AWS deployment checklists
Release steps for static apps, API routes, DNS, TLS, environment variables, asset caching, and rollback checks.
Takeaway
A small AWS launch should have a short checklist that confirms build output, DNS, TLS, caching, runtime config, and rollback before traffic moves.
01
Confirm what is being shipped
Record the build command, commit, route output, environment file source, and hosting target before deploy. For a static-first app with API routes, verify which pages are prerendered and which endpoints stay dynamic.
This step prevents a common small-team failure: shipping a build that compiles but does not include the route, metadata, or API surface the public docs promise.
- Save the commit, package-manager version, build command, and deploy target.
- Compare generated routes against navigation, sitemap, and README claims.
- Smoke test the homepage, tools index, one content route, and one API endpoint.
02
Check the edge behavior
Review CloudFront cache behavior, compression, redirects, custom error responses, and TLS certificate status. A content-only deploy can still fail publicly if the CDN keeps an old asset or serves a stale route.
Edge settings should be written down before launch because they are easy to forget after the first successful deployment.
- Use long cache lifetimes for immutable hashed assets.
- Keep HTML, sitemap, robots, and metadata routes easier to refresh.
- Verify the certificate covers the apex domain and any www or app subdomain.
03
Keep rollback specific
Rollback notes should name the previous artifact, invalidation step, DNS risk, and smoke test URLs. The goal is to make recovery boring even when the release happens under pressure.
A rollback plan is useful only when it is written before the incident. Include enough detail that the person responding does not need to reverse-engineer the hosting setup.
- Name the previous deploy artifact, bucket prefix, or hosting version.
- List the exact invalidation or redeploy step.
- Define which failed smoke checks require rollback instead of hotfixing.