Guides·Mar 3, 2026·11 min read

Pre-Launch Checklist: Ship Vibe Coded Apps

I've shipped 30+ vibe coded apps. Most died before launch. Here's the 30-point checklist that gets AI-generated code production-ready.

So you've vibe coded an app. It looks great in the preview. The AI generated exactly what you asked for.

Now what?

Here's the uncomfortable truth: about 70% of vibe coded projects never ship. They get stuck in that awkward limbo between "demo-worthy" and "production-ready." And with 45% of AI-generated code containing security vulnerabilities (that's not a typo), skipping the pre-launch checklist isn't brave—it's reckless.

I've shipped 30+ vibe coded apps over the past year. The ones that failed? They all skipped the same boring-but-critical steps. The ones that succeeded? They ran through a checklist like this one.

Key Takeaways:

Use this 30-point vibe coding production checklist before every launch

Code quality and security checks are non-negotiable for AI-generated code

Post-launch monitoring catches the bugs your tests missed

The 30-Point Pre-Launch Checklist (Overview)

This isn't a "nice to have" list. It's the minimum viable checklist for shipping AI-generated code that won't embarrass you.

In This Article

Here's the full breakdown:

Section	Items	Priority	Time
Code Quality	7	Critical	20 min
Performance	5	High	15 min
SEO & Social	5	High	10 min
Security	5	Critical	25 min
Accessibility	4	High	15 min
Deployment	4	Critical	20 min

Total time: about 2 hours. That's nothing compared to debugging production issues at 3am.

Let's go section by section.

Section 1: Code Quality (7 Items)

AI-generated code has a consistency problem. It works—until it doesn't. These checks catch the silent failures.

1. Run ESLint/Prettier

Your AI doesn't care about formatting consistency. You should.

npm run lint
npm run format

Fix everything. No exceptions. If you're seeing hundreds of warnings, that's a red flag about your prompt quality.

2. Remove Dead Code

AI loves to generate utility functions "just in case." Delete anything unused:

npx depcheck

I've seen vibe coded projects ship with 40% dead code. Don't be that person.

3. Check for Console Statements

Every

console.log("test")

that ships to production is a confession. Find them:

grep -r "console.log" src/

4. Verify Type Safety

If you're using TypeScript (and you should be), make sure there are no

any

types lurking:

npx tsc --noEmit

AI loves to use

any

when it gets confused. That's where your bugs hide.

5. Test All Imports

AI sometimes imports from packages you don't have installed, or references files that don't exist:

npm run build

If it fails, you have missing imports. Fix them now, not in production.

6. Validate Environment Variables

AI-generated code often references

.env

variables that don't exist in production. Check your config.

7. Review Generated Dependencies

Look at your

package.json

. See any packages you don't recognize? That's AI being "helpful." Remove what you don't need.

If you're running into recurring code issues, check out the vibe debugging workflow for a systematic fix.

Section 2: Performance (5 Items)

Your app can be feature-complete and still unusable if it loads like it's 2010.

The 30-Point Pre-Launch Checklist (Overview)

1. Run Lighthouse Audit

Open Chrome DevTools → Lighthouse → Generate Report.

Metric	Minimum	Target
Performance	70	90+
First Contentful Paint	<2.5s	<1.8s
Largest Contentful Paint	<4s	<2.5s
Cumulative Layout Shift	<0.25	<0.1

Anything below 70 performance? Don't ship it.

2. Optimize Images

AI loves to use massive placeholder images. Replace them:

Use WebP or AVIF format
Add
loading="lazy"
to images below the fold
Set explicit
width
and
height
attributes

3. Check Bundle Size

npm run build
npx vite-bundle-analyzer

If your bundle is over 500KB, something's wrong. AI often imports entire libraries for one function.

4. Test on Real Devices

The emulator lies. Test on an actual phone. Preferably the cheapest Android you can find—if it runs there, it runs everywhere.

5. Verify Mobile Responsiveness

AI-generated layouts often break on mobile. Test at:

375px (iPhone SE)
414px (iPhone 14)
390px (iPhone 12/13)

If your layout breaks, revisit your prompts with the mobile-first prompt workflow.

Your beautiful vibe coded app is invisible to Google by default. Fix that.

