Quick reference checklist
After installing Larapen, go through this checklist to make sure everything is properly configured and your site is ready to go live.
Essential setup
| ☐ | Step | Where |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Verify all server requirements are met (green checkmarks) | Settings → System Info |
| ☐ | Set your site name and tagline | Settings → General |
| ☐ | Upload your logo and favicon | Settings → General |
| ☐ | Set the default language | Settings → Languages |
| ☐ | Configure your timezone | Settings → General |
| ☐ | Set APP_DEBUG=false in your .env file | .env file |
| ☐ | Set APP_ENV=production in your .env file | .env file |
Contact information
| ☐ | Step | Where |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Set your contact email, phone number, and address | Settings → Contact |
| ☐ | Configure the contact form submission method (database, email, or both) | Settings → Contact |
| ☐ | Set up the map provider and coordinates (Google Maps or OpenStreetMap) | Settings → Contact |
Email configuration
| ☐ | Step | Where |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Configure your mail driver (SMTP, Mailgun, Postmark, SES, Resend, MailerSend, Brevo, SparkPost, or Sendmail) | Settings → Mail |
| ☐ | Set the from address and from name | Settings → Mail |
| ☐ | Send a test email to verify delivery | Settings → Mail → Test |
SEO configuration
| ☐ | Step | Where |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Set default meta title and meta description | Settings → SEO |
| ☐ | Upload your Open Graph default image (for social sharing) | Settings → SEO |
| ☐ | Configure Google Analytics tracking code (if applicable) | Settings → SEO |
| ☐ | Verify your site with Google Search Console | External (Google) |
| ☐ | Submit your sitemap (https://yoursite.com/sitemap.xml) | Google Search Console |
Content setup
| ☐ | Step | Where |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Edit the Home page with your content | Pages → Home |
| ☐ | Create an About page | Pages → Add New |
| ☐ | Create a Contact page | Pages → Add New |
| ☐ | Create a Privacy Policy page | Pages → Add New |
| ☐ | Create a Terms of Service page | Pages → Add New |
| ☐ | Set up your navigation menus (header + footer) | Menus → Menu Items |
Theme & appearance
| ☐ | Step | Where |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Choose and activate your preferred theme | Appearance → Themes |
| ☐ | Customize theme settings (colors, fonts, layout) | Appearance → Theme Settings |
| ☐ | Add your social media links | Settings → Social Links |
| ☐ | Test the website on mobile devices | Browser / real device |
Security
| ☐ | Step | Where |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Ensure SSL/HTTPS is active and APP_URL uses https:// | .env file + hosting panel |
| ☐ | Change the default admin password to a strong password | Users → Edit Profile |
| ☐ | Set up cookie consent notice (GDPR compliance) | Settings → GDPR (or GDPR add-on) |
| ☐ | Verify .env file is not publicly accessible | Visit https://yoursite.com/.env: should return 403/404 |
Performance
| ☐ | Step | Where |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Set up the cron job for scheduled tasks | Hosting panel → Cron Jobs |
| ☐ | Configure cache driver (Redis or file) | .env file (CACHE_DRIVER) |
| ☐ | Run production optimizations:
php artisan config:cache,
php artisan route:cache,
php artisan view:cache | SSH / Terminal |
Final verification
| ☐ | Step |
|---|---|
| ☐ | Browse all front-end pages and check for broken layouts or missing content |
| ☐ | Submit the contact form and verify the email is received |
| ☐ | Upload a test image to the media library |
| ☐ | Create and edit a test page to verify the WYSIWYG editor works |
| ☐ | Test the language switcher (if multiple languages are enabled) |
| ☐ | Check the site loads correctly on mobile and tablet |
Tip: Bookmark this checklist and revisit it after installing add-ons or making major configuration changes.