SaaS Launch Checklist Before Going Live
Every item on this checklist has caused a real post-launch incident. 25 checklist items across security, billing, performance, and operations — verified before every SA SaaS deployment — plus the four-step launch day protocol.
What Must Be True Before Your First Real Customer
Launching a SaaS product to real customers is a commitment. Real data. Real money. Real trust. The problems discovered after launch are more expensive to fix than the problems discovered before launch — because they now involve real customers whose data, payments, and trust are affected. This pre-launch checklist covers every category that SA validates before deploying any Bubble.io SaaS product to production. Every item on this list has been the cause of a real post-launch incident.
Verified Before Every SaaS Launch
Security (Must Pass Before Launch)
☑ Every data type has at least one explicit privacy rule. Zero types on the default ‘Everyone’ configuration.
☑ Two-browser tenant isolation test PASSED: zero cross-tenant data visible in any session.
☑ Every sensitive workflow has a role check on Step 1.
☑ All API credentials marked Private in API Connector. None stored in user-accessible data fields.
☑ Stripe webhook signature validated in every webhook handler.
☑ Session timeout configured; authenticated pages redirect unauthenticated users on load.
Billing (Must Pass Before Launch)
☑ Stripe keys switched from test (sk_test_) to live (sk_live_) in all API Connector calls.
☑ Webhook endpoint URL updated to production URL (not /version-test or development branch).
☑ All six webhook events handled: checkout.completed, subscription.updated, subscription.deleted, payment_failed, payment_succeeded, trial_will_end.
☑ End-to-end purchase tested with a real card on the live Stripe account.
☑ Cancellation flow tested: data preserved, access updated correctly, reactivation prompt shown.
☑ Plan limits enforced in both UI visibility AND workflow Step 1 conditions.
Performance (Must Pass Before Launch)
☑ Zero :filtered by expressions in the application.
☑ All dashboard metrics read from pre-calculated fields on Workspace record.
☑ All repeating groups paginated to maximum 20 items per page.
☑ Dashboard page loads in under 3 seconds with realistic data volume (100+ records).
☑ Application tested on real mobile device at 375px viewport.
Operations (Must Pass Before Launch)
☑ Welcome email sends immediately on workspace creation.
☑ All onboarding emails scheduled on workspace creation and tested end-to-end.
☑ Email sender domain verified (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) in SendGrid.
☑ Password reset email tested end-to-end.
☑ Application on Growth plan (dedicated server) or above.
☑ Custom domain connected with SSL certificate active.
☑ Error logging active: failed API calls create ErrorLog records.
☑ Support contact visible in application.
☑ Privacy Policy and Terms of Service linked from footer and signup page.
Free SaaS Tech Audit — 30 Minutes
Athar Ahmad personally reviews your SaaS product and tells you exactly what is wrong, what is at risk, and what to fix first. Free. No obligation. Written summary within 24 hours.
- SaaS security and privacy rule assessment
- Stripe billing architecture review
- Performance bottleneck identification
- Prioritised remediation roadmap
What to Do in the First 24 Hours
After deploying to live: log in as a test user and complete the entire user journey in production. Signup, onboarding, core feature, checkout with a real card. If anything breaks, revert to the previous deployment immediately.
The first customers come from personal outreach, not from the landing page. Email everyone who expressed interest during validation with a personal note announcing the launch. Close these deals manually.
Check your ErrorLog data type and Bubble’s server logs hourly for the first 48 hours after launch. Watch for failed API calls, webhook failures, and unexpected errors. Be available to respond within 30 minutes to any critical issue.
Install Hotjar or FullStory before launch. Watch session recordings for the first 10 real visitors. Every confusion, every hesitation, and every abandoned flow is information that improves the product.
Scope Your SaaS in 48 Hours
SA’s Discovery Sprint delivers a full Product Requirements Document for your SaaS: architecture, user flows, cost estimate, and a review call with Athar. $345 — credited toward your build.
Q: When is a SaaS ready to launch?
When all items on the pre-launch checklist pass. Not when the product feels finished (it never does). Not when all planned features are built (they should not be at launch). When security, billing, performance, and operations are verifiably correct.
Q: Should I soft-launch or hard-launch?
Soft-launch: invite 10-20 carefully selected early customers before any public announcement. Get feedback, fix critical issues, confirm billing works. Then hard-launch to a broader audience. The soft-launch period typically reveals 3-5 issues that would have caused public incidents if discovered by 1,000 users simultaneously.
Q: How do I handle the first customer bug report?
Respond within 30 minutes. Acknowledge the problem, confirm you are investigating, and give a timeframe for an update. Fix it or provide a workaround. Send a personal email when it is resolved. How you handle the first bug report sets the tone for every customer relationship that follows.
Ready to Build or Fix Your SaaS?
Two paths: a Free Tech Audit for SaaS products that need assessment, or a Discovery Sprint to scope your new SaaS correctly before a single line is built.
