Phoenix Checklist: 10 Things Before Going to Production

Phoenix Checklist: 10 Things Before Going to Production

I’ve seen 3 production agent deployments fail this month. All 3 made the same 5 mistakes. If you’re gearing up for production with Phoenix, you need a solid checklist to avoid catastrophic blunders. The Phoenix checklist is your best friend here, guiding you through essential steps to ensure a smooth launch.

1. Database Migrations

Why it matters: Skipping database migrations can lead to a broken application. Your app’s functionality heavily relies on the database structure.

mix ecto.migrate

What happens if you skip it: Users may encounter unexpected errors when trying to access features tied to updated database structures.

2. Environment Configuration

Why it matters: Misconfigured environments can lead to security vulnerabilities and performance issues. Each environment (development, staging, production) should be distinct.

config :my_app, MyApp.Repo,
 username: System.get_env("DB_USERNAME"),
 password: System.get_env("DB_PASSWORD"),
 database: System.get_env("DB_NAME"),
 hostname: System.get_env("DB_HOST"),
 pool_size: 15

What happens if you skip it: If you attempt to run your app in production with dev settings, it can expose sensitive information to the public.

3. HTTP/HTTPS Configuration

Why it matters: Security is crucial. Configuring HTTPS ensures that data transmitted between the client and server is encrypted.

config :my_app, MyApp.Endpoint,
 http: [port: 4000],
 https: [
 port: 443,
 cipher_suite: :strong,
 certfile: System.get_env("SSL_CERT"),
 keyfile: System.get_env("SSL_KEY")
 ]

What happens if you skip it: Running over HTTP can enable man-in-the-middle attacks, putting user data at risk.

4. Logging Configuration

Why it matters: Proper logging can help identify issues before they escalate. It’s your first line of defense in production.

config :logger, level: :info

What happens if you skip it: Without adequate logs, you’ll struggle to debug production issues, leading to longer downtimes.

5. Performance Monitoring

Why it matters: Monitoring allows you to track application performance and catch bottlenecks early.

# Using Telemetry for performance monitoring
:telemetry.attach("my_app_metrics", [:my_app, :request, :stop], &MyApp.Metrics.handle_event/4, nil)

What happens if you skip it: You’ll miss out on critical insights about performance, leading to a poor user experience.

6. Dependency Management

Why it matters: Outdated dependencies can lead to security vulnerabilities and stability issues.

mix deps.get

What happens if you skip it: Running outdated libraries could expose your app to known vulnerabilities, making it an easy target for attackers.

7. Backups

Why it matters: Data loss can happen at any time. Regular backups ensure you can recover from catastrophic failures.

pg_dump -U username -h hostname dbname > backup.sql

What happens if you skip it: Losing your database can bring your entire application to a halt, leading to lost revenue and trust.

8. Security Audits

Why it matters: A security audit can reveal vulnerabilities before they become liabilities. It’s better to find and fix them proactively.

mix deps.audit

What happens if you skip it: Your application could fall victim to attacks that could have been easily prevented with a thorough audit.

9. Caching Strategy

Why it matters: Improper caching can lead to performance issues and increased load on your server. A solid caching strategy can significantly improve response times.

config :my_app, MyApp.Cache,
 backend: :ets,
 ttl: 300

What happens if you skip it: Users may experience slow load times, leading to frustration and potentially losing users.

10. Documentation

Why it matters: Good documentation makes onboarding new team members easier and helps existing ones troubleshoot issues efficiently.

# Create or update the README.md file
echo "Documentation for MyApp" > README.md

What happens if you skip it: New developers will take longer to get up to speed, leading to wasted time and resources.

Priority Order

Here’s the deal: some items are more critical than others. Here’s how I’d rank this Phoenix checklist:

• Do This Today:
  • Database Migrations
  • Environment Configuration
  • HTTP/HTTPS Configuration
  • Logging Configuration
  • Performance Monitoring
• Nice to Have:
  • Dependency Management
  • Backups
  • Security Audits
  • Caching Strategy
  • Documentation

Tools Table

Tool/Service	Functionality	Free Option
Heroku	Deployment	Yes, with limitations
AWS RDS	Managed Database	No
New Relic	Performance Monitoring	Yes, trial available
GitHub Actions	CI/CD	Yes
Elixir School	Documentation and Community	Yes

The One Thing

If you only do one thing from this Phoenix checklist, make sure to configure your HTTP/HTTPS settings. Why? Because this is about security. You can’t afford to risk your users’ data. Trust me, I once deployed an app without SSL configured, and it was a nightmare. I’m still getting emails from users wondering why their data was exposed.

FAQ

What is Phoenix?

Phoenix is a web development framework written in Elixir, designed for building scalable and maintainable applications.

Why do I need a checklist for production?

A checklist helps ensure you don’t overlook critical steps that could lead to failures or security issues.

How often should I perform backups?

Backups should be done regularly, at least daily, depending on the amount of data your application processes.

What tools are recommended for performance monitoring?

New Relic and AppSignal are both solid choices for tracking application performance.

Is documentation really necessary?

Absolutely. Good documentation helps avoid misunderstandings and speeds up onboarding for new team members.

Data Sources

Data for this article was compiled from various Elixir documentation and community resources, including official Phoenix docs and user forums. Check out Phoenix Documentation and Elixir Docs for more information.

Last updated April 11, 2026. Data sourced from official docs and community benchmarks.

🕒 Published: April 11, 2026