# Ship with confidence

> Separate local preview, repository integration, theme release, and hosted deployment, then verify each state with the right evidence.

---

LLMS index: [llms.txt](/llms.txt)

---

Publishing is a sequence of independently verifiable states. A successful
local preview proves that the content and theme can render together; it does
not prove that a remote module tag exists or that the public site has deployed
that revision.

## Name every delivery state {#delivery-states}

| State | Evidence | What it does not prove |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Local preview | The site renders against the intended checkout | A public theme release exists |
| Site integration | Content, configuration, and dependency changes are reviewed together | The hosting platform has deployed them |
| Theme release | The public tag and module checksum resolve without a local replacement | A consumer site has upgraded |
| Hosted deployment | The public revision and representative routes are reachable | Every language and viewport is correct |
{#tbl-delivery-states num="6-1" caption="Each delivery state needs its own evidence and handoff."}

## Validate the smallest useful surface {#validate}

From your Starter repository, run the ordinary production build before using
the deployment workflow you selected:

```bash
hugo --cleanDestinationDir --gc --minify --environment production \
  --printPathWarnings --panicOnWarning
```

Check that `hugo mod graph` resolves the intended release in `go.mod`, then
follow the [Starter deployment steps](/docs/start/starter/#build-deploy).
A normal Starter site needs no npm build script or sibling theme checkout.
If you are also changing OINK itself, follow the separate
[theme-development workflow](/docs/start/from-scratch/#local-theme-checkout).
Record the build, workflow result, and public URL checks separately.

## Review the rendered result {#visual-review}

Automated checks catch broken links, duplicate IDs, invalid shortcodes, and
accessibility regressions. They do not decide whether a Hero crops well or
whether a dense table remains readable on a phone. Review representative
English and Chinese routes at desktop and narrow widths, including navigation,
theme controls, code blocks, and the whole-book output.

## Hand off facts, not implications {#handoff}

A useful handoff lists changed files, commands and results, known limitations,
and the next state still waiting to happen. Use
[Table 6-1](#tbl-delivery-states) to say exactly which
state has been reached instead of compressing validation, release, and
deployment into the word “done.”

The full operational references are [Preview the site](/docs/admin/preview/),
[Deploy the site](/docs/admin/deploy/), and
[Troubleshoot a build](/docs/admin/troubleshooting/).