Website Handover Checklist
A website handover checklist for agencies: accounts, ownership, documentation, training and support terms when you hand a finished site to the client.
- Typical schedule per website handover
- The checklist 5 sections, 20 items
- Variables
{{site}}{{client}}
Use this checklist when a finished website moves from the agency or freelancer to the client's team. A good handover means the client can run the site without calling you for every small change, and that they own every account the site depends on. A poor handover shows up months later, when a domain expires on a card nobody recognises or the only admin login belongs to a developer who has left.
Who owns it
The project lead owns the run. A developer prepares the technical documentation and checks account ownership. On the client side, name one person who receives the logins and attends the training.
Common pitfalls
- The agency still owns the accounts. Domain, hosting, CMS licences and analytics should be in the client's name. If you keep any on purpose, write that down.
- Documentation nobody reads. A long technical manual is less useful than a short guide for the five tasks the client actually does, plus a recorded training session.
- Unclear support after handover. Agree in writing what is included, for how long, and what costs extra.
- One admin account for everyone. Give each client user their own login with the right role.
Recording the handover as a Runbook run gives both sides a dated record of what was handed over and confirmed.
The checklist: Hand over website {{site}} to {{client}}
Accounts and ownership
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Domain registered in the client's name with the client's contact email
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Hosting account owned by the client or transferred to them
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Paid themes, plugins and licences registered to the client optional
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Analytics, Search Console and tag manager owned by a client account
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Third-party services listed with owner and billing (e.g. email delivery, forms, maps, CDN)
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Renewal dates for the domain, SSL and paid services shared with the client
Access
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Each client user has a personal CMS login with the right role
Give admin rights to one or two people, and editor rights to the rest.
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All credentials shared through a password manager or secure share, not email
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Agency access removed or reduced to what the support agreement needs
Documentation
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Short editor guide written for common tasks: edit a page, add a post, change the menu, replace an image
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Technical notes delivered: hosting, DNS records, backups, deployment and custom code
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Source code and design files delivered or repository ownership transferred optional
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List of known issues and future recommendations shared
Training and acceptance
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Training session held with the client's editors
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Training session recorded and the recording shared optional
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Client confirmed they can log in and make a test change
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Written acceptance of the handover received
Support after handover
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Support or warranty terms confirmed: what is included, response times, end date
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Backups and uptime monitoring confirmed as running, and who receives alerts
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Maintenance offer sent if the client wants ongoing care optional
Checklist as Markdown
Frequently asked questions
What should be included in a website handover?
A handover includes ownership of all accounts (domain, hosting, licences, analytics), personal logins for the client's users, a short editor guide, technical notes on hosting and backups, and the agreed support terms. Finish with a training session and a written acceptance.
Who should own the domain and hosting of a client website?
The client should. If the agency registers the domain or hosting for convenience, the client depends on the agency for something critical. Register accounts in the client's name from the start, or transfer them at handover.
What is the difference between website handover and launch?
The launch makes the site public and checks that it works. The handover moves responsibility for the site to the client: ownership, logins, documentation and training. Sometimes they happen on the same day, but they are separate steps with separate checklists.
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