Domain and production readiness

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

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

Do and don't

Do

• 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

1. Verify domain and SSL.
2. Test the main flow.
3. 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)

1. Vercel Domains. Vercel. 2024-01-01. Read: https://vercel.com/docs/projects/domains

2. Google HTTPS Guidelines. Google. 2024-01-01. Read: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/advanced/security/https

Read more (optional)

1. Launch Checklist Why: Common items for production readiness. Read: https://www.atlassian.com/incident-management/devops/release-checklist