The Dokan Marketplace Launch Checklist: 15 Things to Do Before You Go Live

Most marketplace projects don’t fail because of bad code. They fail because something small gets missed before launch, a broken payout setup, a vendor who can’t upload products, or a checkout that works fine in testing but breaks with real payment credentials.

I’ve launched enough Dokan marketplaces to know what gets missed. Here’s the checklist I run through before every launch.

1. Vendor Registration Flow Is Working End to End

Go through vendor signup yourself. Fill in every field. Check that the confirmation email arrives, the vendor dashboard loads correctly, and the vendor can actually add a product without hitting a wall.

2. Commission Structure Is Set and Tested

Check your global commission rate in Dokan settings. If you’re using per vendor or per product commissions, test those too. Place a test order and confirm the commission split shows up correctly in the reports.

3. Payment Gateway Is in Live Mode

Stripe, PayPal, or whatever you’re using, make sure it’s switched from test to live. This one bites people more than you’d think.

4. Vendor Payouts Are Configured

If you’re using Stripe Connect, make sure vendors can connect their accounts. If you’re doing manual payouts, confirm the minimum threshold and payout schedule are visible to vendors in their dashboard.

5. Shipping Is Set Up Per Vendor

Go into each vendor’s settings and confirm they have a shipping method assigned. If you’re letting vendors manage their own shipping, check that the option is enabled in Dokan settings and that a test order calculates shipping correctly at checkout.

6. Product Approval Is Configured

Decide if new vendor products go live immediately or need your approval first. Set this in Dokan settings and test it. A marketplace that accidentally publishes unreviewed products on day one is a problem.

7. Vendor Store Pages Look Correct

Visit each vendor’s storefront URL. Check the banner, logo, description, contact details, and product listings. Make sure there are no broken images or layout issues on mobile.

8. Order Notifications Are Going to the Right People

Place a test order and check who gets notified. The customer should get a confirmation. The vendor should get an order notification. You as the admin should get one too. If any of these are missing, fix your WooCommerce email settings.

9. Refund and Return Policy Is Visible

Add your refund policy to the checkout page and the store terms. Vendors should also know what the policy is and what they’re responsible for.

10. Tax Settings Are Correct for Your Market

WooCommerce handles tax, not Dokan. Make sure your tax rates are set correctly based on where you’re selling and whether your vendors are in different regions.

11. SEO Basics Are in Place

Each vendor storefront page should have a unique title and meta description. If you’re using Yoast or Rank Math, check that the Dokan store pages are indexable and not accidentally set to noindex.

12. Mobile Checkout Works

Open your site on a real phone and go through the full checkout. Mobile issues at checkout are one of the top reasons for abandoned carts, and they’re easy to miss if you only test on desktop.

13. Speed and Performance Are Acceptable

Run your site through PageSpeed Insights. A marketplace with lots of vendor products can get slow quickly. Make sure caching is on and images are optimized before launch day.

14. Vendor Documentation or Onboarding Guide Is Ready

New vendors will have questions. Save yourself the back and forth by writing a short guide that covers how to add products, manage orders, and set up shipping. Even a basic PDF works.

15. You’ve Tested as a Real Customer

Don’t just test as admin. Create a fresh customer account, browse as a real user, add something to the cart, and complete the full checkout. Then check the order in the vendor dashboard and in WooCommerce. This single step catches more bugs than anything else.

One More Thing

Once you’re live, set up Google Analytics and check your WooCommerce reports from day one. You want data on how vendors are performing and where customers are dropping off as early as possible.

If you need help setting up or launching your Dokan marketplace, get in touch.