Webflow site QA before launch: a 23-step checklist

Short answer: to QA a Webflow site before launch, publish to the real domain, click every navigation and CMS link, check every page at phone width for sideways scrolling, confirm images, embeds and fonts load without console errors, submit every form and confirm the notification email arrives, and give each page a unique title, meta description and a single H1.

Webflow handles hosting and SSL, but most launch problems are in content, CMS templates, custom code and responsive settings. 9 of these steps are checked automatically by Proofday’s Launch Check; the rest are manual.

Before you publish to the custom domain

• Publish to the production domain and test there, not only on the webflow.io staging subdomain — links and assets can differ.
• In Site settings → SEO, make sure the production domain is indexable (staging subdomain indexing off).
• Set the default domain so www and non-www redirect to one version; confirm SSL.
• Add 301 redirects for any URLs from the old site.

Links & CMS

• Click through navbar and footer links on every page; fix links still pointing to webflow.io. Proofday checks this
• CMS Collection pages: open several items, including ones with empty optional fields.
• Collection list links and “next/previous” item links resolve. Proofday checks this
• Custom 404 page designed and published.

Responsive layout

• Check each breakpoint in the Designer, then on a real 390px-wide phone viewport.
• No horizontal scroll on mobile — usually a fixed-width element, oversized image or vw-based element. Proofday checks this
• Navbar menu button opens and closes on mobile landscape and portrait.

Assets, embeds & interactions

• All images load and have alt text set in the Asset panel. Proofday checks this
• Custom code embeds (chat widgets, scripts) don’t throw JavaScript console errors. Proofday checks this
• Embedded scripts and fonts use https:// (no mixed content). Proofday checks this
• Interactions/animations don’t hide content on load if JavaScript is slow.

Forms

• Every Webflow form submits, shows the success message, and the notification email arrives at the client’s address.
• Form spam protection (reCAPTCHA) enabled if needed.

SEO settings

• Every static page and CMS template has a unique title and meta description. Proofday checks this
• One H1 per page (Webflow headings are easy to duplicate across sections). Proofday checks this
• Open Graph image set for key pages.
• Sitemap auto-generation enabled.

Speed

• Large images replaced or compressed; full page load within ~3 seconds. Proofday checks this
• Unused custom fonts and heavy Lottie/video files removed.

FAQ

How do I QA a Webflow site before launch?

Publish to the production domain, then click every navigation and CMS link, check each page on a phone-width viewport for sideways scrolling, confirm images, embeds and fonts load without console errors, submit every form and confirm the email arrives, and set titles, meta descriptions and one H1 per page. The checklist on this page lists each step.

Why does my Webflow site scroll sideways on mobile?

Usually one element is wider than the screen: a fixed pixel width, an image without max-width, a 100vw element inside a padded container, or an off-canvas animation. Proofday’s check names the overflowing element and highlights it in a screenshot.

Can Proofday check a Webflow staging (webflow.io) site?

Yes, if it is publicly reachable without a password. Password-protected staging sites can’t be tested; publish to a public URL you own or are authorized to test.

Does Proofday test Webflow forms and CMS editing?

No. Proofday does not submit forms, log in, or use the Webflow Editor. Those are marked “not tested” in the report; test them manually.

What does the $149 check cover for a Webflow site?

Up to 10 public pages on desktop and mobile: broken links, sideways scrolling on mobile, missing viewport tag, JavaScript console errors, failed images/scripts/styles, load timing, titles, meta descriptions, H1s and image alt text, with tickets, screenshots and one retest.

Related: The general website launch checklist · About the $149 Website Launch Check