Website handover checklist for freelance designers

1. Transfer ownership, not just a login

Record the domain registrar, hosting provider and account owner. Confirm who pays each renewal and where renewal notices go. Ask the client to confirm access from their own account. An invitation is not the same as accepted access.

Avoid transferring a domain unnecessarily on launch day. Check the registrar’s transfer requirements first and document any pending ownership action.

2. Inventory the deliverables

List the pages, features, source files, design assets and training you actually delivered. Link to the final folder using access controls appropriate for the project. Call out anything excluded or still in progress so the client does not mistake this document for a promise of extra work.

3. Separate the access record from credentials

Your handover should say who has access, their role and whether the invitation was accepted. Share secrets through a password manager or the provider’s account invitation process. Never put passwords or recovery codes into a PDF that will be forwarded.

4. Name the maintenance owner

Write down who checks backups, tests the contact form and handles software updates. Identify the recovery procedure and who can perform it. Confirm these details with the actual provider; the checklist itself does not test a backup.

5. Repeat the support agreement

Include the support contact and the scope already agreed in your contract. Separate defects covered by that agreement from new pages, new integrations or ongoing maintenance. This is a reminder, not a replacement agreement.

6. Give every open item an owner

End with a short list: action, person and date. Examples: client accepts the editor invitation; designer delivers the walkthrough; client confirms receipt of the final assets. Only mark an item completed after you have evidence.

Use the free Handoverdesk builder to put these details into one portable document. Review the exported file before sending it.