Pre-publish health check for web apps
Coming from another platform? Publishing is the same thing as deploying - what other tools call deploy, deployment, or redeploy, Emergent calls Publish and Re-publish. New to Emergent? The Learn the Basics path walks this end-to-end.
Before you publish
Looking for the beginner version? See Try it before you share it.
Every publish (web or mobile) is a published snapshot of your app. Taking a few minutes to verify readiness before you ship will save hours of firefighting later.
Preview ≠ production
The preview environment runs your latest code in development mode. Published app creates a separate, optimized production build - so always test the published version after your first publish.
Preview and test thoroughly
Before you hit publish, exercise your app as a real user would.
Test all core features
Walk through your primary user flows end-to-end: sign-up, login, main actions, checkout, etc. Confirm buttons trigger the right actions, forms validate correctly, and data saves as expected.
Check responsiveness
Resize your browser (or use dev tools device emulation) to confirm layouts adapt cleanly from mobile to tablet to desktop. Text should remain readable, buttons tappable, and images properly scaled.
Test interactivity and state
Open dropdowns, modals, tabs, and drawers. Verify animations play smoothly, loading spinners appear during async work, and error messages show when they should.
On-device testing for mobile apps
If you are publishing a mobile app, install the preview build on a real device (iOS or Android) via Expo Go (free, no paid plan required; TestFlight/APK native builds require a paid Emergent plan). Touch targets, scrolling behavior, keyboard handling, and camera/gallery permissions all behave differently on real hardware.
Tip
Ask a colleague or friend to try the preview - fresh eyes catch usability issues you've become blind to.
Pre-publish readiness checklist
Before you publish to production, confirm each item below.
Technical readiness
Ensure production API keys, database credentials, and third-party service tokens are set in your publish environment (not hardcoded). The Universal LLM Key is included by default; add any additional keys your app requires.
If your app uses MongoDB or another data store, confirm schema changes are applied and any required seed data (categories, initial settings, etc.) is present in production. Re-publish never moves data from preview to production (only the first publish does), so if you add data or change the schema after the first publish in preview it won't be reflected in the production database.
Test sign-up, login, and logout with real email addresses. Verify email delivery (check spam folders), session persistence, and protected route behavior.
Confirm payment gateways, email services, analytics, and any external APIs are configured with production credentials and return expected responses.
Deliberately trigger error states (invalid form input, network failures, missing resources) and confirm your app shows helpful messages rather than crashing or hanging.
Content and polish
| Item | What to check |
|---|---|
| Copy and spelling | Scan visible text for typos, placeholder "lorem ipsum," and broken grammar. |
| Images and assets | Verify all images load, logos are high-resolution, and icons are consistent. |
| Branding | Confirm app name, favicon, and splash screen reflect your final brand. |
| Legal pages | Include privacy policy, terms of service, and any required disclaimers. |
Performance and SEO (web)
Open your preview in an incognito window and watch the initial render. If it feels sluggish, investigate large images, heavy third-party scripts, or unoptimized bundles.
Confirm page titles, descriptions, and social share images (
og:imagetwitter:cardVerify
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">Mobile-specific (iOS and Android)
Prepare your app name, description, screenshots, category, and keywords. Have your icon ready in all required sizes (iOS needs 1024×1024, Android needs adaptive icon layers).
Ensure your app requests only the permissions it actually uses (camera, location, notifications, etc.) and include usage descriptions that explain why each permission is needed.
Test on both iOS and Android devices if you are building cross-platform. Pay attention to status bar styling, safe area insets, back-button behavior, and keyboard dismissal.
Published app confidence checklist
Right before you click "Publish," confirm:
- You have tested in preview and fixed any obvious bugs.
- Environment variables are set for production.
- Database and backend services are live and accessible.
- Core user flows work end-to-end (sign-up, main feature, checkout, etc.).
- Branding, copy, and legal pages are final and proofread.
- (Web) Meta tags, favicon, and custom domain (if using) are configured. See custom domain.
- (Mobile) App store assets and permissions are ready.
Success
When you can check every box above, you are ready to ship. Publish with confidence - and remember you can always push updates if you discover something after launch.
After you publish
Once your app is live, verify the published build behaves identically to preview. The preview and published environments are separate, so it is normal to see a production URL (web) or a new build number (mobile).
Monitor user feedback, error logs, and analytics for the first few hours. Early adopters will often surface edge cases you missed in testing.
Keep iterating
Every publish is a snapshot - not a finish line. Use real-world usage to guide your next round of improvements.
