Checklist
Website Vendor Handover Checklist
The access, ownership, and documentation checklist to complete before changing website agencies.
Before changing website vendors, confirm domain ownership, DNS access, CMS admin access, hosting ownership, backups, analytics, source code, plugin licenses, and a written offboarding timeline.
Start with ownership, not design files
The most expensive handover failures usually start outside the website itself. If the old vendor owns the domain, DNS, hosting, analytics, or plugin licenses, the new vendor may not be able to launch fixes even if they have the design and content.
Separate access from ownership
Having a login is not the same as owning the account. The business should control billing, recovery email, two-factor authentication, and administrator roles for critical systems.
Ask for evidence before the final invoice
Request screenshots, exports, and access confirmations while the current vendor is still engaged. Waiting until after the relationship ends increases the chance of delays and incomplete answers.
Checklist
- Confirm the domain registrar and business-owned admin account.
- Export all DNS records before changes are made.
- Add a business-owned email as CMS owner or administrator.
- Document hosting account owner, billing owner, plan, and server details.
- Export backup settings and confirm a recent restore test.
- Transfer or document plugin, theme, and page builder licenses.
- Add business-owned owner access to Google Analytics and Search Console.
- Confirm Git/source code access and deployment instructions for custom sites.
- Set a final support date, emergency contact, and billing cutoff.
Use the tool