Launch Checklist Template
A day-by-day checklist for the 21 days before a course or offer launch, covering audience, offer, waitlist, tech setup, sales page, email sequence, warm-up content, and launch day.
Need a different version? The AI lead magnet creator writes one from your notes. See also lead magnet creation and eBook creation.
What's included
Sample content
The template comes filled with this example content. Describe your own and the AI rewrites it.
Read the full sample text
FREE CHECKLIST For the course waitlist · 9 pages
21
DAYS T-21 → T-0 OPEN CART
The Launch
Checklist
Everything to do in the 21 days before you open the cart — and on the day you do.
Countdown tick one a day
21
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
09
08
07
06
05
04
03
02
01
GO
by Maya Lind Content coach for small business owners
THE SUNDAY DRAFT
MAYALIND.CO
00 · How to use
Start here
How to use this checklist
A launch is not one big day. It is 21 small days in a row. This checklist splits them into three phases, so you only ever look at this week.
- 01 Pick your cart-open date first. Write it on the timeline below and count back 21 days. That is T-21.
- 02 Work one phase at a time. Do not read ahead. Each phase page fits on your desk next to the keyboard.
- 03 Tick the blue KEY tasks no matter what. If a week goes badly, do only those and your launch still works.
- 04 Fill in the numbers every evening. Page 8 tells you what is working while you can still change it.
To do Done KEYDo this even in a bad week
The launch at a glance
My cart opens on: ____ / ____ / ________
-21
-14
-7
0
+5
01 AUDIENCE & OFFER
02 SALES PAGE & EMAILS
03 WARM-UP
GO
CART OPEN
T-21
Audience & offer
Talk to real people, lock the promise and the price, start the waitlist.
PAGE 03
T-14
Sales page & emails
Write the page and all ten launch emails while you are calm.
PAGES 04–05
T-7
Warm-up content
Seven days of posts that make the problem feel urgent and you feel trusted.
PAGE 06
T-0
Launch day
Open the cart at 9:00. Follow the run-sheet hour by hour. Stay visible.
PAGE 07
T+5
Cart close
Last call at 21:00. Then count, thank, and write down what you learned.
PAGE 08
You need · 01 An email toolAny tool that can tag a waitlist and schedule emails.
You need · 02 A checkoutOne product, one price, one payment plan. Test it twice.
You need · 03 One sales pageA simple page is enough. Clear beats clever.
You need · 04 About 1 hour a dayMore in Phase 2, less in Phase 3. Block it now.
Phase 01 · T-21 → T-15
PHASE01
Audience
& offer
Before you write a word of sales copy, make sure the right people want this exact thing, at this price, now.
T-21 → T-157 days
about 6 hours of work
15 tasks · 5 key
Know who it is for A
Book five 20-minute calls with past clientsKEY Ask: “What made posting hard last month?” Write down their exact words.
Collect 10 phrases people use for the problem “I freeze when I open Instagram” beats “content paralysis”. Use these in your copy.
Write a one-line “this is for you if…” Example: you run a small business and post in bursts, then go quiet for weeks.
Write who it is NOT for Saying no to agencies and full-time creators makes the yes louder.
Shape the offer B
Write the promise in one sentenceKEY “In 4 weeks, post 3 times a week in under 2 hours, without dreading it.”
Outline the 4 weeks — one outcome per week Plan, batch, repurpose, keep going. No week without a clear result.
Set the founding price and the end dateKEY A real reason to buy now: $149 founding price, $199 after the cart closes.
Pick one bonus that removes an excuse “No time” → a 30-day caption bank. Not a random extra.
Build the waitlist C
Make a waitlist page with one field: emailKEY Headline = the promise. Below it: dates, price range, one line about you.
Put the waitlist link in every bio Instagram, LinkedIn, email signature, the top of your site.
Tell The Sunday Draft readers first Your newsletter is your warmest audience. Give them early-bird access.
Set a waitlist goal you can see Plan on 2–5% of the waitlist buying. 15 sales needs about 400 sign-ups.
Set up the tech D
Connect checkout and run a real $1 testKEY Buy it yourself. Check the receipt, the welcome email and the login.
Tag waitlist sign-ups in your email tool You will email them more often than your main list. Keep them separate.
Block your calendar for launch week No client calls on T-0 and T+5. Protect the two biggest days.
Write it here By T-15
My promise
Price · end date
Phase 02 · T-14 → T-8
PHASE02
Sales page
& emails
Write everything that sells while you are still calm. Launch week is for showing up, not for writing.
T-14 → T-87 days
about 9 hours of work
12 tasks · 4 key
Write the sales page A
Draft the page top to bottom in one sittingKEY Ugly and complete beats pretty and half-done. Edit tomorrow.
Open with their words, not yours Use the phrases from your Phase 1 calls in the headline and first lines.
Ask three past clients for a short quote Send them a question: “What changed after we worked together?”
Read the page out loud on your phone Most buyers will see it on a phone. Cut every line that makes you stop.
Write the emails B
Plan all ten emails on page 5KEY Subject, send day and one goal for each. Then write them in two sessions.
