Launching your site
Congratulations on building your site!
To make sure that your site is launch-ready, please review the pre-launch content checklist and logistics.
Pre-launch content checklist:
- Have you renamed/removed all default content/pages that aren’t relevant to your site?
- Do your homepage and footer blocks have the correct content in them?
- Have you replaced all the placeholder images for your site?
- Do your images all have descriptive alternative text (“alt text”)?
- Do your “Read More” links all point to the correct pages, and do those target pages have the correct content in them?
- Have you checked your menu links to ensure they are all correct?
- Is your content ready to be “frozen” for the duration of the launch process?
- Have you had your content reviewed by another member of your department?
- Does your site need to be approved by anyone other than yourself before launching?
Logistics
- Do you need to create redirects for any specific pages from your old existing website (if applicable)?
- Have you set up a vanity URL (e.g. http://mysite.stanford.edu ) if one does not already exist? (Note: Stanford Web Services will handle the switchover for you once your site is ready to launch)
- Have you configured Google Analytics for your new site?
- Have you archived your analytics data for your old site (if applicable)?
- Have you determined what you would like to do with your old website? Do you want to have it archived in any way?
- Have you prepared any necessary communications for the post-launch of your site?
Ready to launch?
After you have completed the pre-launch content checklist and have your logistics in order, you are now ready to launch your site!
- If you are a self-service site, please submit a Virtual Host Request.
- If you are a client, you are eligible for launch assistance from Stanford Web Services. Please refer to the following Client Launch Request card.
- If you are launching a high visibility or high traffic site on Stanford Sites, but are not currently a Stanford Web Services client, we recommend you communicate the launch details via our launch request form.
Client Launch Request
The Stanford Web Services team appreciates at least a two-week advance notice for launching sites, and launch sites only on Tuesdays through Thursdays.
Important note: During peak periods, some dates may not be available.
When you are ready to launch, submit the Request Site Launch Form. A Stanford Web Services team member will reach out to you to coordinate the site launch details.
Not sure if you are a client or self-service site?
Reach out to our team through this ServiceNow form and we’ll help you!