Publish Your New Website on Launch Day
On launch day, we update your domain so visitors are directed to your new website. The old site stops appearing and the new site takes its place. This page covers what to do before launch day, what happens when we flip the switch, and what is normal during the transition.
Before launch day
Keep activity on your current site to a minimum while the transition is underway. Ideally:
You are not intentionally driving traffic to the site.
There is no urgent need for members to be accessing the site.
You are not updating or editing the site.
As the launch date approaches, usually a day or two before, it helps to email members through your old system and tell them the transition will happen on a specific date. Let them know:
The website will be down for a period while the transition occurs.
They should access anything they need before that date.
They should watch their email for an invitation to the new portal.
Switching from your temporary domain to the permanent domain
During your build, you reviewed your site at a temporary URL. On launch day, your site will begin appearing at your permanent domain: for example, yourassociation.journeycare.online switches over to be yourassociation.org.
Once the switch happens, the old site becomes completely inaccessible from your organization's domain. If you still need access to the old system, confirm an alternate administrative URL is in place before launch day, such as the direct admin address of your previous platform.
What to expect while the switch happens
A short transition period is normal, so brief your team on these points before launch day:
A brief period of downtime is normal. It may last a few minutes or, in some cases, a couple of hours depending on your domain settings.
Temporary security warnings may appear while the SSL security certificate finishes installing.
Domain changes can appear at different times for different people and networks.
The public launch announcement and portal invitations are typically sent after the site is stable, often the following day. We issue portal invitations when you tell us you are ready. Access is typically based on membership type and status, with additional groups controlled by tags or other agreed rules. Accurate contact data is essential before invitations are sent.
Launch-day checklist
Work through this list before and on launch day:
Final launch approval has been given by the authorized project lead.
Domain access and responsible contacts are confirmed.
The old-system transaction cutoff and reconciliation plan are active.
Homepage, navigation, forms, login, and key links are checked once the new site appears.
The team knows where to report urgent launch issues.
The launch announcement is drafted.
Portal invitation rules have been reviewed by membership type, status, and tags.
Staff are prepared for member questions about login, profile updates, renewals, and payments.
The complete migration guide
For the full migration timeline, including all four build tracks from design through launch readiness, download the Guide to Your Migration (PDF).