the spam protection, such as a hidden field or a challenge.
- The WhatsApp button opens a chat with the right number and a sensible first message.
- The phone number is tappable on mobile.
- A confirmation message appears after sending.
This matters most on sites that live on enquiries. On the Al Ola partner pages we built protected forms, with anti-spam and no duplicate submissions, and tested them end to end. Read the Al Ola story.
- Speed
- Run the home page and two inner pages through Google PageSpeed Insights.
- Our mobile target is 85 or higher.
- Look at the largest image on each page. It should be compressed and correctly sized.
- Check that the page does not jump while loading.
- Test on a slower connection if your customers use one.
- Search basics
- Each page has a unique title and meta description.
- Each page has one H1 that says what the page is about.
- The site is not set to “discourage search engines”, a setting often left on during staging. It must be off at launch.
- Arabic and English versions link to each other.
- Images have meaningful alt text.
- Old addresses redirect to new ones if you replaced an existing site.
- A sitemap exists, and the robots file does not block the whole site.
- Tracking
- Google Analytics receives a test visit.
- Microsoft Clarity records a session.
- Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools are connected to the final domain.
- Form submissions and WhatsApp clicks register as events if you want to measure them.
- Your Google Business Profile links to the correct pages.
- Security
- The site loads over HTTPS with no browser warning.
- Admin accounts use strong passwords, and unused accounts are removed.
- The security plugin (we use Wordfence) is active.
- Backups are scheduled and you know where they are stored. Read how to test a backup restore.
- Software and plugins are up to date.
- You hold the logins for the domain, hosting and admin area.
- Legal and trust pages
- Privacy policy and terms are present, in both languages.
- A cookie notice appears if you use tracking that needs consent.
- Contact details and company information are easy to find.
- Any certificates or partner names shown are ones you are entitled to use.
- Browsers and devices
Check at least:
- The latest Chrome and Safari.
- One Android phone and one iPhone.
- A tablet, if tablets matter to your audience.
Look for broken layouts, missing fonts and features that work in one browser only.
- Content you can edit
Your team should be able to change text, replace an image and publish a blog post without help. Try it yourself with the training video before sign-off. If a step is unclear, ask for it to be explained now.
- Handover
- A handover PDF listing the site structure, logins, plugins and renewals.
- Training videos for the team.
- Support terms: what is included and for how long.
- A date and process for moving the site to your domain.
How sign-off should end
- Send your findings in one batch.
- The agency fixes the “must fix” items and replies to each point.
- You retest the fixes on staging, not only read the reply.
- You approve in writing.
- The site moves to your domain.
- You run a short test on the live site: forms, WhatsApp, speed, tracking.
Keep the first week after launch for small corrections. Our website maintenance service covers updates and backups afterwards. If you are still planning, read what shapes company website cost.