How I check a static Next.js site before it goes live

Why static HTML needs its own checks

A static export is a folder of HTML files. The content is there before any JavaScript runs, so a search engine can read it directly. The same simplicity hides mistakes: a page can look right in the browser while the HTML underneath is wrong.

These are the checks I run before a launch. I read the built output, not the source, because the built output is what gets served.

1. Confirm every route has HTML

Run the production build and check that each page you expect exists as an .html file in the output folder. A page that only appears after client-side rendering may not be read the way you intended.

2. Check titles, descriptions and canonicals

Each page needs its own title, its own description and one canonical address. Duplicate titles are a common leftover from a template, so I check each built page for them.

3. Parse the structured data

Pull every JSON-LD block out of the built HTML and parse it. A block that fails to parse is ignored without any warning. Mark up only what is visible on the page, and keep every fact in it true.

4. Check the sitemap and robots file

The sitemap should list every public page and nothing private. Request each listed address and confirm it returns 200. robots.txt should allow the public pages and point to the sitemap.

5. Check redirects

If the bare domain and the www address both serve the site, choose one and permanently redirect the other to it. Check both with curl, following the redirects, and confirm they end on the same HTTPS address.

6. Measure mobile speed

Run Lighthouse with the mobile preset, record the numbers, make one change, and run it again with the same settings. Scores change between runs and devices, so compare several runs rather than trusting one.