What Security Do I Need Before Launching?
Before launching, you need at minimum: secrets stored in environment variables (never in code), HTTPS on all pages, Row Level Security on your database, authentication if users create accounts, and input validation on all forms. This is your non-negotiable baseline.
Why this matters
Launching without basic security is like opening a store with the back door unlocked. Your first real users will trust you with their data — if that data leaks during week one, you may never recover the trust.
What's at stake
A security incident at launch can go viral in communities like Hacker News or Reddit. Security researchers have found hundreds of AI-built apps with missing RLS policies — a single missing configuration that exposed entire databases.
Your checklist.
All secrets are in environment variables or secrets manager
CriticalAPI keys, database credentials, and third-party service tokens must never appear in your source code. Use .env files (added to .gitignore) locally and your platform's secrets manager for production.
HTTPS is enabled on all pages
CriticalAll traffic between your app and users must be encrypted. Most hosting platforms provide this automatically. Verify by checking that your URL starts with https://.
Database has Row Level Security or equivalent access controls
CriticalIf you use Supabase or any PostgreSQL database, enable RLS on every table. If you use another database, ensure it requires authentication and has proper access controls.
Authentication is implemented for user-facing features
CriticalIf users can create accounts, store data, or access personal information, you need authentication. Use a proven provider like Supabase Auth, Clerk, or Auth0 rather than building your own.
Input validation is in place on all forms
ImportantServer-side validation prevents injection attacks and data corruption. Check that inputs are the expected type, format, and length before processing.
Error handling does not expose system information
ImportantProduction error messages should be user-friendly. Never show database errors, stack traces, or file paths to end users.
CORS is configured to allow only your domains
RecommendedIf your frontend and backend are on different domains, restrict CORS to only allow requests from your trusted frontend URLs. Never use wildcard (*) in production.
Launch with confidence — know your security baseline is solid
- Pre-launch security readiness checks covering all critical items
- Public security badge that proves your app meets launch standards
- Step-by-step guidance to fix any gaps before going live
Keep learning.
Frequently asked questions.
For an MVP or initial launch, a formal security audit is not required. But you absolutely need to cover the basics: secrets management, HTTPS, database security, and authentication. A professional audit becomes more important as you scale and handle more user data.
Three things: (1) no secrets in your code, (2) database not publicly writable, and (3) HTTPS enabled. Everything else is important but these three prevent the most catastrophic failures.
You can add advanced security features later (like rate limiting, WAF, or penetration testing). But you cannot safely skip the basics — exposed secrets and unprotected databases cause immediate damage that is hard to undo.
If you have covered every "critical" item on this checklist, your security is sufficient for launch. You can improve from there. The biggest risk is not launching because of perfectionism — most builders over-estimate what is needed for a safe MVP.