What you need to know
A local development server cannot prove that production environment variables, domains, caching, and server-only code are correct. A short release checklist catches issues before customers report them.
How to apply it
Run the production build, review environment variables, test the deployed domain and direct article URLs, confirm forms and analytics, and check logs after release. Keep a previous version available for rollback.
Common mistake to avoid
Do not expose private environment values in client bundles or screenshots. Confirm each required variable is set in the hosting dashboard.