The series was originally announced in November 2014 as a straightforward television adaptation of Sara Shepard's novel series The Perfectionists, before being reworked into a sequel/spin-off of Pretty Little Liars.

Freeform ordered a pilot for the series on September 25, 2017, making it the network's second Pretty Little Liars spin-off following Ravenswood.

Sasha Pieterse and Janel Parrish were announced on the same day as the pilot order, September 25, 2017, to reprise their original Pretty Little Liars roles as Alison DiLaurentis and Mona Vanderwaal.

General Hospital actress Hayley Erin was initially cast in a 'mysterious, unnamed role' before it was revealed she would play Taylor Hotchkiss.

The series was filmed in Portland, Oregon, with production beginning with a table read on February 27, 2018, and pilot filming starting March 12, 2018.

Composer Michael Suby, who had previously scored both Pretty Little Liars and Ravenswood, was brought back to compose the music for The Perfectionists.

The show's theme song was a new version of The Pierces' 'Secret' (originally used in Pretty Little Liars), performed by the duo Denmark + Winter.

The series received widespread critical acclaim, holding a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 11 reviews with an average score of 7.87/10, surpassing the ratings of every season of the parent show.