A website can look finished while important parts of the handoff are still missing. You might have the live address but no access to the domain account, or an editor login without knowing who pays the hosting bill. These gaps often become obvious only when something needs changing urgently.
Sort out ownership and access before the final day of a project. A clear record helps the business owner, the person building the site and anyone who works on it later. You do not need to become a developer, but you should know where the essential pieces are and who controls them.
Identify the domain account
Your domain is the address people use to find the business. Record where it is registered, which account controls it and when it renews. Confirm that the business can access the account through an appropriate owner-controlled email address, rather than relying entirely on a supplier's personal login.
Check the renewal arrangements and what happens if a payment fails. Keep recovery information secure and current. Do not place passwords or recovery codes in an ordinary handoff document or shared email. Use a suitable secure method for any necessary transfer of credentials.
Separate hosting from the domain
The service that holds your domain may be different from the one that hosts the website. Write down both. Include who receives invoices, what plan is in use and who is responsible for changes. If the website depends on other services, identify those separately rather than assuming they are included in hosting.
Ask which costs recur and which services stop if an agreement ends. Be clear about whether a supplier manages an account on your behalf or owns the account through which the service is provided. If moving away would require a transfer or rebuild, understand that before agreeing to the arrangement.
Confirm what you own and can take away
Website projects can involve original content, licensed photographs, commercial themes, plugins and hosted platforms. Ownership and portability are not necessarily the same for every part. Ask for a plain explanation of which files and content you receive and which licenses or subscriptions have conditions attached.
For a custom-built site, agree whether the handoff includes source files, the relevant code repository and instructions needed for another developer to work on it. For a hosted builder, understand its export limits. Do not assume that seeing a page in a browser means you can move the entire site unchanged.
Check inquiry handling
Document where each form sends its information and who is expected to review it. Note any storage location, notification service or integration that is part of the agreed build. Keep the information proportionate; a handoff record should describe the setup without becoming a collection of customer inquiries.
Arrange an approved test of the complete inquiry route if it is included in the scope. Check the submitted details, any attachments and the message received by the responsible person. A form success screen alone does not establish inbox delivery. Custom integrations should be explicitly scoped rather than assumed to be standard.
Agree the checks and recovery arrangements
Keep a short record of what was checked before publication, which issues remain and who accepted them. Include important page addresses, contact details and any redirects from replaced pages. Screenshots and reproduction steps make an unresolved fault easier for the next person to understand.
Ask what backups exist, where they are held and what restoring them involves. A promise that “everything is backed up” is incomplete without those details. Also clarify who handles routine updates and what support, if any, continues after the project ends.
Get instructions for everyday changes
Request concise instructions for tasks you expect to handle yourself, such as changing opening hours, replacing a project photograph or editing a service description. Agree which changes should go back to a developer. A short walkthrough using your actual site is often easier to follow than a large generic manual.
Have the intended editor try a safe change before handoff is complete. Confirm they have the right level of access, and review temporary project accounts through the appropriate approved process. Avoid leaving access arrangements vague because the site has already gone live.
Keep the handoff record somewhere the business can find it. If you are deciding whether to retain the current site, our repair or rebuild guide provides a useful starting point. Frisk Digital website work should have an agreed scope, including what is delivered and what remains the owner's responsibility.