Template & checklist · manual release signoff

UTM QA Checklist

Use this page as the last human signoff before a tracked link goes live. Confirm ownership, redirect proof, logging, approvals, and launch readiness after the automated checks are done.

Run it after machine validation and before anything goes live.

Start the checklist
Confirm the link is publish-safe

Use the checklist after automated validation is finished and before the campaign reaches live traffic.

Handle the human signoff layer

Ownership, redirect proof, logging discipline, and approval evidence still need human review.

Block unsafe launches

If any red-flag item fails, stop the launch and fix the link before traffic starts.

Run the human release gate

Check every section below before a tracked link reaches live traffic. The progress panel updates as you tick off each item, so the whole team can see whether the launch is ready, drifting, or blocked.

1. Naming and contract

0/4

Do not start with guesswork. The link should already match the approved taxonomy, naming pattern, and campaign plan.

2. URL and destination integrity

0/4

The finished URL should still respect the live destination, preserve existing parameters, and land where the team expects.

3. Approval and evidence

0/4

Every publishable link needs a traceable owner, a reviewer, and evidence that the release was approved on purpose.

4. Publish and post-launch proof

0/4

The final check is whether the launch can be monitored after it goes live and whether the first proof steps are already planned.

Automatic fail conditions

These are the fastest ways to stop a launch without debate. If any of these are true, the link is not ready.

Wrong or incomplete tracking contract

Required UTMs are missing, naming rules changed mid-build, or the values do not match the approved taxonomy.

Route proof is missing

The team has not tested the redirect path, or the destination behaves differently once the public route is clicked.

No publish evidence

The final link is not logged, the owner is unclear, or there is no explicit approval evidence for the live route.

Use the checker for structure

Run the finished URL through the UTM QA Checker before you use this manual release gate.

Use redirect testing for route truth

Use the Redirect Checker when shorteners, affiliate redirects, or click trackers sit in the path.

Use the campaign sheet as proof

Log the exact publishable URL in the campaign tracking spreadsheet before the launch happens.

Go deeper in release validation

Run the automated check

Use the QA Checker when the structure itself needs validation before a human signs off.

Open QA Checker

Validate the public path

Use the Redirect Checker when the route has to survive shorteners, click trackers, partner redirects, or affiliate hops.

Open Redirect Checker

Keep launch evidence visible

Use the campaign tracking spreadsheet or automation workflow to preserve exactly what went live.

Open campaign sheet