Pre-event checklist
Tripwire launch checklist
A tripwire is not a discounted product — it is an intent-verification mechanism with a specific funnel structure around it. The nine steps below ship the front-end, the OTO, the 14-day follow-up, the refund mechanism, and the attribution path that turns a tripwire into a working funnel.
Run before: Sending paid or organic traffic to the tripwire offer
When: Before launching the first tripwire offer to paid or organic traffic.
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The 9-step checklist
Step 1
Set the tripwire price between $1 and $27
The tripwire's job is to verify intent, not earn revenue. $1 to $27 is the band where the buyer makes a real decision but does not negotiate. Above $27 the buyer over-thinks; below $1 the signal weakens.
Done when: The tripwire price is between $1 and $27 and is justifiable as a real product, not a placeholder.
Step 2
Write the tripwire offer page with one specific outcome
One headline, one outcome promise, one stack slide (minimal — 1-3 components), one guarantee, one CTA. Total page length under 1,000 words.
Done when: The offer page is under 1,000 words, has exactly one CTA, and a cold reader can repeat the outcome after reading once.
Step 3
Set up the OTO at 2x-5x the tripwire price
An OTO between $19 and $97 (when the tripwire is $1-$27). The OTO must extend the just-made decision, not introduce a new one.
Done when: The OTO is priced at 2x-5x the tripwire, exists on the same Stripe customer record, and the offer-page copy extends the tripwire's frame (does not pivot to a new one).
Step 4
Set up the OTO downsell or no-thank-you path
Customers who decline the OTO must land on a confirmation page, not a sales loop. Re-prompting the OTO is a trust break.
Done when: Declining the OTO routes the customer to the access page; the OTO never re-displays in the same session.
Step 5
Write the 14-day follow-up sequence
Five to seven Seinfeld-style emails over 14 days. Each names a specific outcome or objection. No promo blast; the sequence is the funnel.
Done when: The 14-day sequence is drafted, scheduled, and a test run lands all messages on time in a real inbox.
Step 6
Set up the refund mechanism end-to-end
Stripe refund + access revoke + refund-confirmation email. The customer must be able to ask for a refund via one reply and receive it within one business day.
Done when: A test refund processes within one business day and access is revoked at the same time the refund clears.
Step 7
Set up attribution end-to-end
UTM-tag every traffic source. The Stripe customer must carry the source as metadata. Without source attribution you cannot tell which channel converted.
Done when: Test purchases from three different UTM sources show the right source in Stripe customer metadata.
Step 8
Set the 30-day ROAS calculation window
Tripwire ROAS at 24 hours is misleading. Compute over 30 days: tripwire + OTO + sequence conversions, divided by ad spend.
Done when: The ROAS calculation includes a 30-day window and the dashboard or spreadsheet shows the full four-source total (tripwire, OTO, sequence, core).
Step 9
Mirror the guarantee on the OTO
Asymmetric guarantees between front-end and OTO are a trust break. The OTO must carry the same window and the same refund path.
Done when: The OTO offer page displays the same guarantee window and refund mechanism as the tripwire offer page.
Related Brunson terms
If a step fails, diagnose the element
Frequently asked
- Can I launch a tripwire without an OTO?
- Technically yes, structurally no. A tripwire without an OTO is missing the unit economics that make the front-end break-even sustainable. Adding the OTO is one extra page and one extra Stripe setup intent — the ROI is substantial.
More checklists
Run the diagnostic on your live page
The free 90-second Launch Diagnostic labels which Brunson failure mode your page hits — Wrong Person, Weak Offer, or Weak Belief — so you know which checklist to run first.