Home / FAQs / Costs & Process / Launch dates

Often, yes, if the scope, content and approval process are realistic for the available time. A fixed deadline works best when everyone understands which decisions and materials are needed by which dates.

What should be identified at the start?

If an event, campaign, seasonal deadline or system change is driving the launch, that date should be made explicit during scoping rather than introduced late in the project.

Can every deadline be guaranteed?

No. Third-party dependencies, late content, changing requirements and approval delays can all affect delivery. We would rather identify those risks early than promise an unrealistic date.

How do you protect the launch date?

By agreeing priorities, decision points and dependencies early, and by controlling scope changes when the project is already time-sensitive.

What makes a fixed launch date more realistic?

A clearly defined scope, early content preparation, prompt approvals and known technical dependencies all help. If a campaign, event or seasonal date cannot move, the project should be planned backwards from that deadline so key decisions and testing happen early enough to leave contingency.

Can a launch date be protected by reducing scope?

Sometimes, yes. If time becomes the dominant constraint, it can be better to launch a stable core website and move lower-priority enhancements into a later phase rather than compress testing or rush business-critical functionality.

What happens if a third party causes a delay?

We identify the dependency and explain the likely impact as soon as possible. That might involve a payment provider, DNS change, external API, content supplier or internal approval. Where there is a practical workaround, we will discuss it rather than simply allowing the project to drift.

Related Caged Fish resources: what can delay a website project, website project timescales and SEO at launch.