Domain and production readiness

Day 23 of 30 · Generative AI 2026: Build AI Apps and Agents

One-liner: Prepare the app for a production release.
Time: 20 to 30 min
Deliverable: Production Readiness Checklist

Learning goal

You will be able to: Prepare a basic production readiness checklist.

Success criteria (observable)

Domain and SSL status are confirmed.
Key pages work on production.
A release checklist is completed.

Output you will produce

Deliverable: Production Readiness Checklist
Format: Checklist
Where saved: Course folder under /generative-ai-2026-build-ai-apps-and-agents/

Who

Primary persona: Digital nomad preparing for launch Secondary persona(s): Users who will test the live app Stakeholders (optional): Collaborators

What

What it is

A short checklist that confirms the app is ready for production use. It covers domain setup, SSL, and key user flows.

What it is not

It is not a full scale release engineering process. It is a practical launch gate for a small app.

2-minute theory

Production readiness reduces launch day surprises.
Simple checklists catch the most common issues.
A clear go or no go step prevents rushed releases.

Key terms

Domain: The public URL users will visit.
SSL: Secure connection that protects user data.

Where

Applies in

Domain setup
Production deployment

Does not apply in

Local only testing

Touchpoints

DNS settings
SSL status
Production URL

When

Use it when

You are ready to launch
You want to reduce risk before going live

Frequency

Once per release

Late signals

Broken pages after launch
Users report SSL warnings

Why it matters

Practical benefits

Safer launches
Fewer user trust issues
Clear release decisions

Risks of ignoring

Broken first impressions
Security warnings

Expectations

Improves: launch quality and trust
Does not guarantee: zero bugs

How

Step-by-step method

Connect the domain and confirm SSL.
Test the main user flow in production.
Check login, payment, and output.
Sign off on the checklist.

Do and don't

Test the core flow end to end
Confirm SSL before launch

Don't

Launch without a final check
Ignore broken links

Common mistakes and fixes

Mistake: No SSL. Fix: Wait until SSL is active.
Mistake: Only tested locally. Fix: Test the production URL.

Done when

Domain is connected and SSL is active.
Core flow works in production.
Checklist is signed off.

Guided exercise (10 to 15 min)

Inputs

Production URL
Release checklist template

Steps

Verify domain and SSL.
Test the main flow.
Mark each checklist item.

Output format

Field	Value
Domain
SSL status
Core flow test
Sign off

Pro tip: Do one test on mobile and one on desktop before launch.

Independent exercise (5 to 10 min)

Task

Test the checkout flow and record the result.

Output

Checkout test note.

Self-check (yes/no)

Is SSL active?
Does the main flow work?
Is the checklist complete?
Is a release decision made?

Baseline metric (recommended)

Score: 3 of 4 checks met
Date: 2026-02-06
Tool used: Browser

Bibliography (sources used)

Vercel Domains. Vercel. 2024-01-01. Read: https://vercel.com/docs/projects/domains
Google HTTPS Guidelines. Google. 2024-01-01. Read: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/advanced/security/https