Go-live quality assurance

Use this checklist before the first VIBE launch, after publishing a new theme, after a major catalog or search-profile change, and before starting an A/B test.

Create a test record with owner, date, store, theme, language, market, browser, device, result, evidence, and follow-up issue.

1Admin healthConfirm plan, index, profile, appearance, controls, rules, and status.

2Theme installVerify the published theme, app embed, search block, and translations.

3Shopper pathsTest quick search, full results, Explore, filters, and visual actions.

4Devices and marketsRepeat critical checks across mobile, desktop, languages, and markets.

5Evidence and sign-offRecord pass, failure, owner, and release decision.

VIBE Home dashboard with storefront live status and operating summary.

Begin QA with the admin health summary and finish incomplete setup work.

A live VIBE quick-search query returning products and collections.

Preserve screenshots from the exact shopper paths included in sign-off.

Entry criteria

Do not start final storefront QA until:

A Shopify-managed VIBE plan is active.
The correct theme has been analyzed.
The first full sync is complete or remaining failures are understood.
Major search-profile choices are final.
Critical merchandising rules are approved.
The app embed and Search Page block strategy is known.
The launch language and market list is known.

Admin health

Home

Search on your store reports the intended state.
Search style matches the launch decision.
Product data is current.
Session allowance is appropriate for expected traffic.
Quick actions open the correct pages.
No setup checklist item is unexpectedly incomplete.

Sync and Index

Products indexed matches the expected eligible catalog.
Exclusion count matches the approved list.
Latest job is Healthy or an accepted Partial state.
No unexplained failed products remain.
Out-of-stock behavior matches the commercial decision.
Catalog understanding is correct.
Collection search is correct.
Variant search is correct and plan-enabled.
Product and context image sources are correct.
Image indexing status is ready where visual features are used.
GTM setting matches the analytics implementation.

Appearance

Quick-search mode is intentional.
Product-card mode is intentional.
Product, collection, and suggestion limits are appropriate.
Popular, pinned, article, and page groups are intentional.
Search-page result count is appropriate.
Recommended products and starting collections are approved.
Every published language is loaded.
Storefront wording is reviewed.
VIBE colors and text meet contrast expectations.
Font inheritance works.
Grid layout and image ratios fit the catalog.
App embed is verified.
Instant search is ready.
Search Page block is ready.
Fast-loading cards are prepared where used.
Storefront password is saved only if still required.

Explore mode

Master switch is intentional.
Every active control has clear title and concepts.
Control order is intentional.
Active count is within the plan limit.
Similar and Taste actions match the launch scope.
Shopify filters are refreshed and enabled intentionally.
Starting collections are current and ordered.

Merchandising

Every active rule has an owner and business reason.
Triggers are scoped.
Targets are correct.
Pin positions are valid.
Redirect destinations work.
Synonyms are equivalent terms.
Campaign schedules and timezone expectations are checked.
Priority is reviewed for overlapping rules.
Obsolete test rules are inactive or deleted.
Saved rule count is within the plan limit.

Analytics and A/B

Real storefront test activity appears after processing.
Search Preview activity does not appear as normal storefront usage.
GTM events are verified if enabled.
Attribution prerequisites are understood.
No A/B test is running unintentionally.
A planned test starts only after launch stability.

Quick-search test matrix

Test every theme search icon, input, drawer, sticky header, desktop header, and mobile header.

Empty state

Search opens once.
Focus moves to the input.
Close and Escape work.
Background scrolling is controlled.
Pinned searches are in order.
Popular searches appear only when enabled.
Starting discovery content is correct.
Explore and Your Vibe tabs appear only when intended.

Typing

One-character and short-prefix behavior is sensible.
Suggestions update without flicker.
Product, collection, article, and page groups respect configured limits.
No duplicate native and VIBE panels appear.
Loading and empty states are readable.
Keyboard navigation and Enter work.
Touch targets work on mobile.

Result cards

Image loads and uses the intended ratio.
Title, vendor, price, sale price, and availability are correct.
Long text does not break layout.
Product link is correct.
Variant context is correct where applicable.
Similar and Taste actions appear only when enabled.
Theme cards preserve required theme behavior.

