How to use it
Work top to bottom. Each check either passes or becomes a task, and the pass ends when the list ends.
The list
content
1. every page has a title that reads like a sentence
2. every page has a description a person wrote
3. no page still mentions a date that has passed
4. prices, names and phone numbers match reality
5. the newest update is not older than the offer it supports
forms
6. submit one real test response
7. confirm the response is stored where you can find it
8. confirm the notification arrived, and note the time
9. check the folder where form mail lands
search
10. confirm the property shows impressions arriving
11. list pages with impressions and no clicks
12. list queries where the site sits on page two
13. confirm the sitemap is submitted and current
health
14. confirm the canonical host resolves without a chain
15. open three key pages on a phone
16. check the date of the last backup
17. confirm the certificate covers the host you serve
18. confirm an error page returns the right status
19. confirm the analytics tag fires once
20. write down one change worth making before the next pass
A completed pass
Foxglove Bakery, 2026-09-26, one person, 95 minutes.
passed 16 of 20
became tasks 4
tasks, with the owner
1. descriptions missing on four pages content, 40 min
2. notification for the form goes to an old address owner, 5 min
3. two service pages have impressions and no clicks content, 30 min
4. last backup is 41 days old host, 10 min
decision for the next cycle
- rewrite the cake page title first, because it has the most impressions
Acceptance: the pass is complete when
- every item is marked passed or converted to a task
- each task names an owner and a rough effort
- a test submission was made, not assumed
- the backup date is written down
- one change is chosen for the next cycle
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The pass takes all day | Items were skipped last time | Accept the long pass once, then keep the cadence |
| The form test never arrives | The endpoint or the inbox | Read the stored response before blaming email |
| Search shows nothing | The property is new | Read the pages, and check again next pass |
| The same four tasks recur | Nobody owns them | Name an owner, or drop the task with a reason |
| The backup date is unknown | No backup exists | Create one before the next pass |
Limits
This reads a site from the outside. It does not update plugins, restore a broken host or fix a theme conflict.
Anything involving a database or a server needs a staging copy first.