Website Launch Glossary for Non-Technical Founders
Use this glossary when a launch checklist, SEO report, deployment screen, or AI permission prompt uses a term that sounds more technical than it needs to. Each definition is short, practical, and linked to a relevant ShipCheckr check where useful.
Last updated: June 2026
sitemap
A public file that lists important URLs you want search engines to discover and crawl.
A small website might list its homepage, pricing page, tools page, and launch resources in /sitemap.xml.
robots.txt
A public text file that gives crawlers instructions about which parts of a site should or should not be crawled.
Disallow: /admin can be reasonable. Disallow: / usually blocks the whole public site from crawling.
noindex
An instruction that tells search engines not to include a page in search results.
Use noindex for pages that should not appear in search. Remove it from public launch pages you want indexed.
canonical URL
The preferred URL for a page when similar or duplicate versions exist.
If the public page is https://www.example.com/pricing, the canonical should not point to a preview URL or the non-www version.
meta title
The page title search engines and browser tabs may use to describe a page.
Good: Invoice Reminder Tool for Freelancers. Weak: Home.
meta description
A short page summary search engines may use in search results. It should set clear expectations for the page.
Good descriptions explain the page in plain language. Bad descriptions stuff keywords or promise things the page does not deliver.
Open Graph
Metadata used by social and messaging apps to build a link preview with a title, description, URL, and image.
A good share preview uses the final public URL and a relevant image that external platforms can fetch.
Search Console
Google's free tool for checking sitemap submission, URL inspection, indexing messages, and search visibility signals.
Use it after launch to submit your sitemap and inspect important public pages.
indexing
The point where Google has chosen to include a page in its search index.
A page can be crawled but not indexed if Google decides not to include it yet.
crawling
The process where a search engine visits a URL and reads what is available there.
Robots.txt, redirects, server errors, and noindex instructions can all affect what happens after crawling.
Vercel deployment
A published version of a site or app hosted on Vercel. Preview deployments are for review, while production is what users should visit.
Before launch, check the final production domain rather than only a preview deployment.
production domain
The final public domain people and search engines should use for the live site.
For ShipCheckr, production URLs should use https://www.shipcheckr.com rather than a preview or localhost address.
SSL
The certificate setup that lets a site load securely over https.
A launch-ready site should load over https and avoid browser security warnings.
privacy policy
A page that explains how a website or app handles user data in practical, understandable terms.
ShipCheckr can help you notice whether trust pages exist, but it is not legal advice.
AI disclosure
Plain-language copy that explains when a product uses AI and what users should know before relying on it.
Useful disclosure says what the AI can read, draft, change, or recommend, and where users stay in control.
browser extension permissions
The access a browser extension asks for, such as reading the active tab, selected sites, all sites, clipboard text, or page content.
Reading one selected tab is usually narrower than reading every site you visit.
Related checks
Related ShipCheckr checks
Use these checks when you want to apply the glossary terms to a real launch review.
Start Here
Follow a guided path through ShipCheckr launch checks.
Open check ->PrintableWebsite Launch Checklist PDF
Print a practical website launch checklist or save it as a PDF.
Open check ->SEO guideGoogle Search Console Setup Checklist
Verify the property, submit the sitemap, and inspect key URLs.
Open check ->SEO guideNew Website Indexing Troubleshooter
Troubleshoot new pages that are not showing in Google yet.
Open check ->AI guideAI Tool Permission Checker
Review AI access, action boundaries, and disclosure.
Open check ->