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Website Checklist

The list of things to check when a website launches can be pretty vast, and it’s important to continually review the website as it grows and evolves to ensure everything is as it should be. A while ago I started building out Opti, a system designed to automatically look for issues on a website, as well as a tool for continually maintaining and improving. As part of those automatic checks, is a growing list of items listed below:

Meta

Page Title Checked in Opti

The page title is the text that appears on the browser tab and in search engine results, and it tells both users and search engines what the page is about. It’s important because it’s one of the first things people see in search listings and can influence whether they click.

Page Title – Under 60 Characters

For best SEO results, keep titles under 60 characters, include relevant keywords near the beginning, and make sure each title is unique and clearly reflects the page content. Avoid keyword stuffing—clarity and relevance are key.

All Unique Page Titles Checked in Opti

Meta Description Checked in Opti

A meta description is important because it provides a concise summary of a webpage’s content, helping search engines understand the page and encouraging users to click through from search results. It directly influences click-through rates by attracting and informing potential visitors.

Favicon Present

Robots Tag Present

Share Images Present

Headings

H1 Tag Present on Every Page Checked in Opti

An H1 tag is important for both accessibility and search engine optimization. It helps screen readers and other assistive technologies quickly identify the page’s primary content, improving the experience for users with disabilities. For search engines, the tag provides context about the content’s subject matter, making it easier to index and rank the page appropriately. Structurally, it also helps organize content in a logical hierarchy, ensuring that both users and search engines can understand the page’s focus at a glance.

Only One H1 Tag Per Page Checked in Opti

Using multiple H1 tags can confuse both search engines and users, potentially weakening the page’s clarity and relevance. Keeping a single, well-written H1 ensures a clear and organized structure that benefits usability and ranking.

Proper Heading Hierarchy

Images

Lazy Load Images

No Broken Images

Images Sized Correctly

Images Have Default Sizes Defined

CSS

CSS Files Minified

Minimal CSS Files Used

Javascript

Javascript Files Minified

Minimal Javascript Files Used

Links

No Broken Links Checked in Opti

External Links Open in New Tab

Misc

Directories Don’t Expose Files

Fatal Error Check Checked in Opti

Ensure no pages have fatal errors, which can keep a page from rendering, or not at all. More information about this functionality in Opti can be found here: Scanning a website for fatal errors

Headers & Security

Strict-Transport-Security (HSTS) Checked in Opti

x-Content-Type-Options

Frame Ancestors

Content Security Policy

No Exposed MySQL Ports Checked in Opti

HTTPS Redirects Checked in Opti

Ensuring anything served to HTTP redirects to HTTPS

Other Checks

Large blocks of text are contained in paragraph tags.
Contact forms, and other forms are accurately delivered to their destinations.
Descriptive link text

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