A handover should leave the business able to use, manage and look after the website. A live link on its own does not cover those jobs.
Review the public website
Open the agreed pages on a phone and a larger screen. Check business names, service descriptions, dates, timings, contact details and photographs against the approved material. Follow the navigation and the important actions. Keep a short issue list with the page link and what needs correcting.
For a form, checkout or booking feature, include its actual operating workflow in the review. The scope should identify the safe test method and the person who confirms receipt. Do not send real payments or personal information merely to see whether a sample button works.
Confirm the account responsibilities
Check the domain, hosting, email and any connected tools against the agreed ownership sheet. Verify that the right person can access the account and its recovery route. Record who handles each renewal and which subscriptions are separate.
The account-control guide explains these distinctions. This step is about confirming the agreement at delivery.
Know what you receive
- The agreed website source, content or relevant export.
- Image permissions and any licence or attribution requirements.
- A list of providers and services the site depends on.
- Instructions for ordinary updates and the approval process.
- Backup and recovery responsibilities, with a tested restore process where included.
Agree the format and location. Do not collect passwords in the same general-purpose checklist.
Walk through an ordinary change
Choose a small example, such as changing a service description. Identify who requests it, who approves it and how the result is reviewed. If staff have an editor, let the relevant person try the task. If updates are managed for you, confirm the request route and included scope.
Separate fixes from new work
Record how to report a defect, what the agreed support covers and how additional features are assessed. Identify any support hours and escalation arrangement actually included in the project. Do not rely on a general promise that everything will be taken care of.
Download the blank handover checklist. The maintenance guide can help define responsibilities after delivery.
Written by VikaSquare for business owners and office teams. Illustrations and checklists are practical planning aids. Professional permissions and sensitive-data requirements need their own review.