Pre-launch readiness checklist for production deployment. Use when: preparing to deploy, promoting to production, running release quality gates, or when the user asks 'are we ready to launch'. Covers code quality, security, performance, accessibility, infrastructure, and documentation gates.
From cksnpx claudepluginhub cardinalconseils/claude-starter --plugin cksThis skill is limited to using the following tools:
Designs and optimizes AI agent action spaces, tool definitions, observation formats, error recovery, and context for higher task completion rates.
Enables AI agents to execute x402 payments with per-task budgets, spending controls, and non-custodial wallets via MCP tools. Use when agents pay for APIs, services, or other agents.
Compares coding agents like Claude Code and Aider on custom YAML-defined codebase tasks using git worktrees, measuring pass rate, cost, time, and consistency.
Six quality gates between your code and production. Every gate has pass/fail criteria. Skip gates deliberately based on your product maturity stage (see product-maturity skill), never based on gut feeling. A failed gate is a conversation, not a blocker — but shipping with known failures must be an explicit decision.
| Check | Status |
|---|---|
| All tests pass | [ ] |
| Build succeeds without warnings | [ ] |
| No TODO/FIXME/HACK in shipping code | [ ] |
| No console.log/print statements in production code | [ ] |
| No commented-out code blocks | [ ] |
| Lint passes with zero errors | [ ] |
How to verify: Run test suite, build command, and lint. Grep for TODO/FIXME/HACK and console.log/print in source directories.
| Check | Status |
|---|---|
| Dependency audit clean (no high/critical) | [ ] |
| No secrets in code or git history | [ ] |
| Authentication working (login, logout, session expiry) | [ ] |
| Input validation on all user-facing endpoints | [ ] |
| HTTPS enforced | [ ] |
| Security headers configured (CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options) | [ ] |
How to verify: Run npm audit / pip-audit. Search for hardcoded keys. Test auth flows manually. Check response headers.
| Check | Status |
|---|---|
| Core Web Vitals meeting targets (LCP < 2.5s, INP < 200ms, CLS < 0.1) | [ ] |
| No N+1 queries (check with query logging) | [ ] |
| Images optimized (WebP, lazy loading, sized correctly) | [ ] |
| Bundle size reasonable (< 200KB initial JS for web apps) | [ ] |
How to verify: Run Lighthouse audit. Enable query logging and check counts. Analyze bundle with bundlesize tool.
| Check | Status |
|---|---|
| Keyboard navigation works for all interactive elements | [ ] |
| Screen reader compatibility (test with VoiceOver/NVDA) | [ ] |
| Color contrast meets WCAG AA (4.5:1 text, 3:1 large) | [ ] |
| All form inputs have visible labels | [ ] |
How to verify: Tab through the entire app. Run axe-core or Lighthouse a11y audit. Check contrast with devtools.
| Check | Status |
|---|---|
| Environment variables set in production | [ ] |
| Database migrations applied | [ ] |
| Health endpoint responding (/health) | [ ] |
| Error tracking configured (Sentry/similar) | [ ] |
| Backup/recovery procedure documented | [ ] |
How to verify: Check platform env vars. Run migration status command. Curl health endpoint. Trigger a test error in Sentry.
| Check | Status |
|---|---|
| README current and accurate | [ ] |
| Changelog updated | [ ] |
| API documentation current (if applicable) | [ ] |
| Environment setup documented for new developers | [ ] |
How to verify: Read the README as a new developer. Check changelog has the latest version. Review API docs against actual endpoints.
| Rationalization | Reality |
|---|---|
| "We can fix it after launch" | Post-launch fixes happen under pressure with users watching. Fix it now. |
| "Most of this doesn't apply to us" | Skip gates based on maturity stage (product-maturity skill), not gut feeling. |
| "Users won't notice" | Users notice broken images, slow loads, and inaccessible forms. They just don't report them — they leave. |
| "We've tested it locally" | Local testing misses environment config, network latency, and real-world data volumes. |
| "It's just a small change" | Small changes cause the majority of production incidents. The checklist is fast for small changes. |