See all results

Opens the correct /search URL.
Preserves the query.
Does not duplicate or lose the result state.

Full search-page test matrix

/search loads without a query.
Recommended products appear only when enabled.
Starting collections are correct.
Pinned and popular searches are correct.

Query state

Direct /search?q=<query> works.
Refresh preserves the query.
Browser Back and Forward work.
Product count and result order are sensible.
Product, collection, article, and page groups are correct.

Sorting

Every offered sort choice changes order correctly.
Sort survives expected URL navigation.
Reset returns to the intended default.

Filters

Desktop filters open and apply.
Mobile filter drawer opens, applies, and closes.
Counts and selected values are readable.
Multiple filters combine correctly.
Clear one and clear all work.
Availability, price, option, type, and other configured filters use correct values.

Pagination or load more

The next result set loads once.
Existing results remain.
No duplicates appear.
End state is clear.
Browser and URL behavior match the design.

Search relevance benchmark

Choose at least:

Five exact product names.
Five broad categories.
Five natural-language intents.
Five common synonyms.
Five variant searches.
Three collection names.
Three common misspellings.
Three queries that should redirect.
Three queries that should return no products.

For each, record:

Expected top results.
Preview top results.
Storefront top results.
Active filters, controls, and rules.
Pass, accepted difference, or defect.

Explore and Smart Filters

Explore opens from every intended surface.
Default controls start neutral.
Each slider changes results at both ends.
Each toggle produces distinct results.
Each single control has an observable effect.
Starting collections scope results correctly.
Exact filters combine with controls.
Sorting works after control changes.
Reset clears controls, collection, filters, and sort as intended.
Tour can be completed and dismissed.
No-control and no-result states are useful.

Visual discovery and Your Vibe

Similar

Visible only on eligible plan and setting.
Seed product has an indexed image.
Results are visually coherent.
Back navigation works.

Taste and favorites

Star adds and removes a product.
Saved state updates in every open VIBE surface.
Second tab receives the change where supported.
Favorites survive refresh.
Clearing site storage removes them.
Private browsing and another device do not incorrectly inherit them.

Your Vibe

Empty state explains how to begin.
Saved products appear in order.
Recommendation boards load.
Based-on products are correct.
Show more and All Favorites work.
Back navigation and URL state work.

Image upload

Camera action appears on intended surfaces.
Supported JPG and PNG files work.
Invalid type and oversized file show a safe error.
Results match the image intent.
Mobile photo selection works.

Languages and markets

For every published launch language:

Search placeholder.
Tabs and buttons.
Products, collections, articles, and pages.
Sorting and filters.
Explore controls and states.
No-results content.
Similar, Taste, Your Vibe, and favorites.
Tour content.
Currency and product URLs.
Localized product data.

Test the actual storefront locale and market, not only the admin translation selector.

Accessibility and resilience

All actions are reachable by keyboard.
Focus is visible.
Modal and overlay focus returns to the trigger.
Escape closes appropriate surfaces.
Labels and accessible names are meaningful.
Text and controls meet contrast requirements.
Zoom at 200 percent remains usable.
Mobile orientation change does not trap the interface.
Slow network shows loading state.
API failure shows a safe fallback.
No-results state offers a useful next action.
VIBE cards remain available as a fallback when theme cards are not ready.

Analytics validation

Using a non-production or clearly identified test session where possible:

Open the storefront.
Run a successful search.
Run a no-result search.
Apply a filter.
Adjust a control.
Click a product.
Add the product to cart.
Confirm GTM events if enabled.
Confirm admin activity after normal processing.
Keep test orders and production reporting clearly separated.

Launch decision

Launch only when:

No critical shopper flow is broken.
All expected catalog groups are searchable.
Known relevance differences are accepted or assigned.
Theme and VIBE card fallbacks are understood.
Mobile and language checks pass.
Analytics and support ownership are assigned.
Rollback actions are documented.

First 48 hours

Check index health at launch.
Monitor no-result and high-volume queries.
Test top campaign searches.
Review errors and system status.
Confirm mobile and major languages.
Avoid broad profile changes unless a critical issue exists.
Record each hotfix and re-test its exact scope.