16. Launching your tracker for the public

• Set up your Airtable base.
• Determine your data sources and structure.
• Collect your data, enter it in Airtable, review records and set them as ready to publish.
• Set up the site.
• Customize the site. At the very least, you’ll need to adjust:
  • The geographic bounding box
  • Site copy, including site title, organization name and copy on the homepage, Map page, Projects page, About page and Contact page.
  • You will also need to delete the Guide sections from your tracker.
• Test the tracker with your team to check for bugs, errors in the copy and other issues.
• Solicit feedback from colleagues, collaborators and friends.
• Publish the tracker to your website and repeat testing.
• Draft an article, newsletter and/or other communication announcing your tracker’s launch, to publish when you are ready to make it live.
  • You can take this opportunity to explain why and how you built the tracker, plans for its future, how people can use it, how you think it will help them and any asks you have for them (aka submitting tips to track development collaboratively, telling you what additional features they’d like to see).
  • Here's the Detroit Development Tracker announcement you can use as an example.

• Refine data sources and continue adding data.
• Finalize and formalize workflows with your team and create documentation.
• Explore how the tracker can be a stronger resource for your community and your reporting.
• Continue soliciting feedback.
• Promote the tracker to create awareness among your readers and larger community.
• Reach and grow your audience of tracker users and determine strategies and goals for audience development.
• Conduct user research and interviews to determine how you can expand or improve your tracker.
• Customize the site more extensively as capacity allows.
• Consider increasing support for the tracker through partnerships with other news outlets or local organizations, as well as funding.

Congrats! You've made it through the guide. Go to the final section to find our contact information so you can share your tracker with us, share feedback or get assistance.