Performance & Launch QA

Performance is easiest to protect before launch. This audit and QA pass focus on Core Web Vitals, predictable metadata, and accessibility basics so your Astro site ships fast and stays stable on Cloudflare Pages. The goal is a practical backlog-not a slide deck-that your team can execute quickly.

How this differs from a generic audit

• Actionable backlog. Every issue is tied to a severity, owner, and suggested fix, not just a score.
• Shipping mindset. We prioritize changes that can land before launch, then stage the rest for follow-up.
• Metadata discipline. Canonicals, OG tags, and robots rules are checked alongside performance to avoid SEO regressions.
• Accessibility in scope. Heading order, labels, focus, and contrast are reviewed so you don’t fix performance while breaking usability.

Core deliverables in depth

• Performance audit. Lighthouse and WebPageTest runs with clear deltas after fixes, focused on LCP, CLS, and INP.
• Media strategy. Rules for image dimensions, responsive sources, and lazy loading to prevent layout shifts.
• CLS prevention. Width/height defaults, predictable component spacing, and font loading guidance.
• Accessibility sweep. Targeted checks for form labels, skip links, keyboard navigation, and CTA contrast.
• Launch QA checklist. Metadata, sitemap, robots, schema alignment, and internal link sanity checks.
• Caching guidance. Recommendations for headers and asset strategy on Cloudflare Pages.

Process that fits tight timelines

1. Assess. Review build output, run initial tests, and gather third-party script inventory.
2. Plan. Create a ranked backlog: quick wins (media sizing, defer scripts), medium effort (component tweaks), and higher effort items for post-launch.
3. Tighten. Implement fixes in Astro/Tailwind, reduce JS, and ensure metadata is correct.
4. Verify. Re-run tests, document before/after metrics, and leave a stabilization checklist for your team.

What we test and why

• Render path: Largest elements, font loading behavior, and script blocking.
• Layout stability: Image and embed dimensions, spacing consistency, and component-level CLS risk.
• Interaction readiness: Input responsiveness (INP), form focus states, and CTA clarity.
• Crawl signals: Titles, descriptions, canonicals, OG/Twitter tags, and sitemap/robots alignment.

Constraints and honest expectations

• If your stack adds large client-side apps after this audit, performance gains will erode. We recommend keeping marketing pages static and isolating heavy features.
• Some third-party tools cannot be deferred; we will flag them and suggest lighter alternatives or conditional loading.
• We do not claim “perfect scores”-we focus on stability and meaningful improvements that affect conversions.

What success looks like

• Reduced CLS risk through defined media sizing and predictable layout spacing.
• Faster perceived load from lighter JS, deferred non-essential scripts, and optimized hero assets.
• Cleaner crawl signals thanks to validated metadata, schema, and internal links.
• A repeatable QA checklist you can run before every release.

FAQs about the engagement

Do you change design? Only when layout changes are required to prevent shifts or improve clarity. Otherwise, we work within your visual system.
How long does this take? It depends on asset volume and third-party complexity. After a quick review, we’ll confirm an estimated timeline and what can realistically ship before launch.
Can you pair with our team? Yes. We can implement fixes directly or work alongside your developers with a prioritized list.
What if we lack proof or case studies? We won’t fabricate evidence. We keep copy factual, focusing on process and measurable outcomes like stability and speed.

Next steps

Share your current build, must-keep scripts, and any known problem pages. We’ll return a scoped backlog, timelines, and the QA steps to run before launch and after the site goes live.