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Deployment Checklist

Project: Interact - Employee Engagement & Gamification Platform
Last Updated: January 12, 2026
Purpose: Pre-deployment verification and go-live checklist

Overview

This checklist ensures all critical aspects are verified before deploying to production. Use this for every production deployment to maintain quality and reliability.

Quick Reference

Deployment Types

  • 🟢 Minor Update - Bug fixes, small features, no breaking changes
  • 🟡 Major Release - New features, significant changes, tested extensively
  • 🔴 Emergency Hotfix - Critical bug fixes, minimal testing time

Minimum Requirements

All deployments must have:

  • ✅ Code review approval
  • ✅ Linting passed
  • ✅ Build successful
  • ✅ No critical security vulnerabilities

Pre-Deployment Checklist

1. Code Quality

  • Code Review Completed

    • At least one approving review from team member
    • All review comments addressed
    • No unresolved discussions

  • Linting Passed

    npm run lint
    • Zero errors
    • Warnings reviewed and acceptable

  • Build Successful

    npm run build
    • Build completes without errors
    • No unexpected warnings
    • Bundle size is reasonable (check dist/ folder)

  • Git Status Clean

    git status
    • No uncommitted changes
    • Branch is up to date with main
    • No merge conflicts

2. Testing (When Infrastructure Ready)

  • Unit Tests Pass

    npm test
    • All tests pass
    • No failing tests
    • Coverage meets minimum threshold (70%+)

  • Integration Tests Pass

    npm run test:integration
    • API integrations working
    • State management verified
    • Data flows correctly

  • E2E Tests Pass

    npm run test:e2e
    • Critical user flows work
    • Authentication flow verified
    • Key features functional

  • Manual Testing Completed

    • Tested in development environment
    • Tested in staging environment
    • Cross-browser testing (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
    • Mobile responsiveness verified

3. Security

  • No Security Vulnerabilities

    npm audit
    • Zero critical vulnerabilities
    • Zero high vulnerabilities
    • Medium/low vulnerabilities reviewed and accepted

  • Secrets Not Committed

    git log -p | grep -i "api_key\|secret\|password"
    • No API keys in code
    • No secrets in environment files
    • All sensitive data in environment variables

  • Environment Variables Set

    • Production .env configured
    • All required variables present
    • Variables are correct for production

  • Security Headers Configured (If implemented)

    • Content Security Policy
    • X-Frame-Options
    • X-Content-Type-Options
    • Strict-Transport-Security

4. Performance

  • Bundle Size Optimized

    • Check build output for large chunks
    • Lazy loading implemented where appropriate
    • Images optimized (WebP format, proper sizes)

  • Lighthouse Audit Passed (Target scores)

    • Performance: 80+
    • Accessibility: 90+
    • Best Practices: 90+
    • SEO: 90+

  • Load Time Acceptable

    • First Contentful Paint < 2s
    • Time to Interactive < 4s
    • Tested on slow 3G connection

5. Functionality

  • Critical Features Working

    • User authentication (login/logout)
    • Activity browsing and scheduling
    • Points and rewards system
    • Admin panel (if applicable)
    • Payment processing (if applicable)

  • Error Handling Tested

    • 404 page displays correctly
    • Error boundaries catch errors
    • API errors handled gracefully
    • User-friendly error messages

  • Forms Validated

    • Client-side validation works
    • Server-side validation works
    • Error messages are clear
    • Success feedback provided

6. Data & Database

  • Database Migrations Run (If applicable)

    • Migrations tested in staging
    • Rollback plan exists
    • No data loss expected

  • Data Backup Created

    • Recent backup available
    • Backup restoration tested
    • Backup location documented

  • Data Integrity Verified

    • No corrupted data
    • Relationships intact
    • Indexes optimized

7. Third-party Integrations

  • API Keys Valid

    • OpenAI API key active
    • Cloudinary credentials correct
    • Google Calendar API working
    • Other integrations verified

