Build a content publishing checklist

An approved document can still become a broken web page. A link may be copied incorrectly, an image may disappear during export, or a heading may look fine on a large screen and crowd the layout on a phone. The final check belongs in the actual publishing format.

Check identity and meaning first

Confirm that the correct item is being published at the intended address with the agreed title. Read the opening and the main action in context. Check names, dates and any changeable details against the approved material. Look for editing notes, placeholder text and private comments that should not appear in the public version.

Open the links rather than judging them by their labels. Confirm that an internal link reaches the relevant page and that the destination supports the surrounding sentence. Check the actual image files and whether their descriptions fit what they show. An unrelated image that loads successfully is still a content problem.

Test the reader's route

Reach the page from the place a reader is expected to find it, such as a category list or campaign link. Try its visible controls and any promised next step. If the page offers a download, open the downloaded file. If it contains a form, test the agreed behaviour without submitting real customer information unnecessarily. Record what was tested and any limits.

Inspect the page at a narrow and a wider viewport. Look for clipped text, awkward image crops, overlapping elements and controls that are hard to use. This is not a substitute for a complete accessibility assessment, but it catches avoidable problems before release. Assign anything outside the publisher's competence to the appropriate reviewer.

Keep the checklist short enough to perform on every relevant release. Separate checks that apply to every page from conditional checks for features such as video or downloads. After publication, verify the public destination when authorised to do so and record the result. A completed checklist should describe observed checks, not imply that every possible device and circumstance has been tested.