Guide · Launch sign-off
How to run a go/no-go decision for a launch
A go/no-go decision is a launch sign-off. Score readiness against criteria agreed in advance, mark each one red, amber or green, then ask every stakeholder who can stop the launch for an explicit go or no-go by a fixed time. Agree up front how many yeses it takes, and record the outcome with the date.
Last updated: 3 November 2026
What is a go/no-go decision?
A go/no-go decision is the point before a launch, release, campaign or rollout where the people accountable for it confirm it should go ahead. It is not a status meeting. It ends in one of two answers, and everyone who can block the launch has said which. The stakeholders are often outside the product team: sales, support, legal, a client sponsor, a partner. That is where go/no-go calls stall, because those people don’t sit in your stand-up.
Before the call: the readiness scorecard
Agree the criteria when the launch is planned, not the day before. A typical scorecard:
How to read it (RAG). Green: ready. Amber: a known risk with a mitigation and an owner; amber items need a named decision, not silence. Red: not ready. Agree in advance whether a single red is an automatic no-go.
The 6-step go/no-go sign-off
1. Write the decision as one question
“Do we launch the new checkout on 14 November?” with two options: Go and No-go. If there's a real third option, such as “Go with the feature flag off”, list it. Don't leave it to the discussion.2. Name the approvers
Everyone who can stop the launch signs off: the product lead, engineering, support, legal, the client sponsor. People who only need the result are told afterwards.3. Agree the sign-off rule
Unanimous: every approver must say go, common for launches where one red area is a stop. Majority: more than half of the approvers say go. One accountable owner: the approvers advise and the launch owner makes the call. Write the rule into the launch plan so nobody argues about it on the day.4. Share the scorecard with the request
Send the scorecard with the question. Approvers decide on the same evidence, and anyone with an amber or red item has to say so on the record.5. Set the deadline before the launch window
“Sign-off closes Wednesday 6 p.m. for a Thursday 9 a.m. launch.” Leave time to act on a no-go: tell clients, move the date, stand the team down.6. Record the outcome
The question, the rule, how many approvers said go, and when it closed. A no-go is a valid outcome. Record it the same way and set the next decision date.
Launch go/no-go checklist
- Criteria and RAG thresholds agreed when the launch was planned
- Scorecard filled in, every item with an owner
- Decision written as one question, Go and No-go as the options
- Every approver named, including people outside the team
- Sign-off rule agreed and written into the launch plan
- Deadline set with time to act on a no-go
- Outcome recorded with the date and shared with everyone affected
Copy-paste go/no-go request
Go/no-go sign-off: Do we launch [what] on [date, time]?
Options: Go / No-go
Scorecard: [link]. Open items: [amber and red items with owners]
Who signs off: [names]
Rule: [Unanimous / Majority / Launch owner decides]
Sign-off closes: [day, time]. A no-go after that moves the launch to [date].
Where Settle for Teams fits
Settle for Teams runs the sign-off step: steps 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. The scorecard itself stays in your launch plan.
Under Unanimity, a missing response holds the decision open until the deadline and then escalates back to you, so a silent approver can’t be read as a go. Your dashboard shows exactly who hasn’t responded.
Settle for Teams costs $199 a month per workspace, with no per-seat fees, 25 managed decisions a month and a 7-day free trial.
Go/no-go questions
What is a go/no-go decision?
The sign-off point before a launch or release where everyone accountable confirms it should go ahead. It ends in go or no-go, recorded with the date.
Who should be in a go/no-go meeting?
Everyone who can stop the launch: product, engineering, quality, support, legal and commercial owners, plus a client or partner sponsor if they have to accept it. Keep observers out of the sign-off; tell them the result.
What are go/no-go criteria?
The readiness conditions agreed when the launch was planned: tests passed, no blocker defects, support ready, legal approvals, a tested rollback plan. Each one is scored red, amber or green.
Is one red item an automatic no-go?
Only if you agreed that in advance. Many teams make red in some areas (security, legal) a stop and allow amber elsewhere with a named owner and a mitigation.
Do you need a meeting at all?
Not always. If the scorecard is clear, an asynchronous sign-off with a deadline gets the same answer on the record without finding a slot in everyone's calendar.
Put your next launch sign-off on the record
Every approver gets a private link, Settle reminds the quiet ones and closes it at your deadline. 7-day free trial, then $199/month with no per-seat fees.
25 managed decisions a month · Unlimited team members · Cancel anytime