Schedule them all before T-8KEY Anything scheduled is a decision you do not have to make while tired.
Send each test email to yourself Check links, the name field and how it looks on mobile and in dark mode.
Write a 5-question FAQ from real objections “What if I miss a week?” “Is it live?” “Can I get a refund?”
Sales page must-haves Tick before T-8
- A headline with the promise and the time frame: 4 weeks.
- Who it is for — and who it is not for.
- What changes: before and after, in their words.
- The 4 weeks, one line and one outcome each.
- Three testimonials with a first name and a business.
- Price, founding deadline and payment plan.
- A clear refund policy: 14 days, no hoops.
- One button text, repeated three times down the page.
Plain wordsIf a 12-year-old would not say it, rewrite it.
One actionEach section ends at the same button.
Show a faceOne photo of you near the top builds trust fast.
Proof earlyPut one testimonial before the price.
Proof bank Name · business · one line in their words
01
02
03
Phase 02 · Email planner
Phase 02 · Planner
Email sequence
planner
Ten emails carry most launches. Three warm up, one opens the cart, six close it. Write your own subject lines next to the examples.
| # | Send | Subject line idea | Goal | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | T-7 · 08:00 | I’m building something, and I need your helpAsk one question. Every reply is a future buyer. | Warm up | |
| 02 | T-4 · 08:00 | The 3 posts I would delete if I started againPure value. Name the problem the course fixes. | Teach | |
| 03 | T-1 · 18:00 | Doors open tomorrow at 9am (you are first)Date, time, price, founding deadline. | Heads-up | |
| 04 | T-0 · 09:00 | Post Without Burning Out is openShort. The promise, the 4 weeks, the button. | Open cart | |
| 05 | T+1 · 08:00 | A look inside week 1Show a real lesson and the plan template. | Show it | |
| 06 | T+2 · 08:00 | “What if I fall behind?” and 4 other questionsYour FAQ, answered like a friend would. | Objections | |
| 07 | T+3 · 08:00 | How Priya went from 0 to 3 posts a weekOne client story with a before and an after. | Proof | |
| 08 | T+4 · 08:00 | The founding price ends tomorrowClear deadline. No fake countdown timers. | Urgency | |
| 09 | T+5 · 08:00 | Closing tonight at 9pmRecap who it is for and what they get. | Last call | |
| 10 | T+5 · 18:00 | 3 hours leftTwo lines and the button. Send to non-buyers only. | Close | |
| 11 | ||||
| 12 | ||||
| 13 |
≤ 45 charactersShort subject lines survive the phone inbox.
One linkEvery email points to the same sales page.
Exclude buyersRemove buyers from the list after each sale.
Resend onceSend email 04 again at 19:00 to non-openers.
Phase 03 · T-7 → T-1
PHASE03
Warm-up
content
For seven days, talk about the problem, not the product. People should feel the itch before you sell the scratch.
T-7 → T-17 days
about 45 minutes a day
9 tasks · 3 key
Batch the week A
Write all seven posts on T-7KEY One 3-hour session. Then each day is only posting and replying.
Film two short videos in one go Same outfit, same light, same spot. Ten minutes each, at most.
Turn one post into three formats Carousel → newsletter section → 30-second talking video.
Show up every day B
Reply to every comment within the dayKEY Replies in launch week sell more than new posts do.
Post one behind-the-scenes story a day Recording a lesson, a client message, your messy desk.
Invite, do not pitch C
Mention the waitlist in every post One soft line at the end: “Waitlist gets first access — link in bio.”
DM ten warm people one by oneKEY Past clients and engaged readers. Personal note, no copy-paste.
Host one free live session on T-2 30 minutes: “Plan a month of posts in an hour.” Open Q&A at the end.
Check the sales page one last time on T-1 Every link, the price, the deadline, the mobile view.
7-day content plan
Post at the same time each day
T-7 Carousel
“Why you post for 2 weeks, then vanish for 2 months.”
REPLIES ____
T-6 Story poll
“What stops you posting — time, ideas or nerves?”
REPLIES ____
T-5 Video · 30s
My 2-hour Sunday batching routine, start to end.
REPLIES ____
T-4 Client story
How Priya stopped dreading Mondays (and posted 12 times).
REPLIES ____
T-3 Text post
The one rule: plan the week before you open the app.
REPLIES ____
T-2 Live · 30 min
Plan a month of posts in an hour. Open Q&A.
REPLIES ____
T-1 Announcement
“Tomorrow at 9am. Here is everything you need to know.”
