Deployment & Monitoring SOP
QCK WordPress Infrastructure & Dev Governance Framework
1️⃣ Purpose
Deployment is not a final step. It is a controlled transition phase.
This SOP ensures that structural updates are:
- Verified before release
- Safely deployed
- Properly purged from cache layers
- Monitored post-launch
- Escalated quickly if anomalies occur
2️⃣ Pre-Deployment Checklist
Complete in staging before launch.
General Validation
- Template rendering matches approved Figma
- Responsive behavior validated
- All CMS fields mapped correctly
- WooCommerce logic tested
- Forms tested
- No console errors
- No visible layout shifts
Infrastructure Validation
- Backup confirmed with date and time recorded
- Staging version matches production environment
- PHP version confirmed
- Plugin updates not pending
- Security plugins not blocking changes
- Caching behavior validated
Structural Validation (If Applicable)
- Redirect mapping implemented
- Redirect rules tested in staging
- Canonical tags verified
- Sitemap regenerated
- Internal links updated
- Rewrite rules validated
3️⃣ Redirect QA Checklist
For permalink or URL changes, confirm:
- Sample of top-ranking URLs tested
- 301 status confirmed and not 302
- Redirect chains avoided
- Redirect loops tested
- Trailing slash behavior validated
- Query parameters preserved if required
- Mobile redirect behavior confirmed
Test Methods
Browser + incognito
HTTP status checker
GSC URL inspection post-launch
Priority
Top-ranking URLs and structurally affected pages should be validated first.
4️⃣ Cache Purge Plan
Before deployment, confirm:
- CDN provider identified
- Cache TTL known
- Edge cache rules understood
- Object cache identified
- Cache exclusions documented
Immediately after deployment:
- Full CDN purge executed
- Object cache cleared
- Page cache cleared
- Browser cache tested
- Stale template version not served
Step 1
Application cache
Step 2
Object cache
Step 3
CDN and browser validation
5️⃣ Google Search Console (GSC) Resubmission
If URLs changed, confirm:
- Updated sitemap submitted
- Affected key URLs inspected in GSC
- Index request submitted if needed
- Crawl errors monitored
- Coverage report reviewed
6️⃣ Post-Launch Monitoring
Monitoring is mandatory for structural changes.
Confirm redirects functioning, validate template rendering in production, confirm CDN purge worked, spot-check top affected URLs, confirm no 404 spike, and verify mobile layout.
Monitor GSC coverage, review 404 logs, validate crawl behavior, compare traffic baseline, and monitor Core Web Vitals for early anomalies.
Review ranking stability, confirm traffic trend consistency, validate no duplicate indexing, confirm canonical consistency, and verify CRO tests are functioning properly.
7️⃣ Escalation Triggers
Immediate escalation is required if any of the following occur after launch:
- Redirect failure detected
- 404 spike observed
- Traffic drop beyond expected variance
- Duplicate indexing detected
- CDN serving stale version
- Severe layout instability
- Checkout issues detected
Escalation includes:
- Notify AM
- Notify SEO
- Document findings
- Deploy corrective action
- Update client if required
8️⃣ Deployment Governance Rules
No structural update goes live without:
- Backup verification
- Redirect QA
- Cache purge confirmation
- Risk classification assigned
No template launch is considered complete until:
- Day 7 monitoring completed
- No critical anomalies detected
9️⃣ Documentation Requirement
After Day 7, record the following:
Client: __________________
Project: __________________
Risk Classification: __________________
Deployment Date: __________________
Issues Detected: __________________
Resolution Summary: __________________
Monitoring Outcome: __________________
🔟 Why This Matters
This SOP exists to:
- Protect rankings
- Protect revenue
- Protect CRO data integrity
- Reduce reactive Slack fire drills
- Build client trust
- Make development more predictable