Launch checklists are long and mostly advisory. The useful version distinguishes what genuinely blocks a release from what can follow in the weeks after.
The blocking set is short
Correct canonical handling on faceted URLs, no staging robots.txt, redirects mapped from every existing URL, HTTPS with a valid certificate, and payment flows tested end to end. Everything else can ship in week two without lasting damage.
Faceted navigation is the largest ecommerce risk
Filters generate combinatorial URLs, and an uncontrolled facet space can produce hundreds of thousands of crawlable pages within days of launch. Deciding which combinations are indexable before launch is far cheaper than cleaning it up after.
Out-of-stock handling needs a decision, not a default
Deleting discontinued product pages destroys their accumulated equity and links. Keeping them live with no purchase path frustrates buyers. The usual right answer is keeping the page, stating availability plainly, and offering alternatives — but it must be decided deliberately.
Agree who owns post-launch monitoring
Most launch damage surfaces in weeks two to four, after the launch team disbands. Name the person watching crawl errors and indexed page counts through that window before anyone celebrates.