  • Rate Limits Configured

    • API rate limits set
    • Retry logic implemented
    • Fallback strategies in place

  • Webhooks Configured (If applicable)

    • Webhook URLs updated
    • Webhook secrets set
    • Webhook handlers tested

8. Monitoring & Logging

  • Error Tracking Enabled (If implemented)

    • Sentry/error tracking configured
    • Source maps uploaded
    • Alerts configured

  • Analytics Configured (If implemented)

    • Google Analytics ID set
    • Key events tracked
    • Conversion funnels defined

  • Server Logs Accessible

    • Can access production logs
    • Log rotation configured
    • Log retention policy set

9. Documentation

  • CHANGELOG Updated

    • Version number incremented
    • Changes documented
    • Breaking changes highlighted

  • README Updated (If needed)

    • Installation instructions current
    • Environment variables documented
    • Deployment steps updated

  • API Documentation Updated (If API changed)

    • New endpoints documented
    • Request/response examples current
    • Breaking changes noted

  • User Documentation Updated (If UI changed)

    • Help articles updated
    • Screenshots refreshed
    • Video tutorials re-recorded (if needed)

10. Infrastructure

  • DNS Configured (If first deployment)

    • Domain points to server
    • SSL certificate valid
    • CDN configured (if used)

  • Environment Setup

    • Production environment created
    • Correct Node.js version
    • Environment variables set

  • Scaling Configured (If expecting high traffic)

    • Auto-scaling enabled
    • Load balancer configured
    • CDN for static assets

11. Rollback Plan

  • Rollback Strategy Defined

    • Previous version tagged in Git
    • Can quickly revert if needed
    • Database rollback plan (if schema changed)

  • Rollback Tested (For major releases)

    • Rollback procedure documented
    • Rollback tested in staging
    • Team knows rollback process

12. Communication

  • Stakeholders Notified

    • Product owner informed
    • Team notified of deployment
    • Users warned of downtime (if any)

  • Deployment Schedule Set

    • Deployment time chosen (off-peak hours)
    • Team available during deployment
    • On-call person assigned

  • Status Page Updated (If applicable)

    • Maintenance window scheduled
    • Users notified in advance
    • Status updates prepared

Deployment Steps

Step 1: Final Verification

# Pull latest changes
git checkout main
git pull origin main

# Run final checks
npm run lint
npm run build
npm audit

# Verify build output
ls -lh dist/

Step 2: Tag Release

# Create version tag
git tag -a v1.2.3 -m "Release version 1.2.3"
git push origin v1.2.3

Step 3: Deploy to Staging (Recommended)

# Deploy to staging first
npm run deploy:staging

# Test in staging environment
# Run smoke tests
# Verify critical features

Step 4: Deploy to Production

# Deploy to production
npm run deploy:production

# Or with manual build
npm run build
# Upload dist/ to production server

Step 5: Verify Deployment

# Check deployment status
# Verify URL loads correctly
# Test critical features
# Monitor error logs

Step 6: Post-Deployment Monitoring

  • Monitor for 30 minutes after deployment
  • Check error rates in logs
  • Verify user traffic is normal
  • Monitor performance metrics

Post-Deployment Checklist

Immediate (0-30 minutes)

  • Application Loads

    • Homepage loads correctly
    • No console errors
    • Assets loading properly

  • Critical Features Work

    • Login/authentication working
    • Main user flows functional
    • No broken links

  • Performance Acceptable

    • Page load times normal
    • No significant slowdowns
    • API response times good

  • No Error Spikes

    • Check error tracking dashboard
    • Review server logs
    • Monitor application health

Short-term (1-4 hours)

  • User Feedback

    • No critical user reports
    • Support tickets normal
    • Social media mentions reviewed

  • Analytics Normal

    • Traffic patterns expected
    • Conversion rates stable
    • User engagement metrics normal

