The release checklist: know a build will publish before you press Publish
After every build or change, the builder sends the exact pages that would ship to Anticode's server and runs everything publishing runs: the security gate, the design gate and the security baseline. Nothing is published. A card in the chat then says Release-ready, or lists what's in the way and how to fix it, so a refusal at publish time is never the first you hear of a problem.
Why check before publishing
Anticode's server refuses to publish a page that fails its checks, which is the right default, but finding out at the last step is frustrating: you're ready to share the link and instead get a list of problems. A website release readiness check moves the same verdict earlier. Because it calls the same server code publishing uses, "release-ready" means what it says: press Publish and it goes live as it is.
What runs
| Part | What it checks | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Security | The server's publish-time checks: a complete HTML document, no scripts, frames or plugins, no inline handlers, no javascript: URLs, forms that post only to the site, HTTPS everywhere. For an app, the app code gate's security checks | Sentinel |
| Design | The design gate: a language, a phone viewport, a title, visible keyboard focus, reduced-motion support, alt text, no serif fallbacks, no third font family, no purple-to-blue gradient, no stock AI phrases, no placeholder text and no empty links | Design gate |
| Baseline | The items of the security baseline that apply to this site, including two-factor sign-in for the account owner and the person publishing | Security baseline |
On a site with several pages, every page is sent and checked. A check fails if it fails on any page, and its detail starts with the page it failed on, such as about/, so you know where to look.
Reading the card
The card appears in the chat after each run. Its heading is either Release-ready or Not release-ready with the number of things to fix. Under it are three pills, Security, Design and Baseline, each showing how many of its items pass. Then comes a list of only the failing items, each with the fix where there's a simple one or the detail of what was found. If the missing item is two-factor sign-in, a Turn on two-factor sign-in button takes you to the setting. A collapsed section, The security baseline, lists every baseline item, including the ones that don't apply to this site and why.
Why can't I publish my site?
When the card says Not release-ready, it's usually one of a handful of causes:
- A link that goes nowhere. A button left pointing at
#, or an empty link, fails the design gate. Point it at a page, a section, an email address or a phone number. - Wording the gate looks for. A stock phrase or a template blank in your own copy. The detail quotes what it found.
- A font you asked for. Naming a serif typeface, or a third font family, fails the type rules.
- Two-factor sign-in is off. A site with any form collects data, so the account that can read the submissions needs two-factor sign-in before publishing.
- A field without a length limit. Every field on a form needs a type and a maximum length; built-in forms already have them.
One cause the card doesn't show: publishing also needs a confirmed email address on the account, and the server asks for that separately.
How it fits with the Report tab
The Report tab shows the full lists the builder runs as you work: the Critic's nineteen design checks and Sentinel's twelve security checks. Most of the Critic's checks are advice. The release checklist is narrower and stricter: it's exactly the set that decides whether publishing succeeds. A page can show a design tell in the Report tab and still be release-ready.
Limits
- Signed-in builds only. A preview build made without an account doesn't get the card.
- Advice, not a gate. If the check can't be reached, nothing is shown, and publishing still runs every check itself.
- Rules, not judgement. Release-ready means the rules pass. It doesn't mean the prices are right or the copy is good; that's yours to check, and the website launch checklist covers the human side.
Questions people ask
Does the release checklist publish anything?
No. It runs the publish checks and reports. Publishing is still a separate step that runs the checks again.
When does it run?
After every build and every change, including edits and restores, for signed-in builds.
If it says release-ready, will publishing definitely work?
It runs the same server checks, so it should, provided your email address is confirmed and nothing changes in between.
Why does a page with no form still list two-factor sign-in?
It's listed in the baseline section as not applying. Only sites that collect data need it before publishing.