MVP Launch Checklist: Product, Analytics, Legal and Copy

What should you check before launching an MVP?

Before launching an MVP, check the parts of the product a new user touches in the first session and the systems that tell you when something breaks. That comes down to six areas: authentication, errors and monitoring, analytics, transactional emails, legal pages and copy. This checklist covers the product side only; marketing and launch-day promotion are a separate plan, covered in our SaaS product launch strategy.

Run the checks on the production environment with a fresh account, not your admin login on a staging build. Most launch-day bugs only show up for brand-new users on real devices. For how this fits the wider build, see our MVP design and development guide.

Is authentication ready for real users?

Authentication is ready when a stranger can sign up, verify, log out, log back in and reset a forgotten password on a phone without help. Test each path with a brand-new email address, because your own account skips the steps new users see.

1. Sign up with a new email and confirm the verification email arrives and its link works.
2. Sign up with Google or another social login if you offer it, including the case where that email already has an account.
3. Reset a password end to end, and check the reset link expires.
4. Log in on a second device and confirm sessions behave as expected.
5. Try a wrong password several times and check the message is clear and rate limiting works.
6. Delete a test account if you offer deletion, and confirm the data is handled as your privacy policy says.

If you use a hosted auth provider, most of this is handled for you, but the emails, redirects and error messages still need checking. Our guide to MVP design explains why the sign-up flow deserves real design attention.

Are errors handled and monitored?

Errors are handled when every failure in the core flow shows a plain-language message with a way forward, and monitored when your team is alerted before users report the problem. Both matter: the first protects the user, the second protects you.

1. Install error monitoring for front end and back end, and trigger a test error to confirm alerts arrive.
2. Design an error state for every step of the core flow. "Something went wrong" with a retry button beats a frozen screen.
3. Add a custom 404 page that links back to the app.
4. Check uptime monitoring on the main app URL and any API the app depends on.
5. Confirm backups for the production database and that you know how to restore one.
6. Turn off debug output so stack traces never reach users.

Are analytics events set up on the core flow?

Analytics are ready when you can answer one question on launch day: of the people who signed up, how many reached the moment of value, and where did the rest stop? That needs a handful of well-named events on the core flow, not tracking on every click.

1. List the core-flow steps, from sign-up to the first result, and add one event per step.
2. Name events consistently, for example object then action, so reports stay readable.
3. Identify users after sign-up so you can follow cohorts over time.
4. Check consent requirements for your audience and region before loading analytics scripts.
5. Verify events fire in production by walking through the flow and watching them arrive.
6. Build one funnel report before launch so you're not assembling it while users arrive.

These events power the weekly ship-and-measure rhythm that should start right after launch. If your MVP includes AI features, also log failed or retried generations; our AI SaaS UX readiness checklist covers what to watch.

Do transactional emails work and read well?

Transactional emails are ready when each one arrives promptly in a normal inbox, renders correctly on mobile and sounds like your product. They're often the first thing a user reads from you after sign-up, and the easiest to forget.

• Set up your sending domain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC records so mail isn't filtered as spam.
• Send every email to yourself: verification, welcome, password reset, invite, receipt and any notification.
• Read each one on a phone and in at least two email clients.
• Rewrite default template copy so it names your product and tells the user one next step.
• Use a reply-to address someone reads. Early users reply with useful feedback.

Are legal pages and consent in place?

Legal readiness for an MVP usually means a privacy policy, terms of service and, where your audience requires it, a cookie consent mechanism. Payment providers, app stores and login providers often require a privacy policy URL before they'll approve your integration.

Get legal advice that fits your product and region rather than copying another company's pages. If you serve users in the EU, the official GDPR overview explains the principles. Design any consent banner so it doesn't cover the core flow on a phone. If you handle payments, health or financial data, budget extra time for this section.

Is the product copy finished?

Product copy is finished when no screen contains placeholder text, every button says what it does and every empty and error state tells the user what to do next. Unfinished copy is the fastest way to make a working product feel like a prototype.

1. Search the codebase and designs for lorem ipsum, TODO, test and sample strings.
2. Read the core flow aloud from sign-up to the first result. Fix anything that sounds vague.
3. Check button labels describe outcomes, such as "Create invoice", not "Submit".
4. Write the empty states so the first screen explains what goes there and offers one action.
5. Match the marketing promise. The product should do what the landing page says, in the same words.

If the launch also involves your marketing site, our launch-day SaaS SEO checklist covers the search basics. For a deeper review of the app itself, the accessible web app checklist is worth a pass before inviting users.

What can your MVP launch checklist leave until later?

Anything that doesn't affect the first session or your ability to see problems can wait. Launching later to perfect secondary screens delays the learning that would tell you which of them matter.

• Advanced settings, notification preferences and team management beyond the basics.
• Dark mode, themes and visual polish outside the core flow.
• A full admin dashboard; a database console works for the first weeks.
• Localization, unless your first users need another language.
• Performance tuning beyond making the core flow feel quick.