Prepare a small website release

A release review checks a set of files and configuration choices before they become the public version of a website. Start with an identifiable revision and a repeatable build. Save the previous release so that a problem can be investigated and, when appropriate, reversed without reconstructing files from memory.

Confirm the destination environment before publishing. A test hostname, preview deployment, and established public site can have different permissions and analytics settings. Keep credentials outside generated static files. Public identifiers such as verification tags have a different role from secrets that authorise changes to an account.

Check the release package

• Inspect the intended origin in canonical tags and sitemap entries.
• Confirm that expected pages and assets exist in the build output.
• Test a missing address and check that the host returns an actual 404.
• Review security headers and any third-party requests.
• Compare the release inventory with the files being deployed.
• Keep a recoverable version of the preceding release.

Verify after publishing

A successful upload proves only that an upload completed. Request the public pages, render important interactions, and compare content fingerprints with the release you intended to publish. Record the deployment identifier and the results of those checks. If a discrepancy appears, pause further changes and determine whether the problem lies in the build, host configuration, cache, or another process before choosing a recovery action.