DIY Website Launch Checklist
Lovable + GitHub + Cloudflare (Beginner, Step-by-Step)
This is the “happy path” that links to the exact how-to steps you need.
Goal: a real website you own—your accounts, your repo, your domain.
If you want the “why” behind the workflow first, read How the 4leggedIT System Works.
Quick Path
- Phase A (Prep): pick 2 admins, create accounts, complete Getting Started.
- Phase B (Build + Launch): build in Lovable, connect to GitHub, set up domain/DNS, publish to Pages.
- Phase C (After launch): make it searchable, add only the integrations you need, do a final review.
Phase A: Prep (do these first)
These steps prevent lockouts and give you a clean content source to build from.
Step 1 — Pick your “site owners” (avoid lockouts)
This is the single most important admin decision for volunteer-run teams.
Your goal is simple: you should never be blocked because one person is unavailable.
- Pick two trusted people to be admins for GitHub and Cloudflare.
- Write down who those two people are (board + ops is a common pair).
You have 2 trusted admins identified for both GitHub and Cloudflare.
Step 2 — Create your accounts (Lovable, GitHub, Cloudflare)
This step ensures you can log in everywhere you’ll need.
Do not create duplicate accounts if you were invited to an existing one.
- Lovable: follow Lovable Website Access & Editing.
- GitHub: follow GitHub Repo Ownership & Access (Step 1).
- Cloudflare: follow Cloudflare Account Setup (Step 1).
You can log in to all three accounts, and your 2 admins have access.
Step 3 — Complete Getting Started (your source of truth)
This step gathers the real-world info your website is built from.
Short answers are fine. “Unknown yet” is allowed.
- Complete your Getting Started answers in one place.
- If you want to see an example of how raw answers turn into a website, read How We Develop Your Website.
You have one clean set of answers + links you can copy/paste into Lovable.
Stop point: you’re ready to build
- •If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stop here. These are the foundations.
- •Next time you come back, start at Step 5 (build in Lovable).
Phase B: Build + Launch
This is where your draft becomes a real website on your domain.
Step 4 — Optional: create a logo (if you need one)
If you already have a usable logo, skip this step.
If you don’t, this gives you a clean starting point quickly.
You have a logo you can upload into Lovable and use consistently.
Step 5 — Build your first version of the site in Lovable
This is your first full draft: clear, complete, and “good enough to improve.”
Keep changes small and specific—one section at a time.
- If you’re new to Lovable, start with Lovable Website Access & Editing (Step 2).
- In Lovable, create drafts for Home, About, Adopt, Foster, Volunteer, Donate, and Contact.
- Use your Getting Started answers as the exact content source.
- If a page feels too long, ask Lovable to shorten it without removing key facts.
Your site has the core pages filled with real text and clear next actions.
Step 6 — Connect Lovable to GitHub (repo owned by you)
Lovable will create/sync the repository in your GitHub account or organization.
This gives you version history, portability, and a clean handoff path.
You can open your GitHub repo in a browser and see commits appear from Lovable.
Step 7 — Set up your domain + DNS in Cloudflare
This step connects your website to your real domain.
You can either move DNS to Cloudflare or transfer the domain registration to Cloudflare.
- If you want to keep your current registrar: start Move DNS to Cloudflare (Step 1).
- If you want Cloudflare as your registrar: start Transfer Domain to Cloudflare (Step 1).
- If you’re unsure about records: DNS Records 101 (Step 1).
Your domain is active in Cloudflare, and DNS is ready for publishing.
Step 8 — Publish your website (GitHub → Cloudflare Pages → custom domain)
This step makes your site live on your domain.
You’ll deploy, connect your www domain, and set a redirect from your domain without www to www (yourdomain.org → www.yourdomain.org).
- Deploy your GitHub repo in Cloudflare Pages: Publish (Step 3)
- Connect your www domain (example: www.yourrescue.org): Publish (Step 4)
- Set a permanent redirect from your domain without www to www (example: yourrescue.org → www.yourrescue.org): Publish (Step 5)
- Test your domain + redirect after launch: Publish (Step 6)
Your website loads on https://www.YOURDOMAIN and deploys update when GitHub changes.
Stop point: your site is live
- •If your site loads on your domain, you’ve succeeded. Everything below is “improve and grow.”
- •Next time you come back, start at Step 9 (search visibility).
Phase C: After launch (visibility + extras)
Now you make it searchable and add only the pieces your rescue actually needs.
Step 9 — Make your site visible to search engines
This step helps Google and Bing read your site reliably.
You’ll confirm pre-rendering, verify domain ownership, and submit your sitemap.
- Confirm pre-rendering is enabled (so Google sees real HTML): Search visibility (Step 1)
- Verify your domain ownership (DNS TXT record in Cloudflare): Search visibility (Step 3)
- Submit your sitemap in Google + Bing: Search visibility (Step 4)
Your sitemap is submitted and your site is eligible to be indexed.
Step 10 — Add integrations you need (only what applies)
Most rescues only need a few integrations at launch.
Choose what applies and skip the rest.
- Petfinder: Pet listings widget (Step 1)
- PayPal donate: PayPal Donate Setup (Step 1)
- Email (choose one): Google Workspace (Step 1) or Cloudflare Email Forwarding (Step 1)
Your key supporter flows (adopt/donate/contact) work end-to-end.
Step 11 — Final review (launch checklist)
This final pass prevents the most common “we launched, but…” problems.
You’ll check trust signals and do a quick browser test.
- Transparency pass: Transparency Checklist
- Browser/mobile test: Browser Testing (Step 1)
- Optional grant readiness: Grant Website Prep
Your site is clear, trustworthy, mobile-friendly, and ready to share widely.
Related How-To Sessions
Want help with one step?
Tell us which step number you’re stuck on and what you’re seeing. We’ll help you unblock without taking ownership away from your organization.