1. Add Meta Tags

Every page needs these minimum tags:

<title>Your Page Title | Brand</title>
<meta name="description" content="150 characters max..." />
<link rel="canonical" href="https://yourdomain.com/page" />

2. Configure Open Graph

When someone shares your link, make it look good:

<meta property="og:title" content="Your Title" />
<meta property="og:description" content="Your description" />
<meta property="og:image" content="https://yourdomain.com/og-image.png" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://yourdomain.com" />

3. Add Twitter Cards

<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Your Title" />
<meta name="twitter:description" content="Your description" />
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://yourdomain.com/twitter-image.png" />

4. Generate Sitemap

Your hosting platform probably handles this, but verify it exists at

yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml

Use opengraph.xyz to preview how your links look on social platforms before you ship.

For the complete SEO workflow, see SEO-ready landing pages with AI.

Section 4: Security (5 Items)

This is the section people skip. It's also the section that gets you in the news for the wrong reasons.

Here's the uncomfortable stat: 45% of AI-generated code contains security vulnerabilities. That's not a bug—that's a pattern. AI optimizes for "works" not "secure."

1. Audit Dependencies

npm audit

Fix everything marked "high" or "critical." No exceptions.

2. Scan for Secrets

AI sometimes generates code with placeholder API keys, or worse—copies keys from its training data:

npx secretlint "**/*"

Check for hardcoded credentials, API keys, or tokens. If you find any, rotate them immediately.

3. Verify Authentication Flows

If your app has auth:

Test password reset flow
Verify session expiration works
Confirm logout actually invalidates sessions

4. Check Input Validation

AI-generated forms often skip validation. Test every input field with:

SQL injection attempts
XSS payloads
Oversized inputs

5. Review CORS Configuration

If you're calling APIs, make sure your CORS setup isn't

*

(allow everything). That's AI's default, and it's a security hole.

For the deep dive, use the vibe coding security checklist—it covers 15 additional checks you'll want for production apps.

Section 5: Accessibility (4 Items)

96% of AI-generated UIs fail accessibility audits. Here's the minimum to not be part of that statistic.

1. Run axe DevTools

Install the browser extension. Run it. Fix every "critical" and "serious" issue.

Unplug your mouse. Can you:

Tab through all interactive elements?
See focus indicators?
Use Enter/Space to activate buttons?
Escape to close modals?

If not, fix it.

3. Check Color Contrast

Use WebAIM's contrast checker. You need:

4.5:1 ratio for normal text
3:1 ratio for large text

AI loves low-contrast designs. Your users' eyes don't.

4. Add Alt Text

Every

<img>

needs meaningful alt text. "image" is not meaningful.

For comprehensive accessibility, check the WCAG accessibility prompts guide.

Section 6: Deployment (4 Items)

The last mile. This is where most vibe coded projects die—not from bad code, but from bad deployment.

1. Configure Environment Variables

Create a checklist of every env variable your app needs:

API endpoints
Public keys
Feature flags
Analytics IDs

Verify each one is set in your production environment.

2. Set Up Error Tracking

Before something breaks in production, you need visibility:

Sentry, LogRocket, or similar
Test that errors actually get reported
Set up alerts for critical errors

3. Test the Build

Run the production build locally before deploying:

npm run build && npm run preview

If it breaks here, it'll break in production.

4. Configure Caching

Set appropriate cache headers for:

Static assets (long cache)
HTML files (short/no cache)
API responses (varies)

If you've been stuck at 70% complete, the 70% wall guide covers how to push through to actual shipping.

The Launch Day Routine

It's launch day. Here's your 10-item final check:

✅ Clear browser cache and test the live URL
✅ Test the critical user path (signup → main action → result)
✅ Verify analytics is tracking
✅ Verify error tracking is working
✅ Test on mobile (real device)
✅ Check load time on slow connection (Chrome DevTools → Network → Slow 3G)
✅ Test all external integrations (payments, auth, APIs)
✅ Verify SSL certificate is valid
✅ Test share links on social platforms
✅ Take a screenshot—you'll want to remember this moment

Post-Launch: First 48 Hours

Shipping is not the end. It's the beginning of learning what actually works.

Hour 1-4: Active Monitoring

Watch error logs in real-time
Monitor server performance
Check for 500 errors or slow responses

Hour 4-24: Passive Monitoring

Review user behavior in analytics
Note any patterns in error reports
Document issues for the next iteration

Hour 24-48: Iteration Planning

Prioritize bugs by impact
Identify UX friction points
Plan your first post-launch update

The goal isn't perfection at launch—it's shipping something good enough to learn from.

