Check the completed website against the agreed project scope before accepting the handover. The business should be able to operate the site, renew its dependencies and obtain support without relying on undocumented personal accounts.
01 Verify the handover
- Review the approved scope and list each deliverable with its acceptance evidence. Record any remaining defects, limitations or deferred work with an owner and due date.
- Test the live domain, certificate, navigation, forms and important transactions. Check on a phone and as a signed-out visitor, not only through the developer's preview.
- Confirm business ownership of hosting, domain registration, builder or CMS accounts, analytics and relevant licences. Identify anything licensed to the developer that cannot simply be transferred.
- Receive the agreed source files, content, configuration notes and operating instructions. Document build or deployment steps where the site requires them.
- Verify backup and recovery arrangements with a practical recovery check where included. Record how updates, security issues and support requests will be handled.
- Replace temporary credentials and remove unnecessary developer access after the agreed support arrangement is established. Retain approved ongoing access with a named purpose.
- Record acceptance and unresolved exceptions in writing through the agreed project process.
Common questions
Is a working home page enough for acceptance?
No. Check the customer journeys and deliverables defined in the scope, including less visible items such as notifications and maintenance access.
Should all developer access be removed immediately?
Coordinate removal with any agreed warranty or maintenance work. Keep only the access necessary for the named responsibility and review it later.
What if a licence belongs to the developer?
Clarify renewal, transfer and replacement arrangements before relying on it for continued operation. The handover should state who pays and what happens if that relationship ends.