REPLIES ____
Launch day · T-0
T-0 · Launch day
Launch day
run-sheet
The cart opens at 9:00. Every task below is already written and scheduled. Today you only press go, reply and stay visible.
| Time | Task | Where | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08:00 | Final check. Buy the course with a 100% test code. Check the receipt and login. | Checkout | |
| 08:30 | Switch the waitlist page to the live sales page. Update every bio link. | Site · bios | |
| 09:00 | Cart open. Email 04 goes out to the waitlist. | ||
| 09:15 | Post the launch announcement with a photo of you, not a graphic. | ||
| 10:00 | Send personal DMs to the ten people who replied to email 01. | DM | |
| 11:00 | Share the launch on LinkedIn with the story of why you made it. | ||
| 12:30 | Lunch away from the screen. Do not check sales. | Offline | |
| 13:30 | Reply to every comment, email and DM so far. | All | |
| 15:00 | Story: first sales, a thank-you and a peek at week 1. | Stories | |
| 17:00 | Record the numbers on page 8: visits, sales, open rate. | Tracker | |
| 19:00 | Resend email 04 to everyone who did not open it. | ||
| 20:00 | Go live for 20 minutes: answer questions about the course. | Live | |
| 21:00 | Close the laptop. Write one line about how today felt. | You |
Have open all day
- Sales page — the live link
- Checkout dashboard — sales and failed payments
- Email tool — opens and replies
- This sheet — and a pen
If something breaks
- Checkout fails: share a payment link by email and reply by hand.
- Wrong link in an email: send a one-line “Oops, here is the right link.” It often gets more clicks.
- No sales by noon: normal. Most buyers come on the first and the last day.
Do not
Change the price, add a bonus in a panic, or refresh the dashboard every five minutes.
T-0 → T+5 · Numbers
T-0 → T+5 · Tracker
Numbers
to track
Fill one column every evening at 17:00. Numbers tell you what to fix while the cart is still open — not after.
| Metric | Goal | T-0 | T+1 | T+2 | T+3 | T+4 | T+5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waitlist size people on the list | 400 | |||||||
| Email open rate opens ÷ sent | 45% | |||||||
| Click rate clicks ÷ sent | 6% | |||||||
| Sales page visits unique visitors | 300 | |||||||
| Sales new students | 15 | |||||||
| Refunds requests | ≤ 1 | |||||||
| Revenue sales × $149 | $2,235 |
Conversion rate
sales waitlist × 100 = %
Mine: ÷ × 100 = %
Example: 18 sales from a waitlist of 600 → 18 ÷ 600 × 100 = 3%. For a first launch to a warm list, 2–5% is healthy.
What the numbers tell you
- Opens < 30% Subject lines are weak. Rewrite the next two.
- Clicks < 3% The email does not make them curious. Shorter, one link.
- Visits, no sales The page is the problem. Move proof and price higher.
- Refunds > 5% The promise and the course do not match. Fix the copy.
After the cart closes Write it on T+6, while you remember
What worked best
What I will skip next time
THE LAUNCH CHECKLIST · END T+5 · 21:00
You’ve
got this.
MAYA LIND · CONTENT COACH
Your first launch does not need to be big. It needs to be finished.
I made this checklist after my own first launch, which I planned in three panicked days. You have 21. Use them, tick the boxes, and be proud of whatever number ends up on page 8.
Next: the course
Post Without Burning Out
A 4-week course for small business owners who want to post 3 times a week in under 2 hours. Waitlist members get the $149 founding price.
mayalind.co/waitlist →
Newsletter The Sunday Draft
Site mayalind.co
Instagram @maya.creates
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
What is a launch checklist?
A launch checklist is a day-by-day task list for the weeks before you open a course or offer for sale. It covers getting the audience ready, building a waitlist, writing the sales page and emails, and what to do on launch day itself.
What should a launch checklist include?
Include audience and offer prep, waitlist building, tech setup, the sales page, the full email sequence, a warm-up content plan for the days before cart open, and a launch day section. This template covers the 21 days before you open the cart.
How long before launch should you start preparing?
Most course creators start preparing 3 to 4 weeks before cart open: building the waitlist and warm-up content first, then writing the sales page and emails, then running a focused launch week. This template is built around a 21-day window.
Is this launch checklist template free?
Yes. You can customize the launch checklist template for free and download it as a print-ready PDF. Give the AI your cart-open date and offer and it fills in the day-by-day tasks.
Related templates
View all templatesLead Magnet Checklist template
A sharp, conversion-focused lead magnet template with a bold cover, numbered steps, and checkboxes. Built for coaches, consultants, and course creators.
Course Workbook template
An engaging workbook template with lesson sections, reflection prompts, lined answer spaces, and a progress tracker. Great for online courses and workshops.
Baking Guide template
A bakery's recipe and technique guide for one signature bake, with the full formula by weight, a step-by-step timeline, and a troubleshooting table. Pre-filled with a sourdough loaf.
Recipe Book template
A beautiful mini cookbook with 12 recipes organized into 4 categories, an intro letter, and individual recipe cards with ingredients, instructions, and tips. Pre-filled with Italian weeknight recipes.
Challenge Workbook template
A 7-day self-paced challenge workbook with daily worksheets, prompts, worked examples, and a scorecard. Pre-filled with a 7-day social-content sprint for a bakery.
Minimal eBook template
A clean, typographic eBook template with a dark cover, chapter-based layout, and auto-generated table of contents. Perfect for guides, tutorials, and digital products.
Browse all 139 free PDF templates
View all templates