Product launch checklist
Every task between a finished sample and a sold-out first batch, grouped by when it happens: four weeks out, two weeks out, launch week, launch day and the week after.
Download for CSV for Coavon, Excel or Sheets (CSV). Free to use, no sign-up needed.
| When | Task | Usually done by | Done |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 weeks out | Confirm the launch date and the goal (units or revenue) | Founder | |
| 4 weeks out | Approve the final sample with the supplier | Operations | |
| 4 weeks out | Confirm stock quantity, lead time and arrival date | Operations | |
| 4 weeks out | Set the price, compare-at price and margin | Founder | |
| 4 weeks out | Book product photography | Marketing | |
| 4 weeks out | Plan the launch emails and social posts | Marketing | |
| 4 weeks out | Brief freelancers: photographer and copywriter | Marketing | |
| 2 weeks out | Shoot product photography | Photographer | |
| 2 weeks out | Choose and retouch the final images | Marketing | |
| 2 weeks out | Write the product description, sizing and care notes | Copywriter | |
| 2 weeks out | Create the listing: variants, SKUs, weights and prices | Operations | |
| 2 weeks out | Add inventory and barcodes in the store | Operations | |
| 2 weeks out | Draft the launch emails: early access, launch, last chance | Marketing | |
| 2 weeks out | Prepare social posts and ad creative | Marketing | |
| Launch week | Listing QA: images, copy, variants and prices on mobile and desktop | Operations | |
| Launch week | Test checkout, discount codes and shipping rates | Operations | |
| Launch week | Confirm stock has arrived and been counted | Operations | |
| Launch week | Brief customer service: FAQs, sizing and returns | Customer service | |
| Launch week | Add the product to navigation and collections | Operations | |
| Launch week | Schedule the emails and social posts | Marketing | |
| Launch day | Publish the product | Operations | |
| Launch day | Send the launch email | Marketing | |
| Launch day | Post on social and switch on ads | Marketing | |
| Launch day | Watch orders, stock levels and site errors | Operations | |
| Launch day | Answer customer questions the same day | Customer service | |
| The week after | Send the follow-up or last-chance email | Marketing | |
| The week after | Review sales, conversion and returns against the goal | Founder | |
| The week after | Ask early buyers for reviews | Marketing | |
| The week after | Plan the restock or reorder with the supplier | Operations | |
| The week after | Note what to change and update the launch template | Founder |
What is a product launch checklist?
A product launch checklist lists every job that has to be done before, during and after a new product goes on sale, in the order it needs to happen. For an online store that means the work behind the listing: the sample, the stock, the photos, the copy, the listing itself, the emails and the checks that stop a launch going out with a broken variant or a missing size.
The point is not the list itself but the timing. Most launches slip because one late item, usually the photos, holds up everything after it. Grouping the tasks by week makes that visible early.
How to use this checklist
- Pick your launch date and count back four weeks. Each group of tasks now has a week to land in.
- Give every task one owner. The "Usually done by" column is a starting point; change it to the people on your team.
- Start with what has the longest lead time: the sample, the stock and the photography booking.
- Run the QA tasks in launch week, not on launch day, so there is time to fix what they find.
- After launch, write down what to change and update the checklist, so the next launch starts from a better version.
Photos hold up more launches than anything else. Book the shoot in the first week, even if the final sample is still on its way.
An ecommerce launch checklist: what online stores need to add
A general launch plan covers the message and the timing. An ecommerce launch checklist also has to cover the store itself, which is where most launch-day problems come from:
- Listing QA: every variant, size and colour with the right image, price and weight, checked on a phone as well as a laptop.
- Checkout tests: a real test order, the discount code you are sending in the email, and shipping rates for each region.
- Stock: counted and received before the email goes out, not just "on its way".
- Customer service: the questions you will be asked, about sizing, care, delivery and returns, answered before launch day.
Use this checklist in Coavon
Download the CSV, then in Coavon's Flow app make an empty project called Product launch. Open Workspace settings, Import / Export, choose the file and pick that project. The 30 tasks arrive with their stage as a tag and their priority set, ready to be given owners and dates. Save the project as a template under Workspace settings, Templates, and every launch after this one starts from it.
See how small online stores run launches, suppliers and the weekly routine in one workspace: Coavon for ecommerce.
Is this product launch checklist free?
Yes. Download the CSV and use it without creating an account. It opens in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers, and imports into Coavon.
How far ahead should I start planning a product launch?
Four weeks is enough for most new products from an existing supplier. A new supplier, a new product category or a big seasonal sale such as Black Friday needs six to eight weeks.
What is the most common reason a product launch slips?
Late photography. Copy, the listing and the emails all wait on approved images, so book the shoot early and get the final picks approved before anything else.