Release Checklist

Overview

Use this checklist before and after releasing a change to production.

Why It Matters

Release mistakes are expensive, and a checklist reduces avoidable misses.

Core Concepts

• Verify the build.
• Verify the deploy.
• Verify the real user path.

Mental Models

Release work is about confidence, not just completion.

Best Practices

• Confirm the deploy target.
• Check logs and monitoring after release.
• Keep rollback steps ready.

Common Mistakes

• Not checking production after deploy.
• Forgetting feature flags or config differences.
• Shipping without a clear owner.

Trade-offs

Stricter release checks slow the process slightly, but they reduce expensive incidents.

Decision Framework

flowchart TD
  A[Ready to release] --> B[Build green?]
  B -->|Yes| C[Deploy]
  C --> D[Verify production]
  D --> E[Monitor]

Examples

• Confirm the critical path after rollout before closing the release task.

Checklists

• Is the build green?
• Is the rollout verified?
• Are rollback and monitoring in place?

Senior Engineer Notes

Senior engineers treat releases like operations work. Verification after deployment is part of the job.

Further Reading

• Deployment Pipeline
• Monitoring
• Production Incidents