  • Infrastructure Stable

    • Server load normal
    • Memory usage acceptable
    • Database performance good

Long-term (24 hours)

  • No Regressions Reported

    • No new bugs introduced
    • All features still working
    • User satisfaction maintained

  • Performance Metrics

    • Compare to baseline
    • Identify any degradation
    • Address issues proactively

  • Document Lessons Learned

    • What went well
    • What could improve
    • Update checklist if needed

Emergency Rollback Procedure

When to Rollback

Rollback immediately if:

  • 🔴 Critical feature completely broken
  • 🔴 Security vulnerability introduced
  • 🔴 Data loss or corruption
  • 🔴 Application completely down
  • 🔴 Major performance degradation

Rollback Steps

# 1. Stop new deployments
# 2. Notify team immediately

# 3. Revert to previous version
git checkout v1.2.2
npm run build
npm run deploy:production

# 4. Verify rollback successful
# 5. Investigate issue in dev environment
# 6. Document incident

Post-Rollback

  • Verify previous version working
  • Investigate root cause
  • Fix issue in development
  • Test fix thoroughly
  • Document incident
  • Schedule new deployment

Deployment Frequency Guidelines

Development Environment

  • Frequency: Multiple times per day
  • Approval: Self-approval
  • Testing: Minimal (linting, build)

Staging Environment

  • Frequency: Daily or per feature
  • Approval: Code review required
  • Testing: Full test suite

Production Environment

  • Frequency: Weekly or bi-weekly
  • Approval: Product owner + code review
  • Testing: All checks, staging validation
  • Timing: Off-peak hours

Version Numbering

Follow Semantic Versioning:

  • Major (1.0.0): Breaking changes
  • Minor (1.1.0): New features, backward compatible
  • Patch (1.1.1): Bug fixes

Example:

v0.0.0 → v0.1.0 (Add user profiles)
v0.1.0 → v0.1.1 (Fix login bug)
v0.1.1 → v1.0.0 (Major release, breaking changes)

Team Roles

Deployment Lead

  • Reviews checklist
  • Executes deployment
  • Monitors for issues
  • Coordinates rollback if needed

Product Owner

  • Approves deployment timing
  • Reviews feature list
  • Communicates with stakeholders

QA Engineer (When available)

  • Runs test suite
  • Performs manual testing
  • Validates fixes

On-Call Engineer

  • Available during deployment
  • Responds to incidents
  • Assists with rollback

Tools & Resources

Recommended Tools

Build & Deploy:

  • Vite (current)
  • Vercel/Netlify for hosting
  • GitHub Actions for CI/CD

Monitoring:

  • Sentry (error tracking)
  • LogRocket (session replay)
  • Google Analytics (usage)

Performance:

  • Lighthouse CI
  • WebPageTest
  • Bundlephobia (bundle analysis)

Related Documentation

Deployment History Template

Keep a log of deployments:

### v1.2.3 - 2026-01-15

**Deployed by:** John Doe
**Environment:** Production
**Downtime:** None

**Changes:**
- Added user profile customization
- Fixed login timeout bug
- Improved mobile responsiveness

**Issues Encountered:** None

**Rollback:** Not required

**Post-deployment notes:** Deployment smooth, no issues reported.

Contact & Support

Deployment Issues

During Business Hours:

After Hours:

  • On-call engineer: Check team schedule
  • Emergency: [Emergency contact TBD]

Escalation Path

  1. Deployment Lead
  2. Engineering Manager
  3. CTO
  4. CEO (critical incidents only)

Continuous Improvement

After Each Deployment

  • Review what went well
  • Identify pain points
  • Update checklist
  • Share learnings with team

Monthly Review

  • Analyze deployment metrics
  • Identify patterns in issues
  • Improve automation
  • Refine process

Document Owner: Engineering Team & DevOps
Last Updated: January 12, 2026
Next Review: March 2026

Use this checklist for every production deployment to ensure quality and reliability.

End of Deployment Checklist