WordPress
An Online Store Launch Checklist
Test checkout, order handling, security, delivery messages and recovery before taking live payments.
An online store must handle complete transactions, not just display products. Test the customer journey and the business processes behind it before accepting live payments, especially after hosting or plugin changes.
Practical steps
- Confirm platform compatibility, HTTPS, product information, stock rules, delivery options and approved legal policies. Ask qualified advisers about applicable tax and consumer requirements.
- Use the payment provider's sandbox to test success, failure, cancellation and refund flows. Check shipping calculations, coupons and order totals for representative customers.
- Verify transactional emails, administrator notifications and order status changes. Exclude cart, checkout and account pages from caching where the platform requires it.
- Prepare backups, a support route and an incident process. Test performance with representative traffic and agree how you will pause checkout during maintenance or a migration.
Check the result
Complete a controlled production verification through the business's approved process, then reconcile order records with payment-provider records. Check mobile checkout and accessibility as well as desktop browsing.
Before you proceed
Do not store card details in a custom form or label click tracking as a completed purchase. Payment completion must be confirmed by the authorised checkout or payment system.