The Printable Checklist

Copy this. Print it. Use it for every launch.

PRE-LAUNCH CHECKLIST: VIBE CODED APPS

CODE QUALITY
[ ] ESLint/Prettier: All warnings fixed
[ ] Dead code removed (depcheck passed)
[ ] Console statements removed
[ ] TypeScript: No errors, no any types
[ ] Build succeeds without errors
[ ] Environment variables documented
[ ] Dependencies reviewed

PERFORMANCE
[ ] Lighthouse score > 70
[ ] Images optimized (WebP, lazy loading)
[ ] Bundle size < 500KB
[ ] Tested on real mobile device
[ ] Responsive at 375px, 414px, 390px

SEO & SOCIAL
[ ] Meta title & description on all pages
[ ] Open Graph tags configured
[ ] Twitter cards configured
[ ] Sitemap exists
[ ] Share previews tested

SECURITY
[ ] npm audit: No high/critical issues
[ ] No secrets in code
[ ] Auth flows tested
[ ] Input validation working
[ ] CORS properly configured

ACCESSIBILITY
[ ] axe DevTools: No critical/serious issues
[ ] Keyboard navigation works
[ ] Color contrast passes
[ ] All images have alt text

DEPLOYMENT
[ ] All env variables set in production
[ ] Error tracking configured
[ ] Production build tested locally
[ ] Cache headers configured

LAUNCH
[ ] Live URL tested
[ ] Critical path verified
[ ] Analytics tracking confirmed
[ ] Mobile tested
[ ] SSL valid

Vibe Debugging: 5-Step Workflow That Fixes Any AI UI - When your checklist reveals problems, here's how to fix them
Test AI-Generated Code: Stop Shipping Bugs - The testing workflow that catches bugs before users do
The 70% Wall: Why Your Vibe Project Is Stuck - If pre-launch feels impossible, start here

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should I spend on the pre-launch checklist?

Plan for 2 hours minimum. If you're finding lots of issues, it might take 4-6 hours. That's still faster than debugging production issues.

Can I skip some items if I'm just launching an MVP?

Security and error tracking are non-negotiable. You can be lighter on SEO and accessibility for a true MVP, but add them to your v2 checklist.

What's the most commonly skipped item that causes problems?

Environment variables. Every single time. Your app works locally because

.env

exists. It breaks in production because nobody set the variables there.

Should I use a staging environment?

Yes, if you have one. But don't let "setting up staging" become a reason to never ship. A production checklist is more valuable than a perfect staging setup you never use.

How do I know if my vibe coded app is actually production-ready?

If you can run through this entire checklist without finding critical issues, you're ready. If you're finding problems at every step, take that as feedback about your prompt quality and go back to fundamentals.

Written by the 0xMinds Team. We build AI tools for frontend developers. Try 0xMinds free →

#vibe coding#checklist#shipping#production#deployment

In This Article

The 30-Point Pre-Launch Checklist (Overview)

Section 1: Code Quality (7 Items)

1. Run ESLint/Prettier

2. Remove Dead Code

3. Check for Console Statements

4. Verify Type Safety

5. Test All Imports

6. Validate Environment Variables

7. Review Generated Dependencies

Section 2: Performance (5 Items)

1. Run Lighthouse Audit

2. Optimize Images

3. Check Bundle Size

4. Test on Real Devices

5. Verify Mobile Responsiveness

Section 3: SEO & Social (5 Items)

1. Add Meta Tags

2. Configure Open Graph

3. Add Twitter Cards

4. Generate Sitemap

5. Test Share Previews

Section 4: Security (5 Items)

1. Audit Dependencies

2. Scan for Secrets

3. Verify Authentication Flows

4. Check Input Validation

5. Review CORS Configuration

Section 5: Accessibility (4 Items)

1. Run axe DevTools

2. Test Keyboard Navigation

3. Check Color Contrast

4. Add Alt Text

Section 6: Deployment (4 Items)

1. Configure Environment Variables

2. Set Up Error Tracking

3. Test the Build

4. Configure Caching

The Launch Day Routine

Post-Launch: First 48 Hours

Hour 1-4: Active Monitoring

Hour 4-24: Passive Monitoring

Hour 24-48: Iteration Planning

The Printable Checklist

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long should I spend on the pre-launch checklist?

Can I skip some items if I'm just launching an MVP?

What's the most commonly skipped item that causes problems?

Should I use a staging environment?

How do I know if my vibe coded app is actually production-ready?