A useful handover lets the business understand who owns the website, who can change it and how it will be maintained. Agree the responsibilities during the project so launch does not leave your team dependent on undocumented access or processes.
An example journey, shaped around your requirements.
Make the operating responsibilities clear.
Start with an ownership register.
List the domain registrar, DNS service, hosting, CMS, code repository where applicable and third-party business tools. For each, record the business owner, billing owner, renewal date and the person responsible for administration. The register should describe accounts without containing passwords.
Separate ownership from contributor access. A supplier may need scoped access to maintain the site while the business retains control of its primary accounts. Review access when responsibilities change, and keep a clear way to recover administrative control.
Request operating instructions for ordinary changes.
Your team should know how to edit the content it is expected to manage. Ask for a walkthrough covering page content, images, metadata, forms and publication where these are part of the CMS. Document restrictions and the review process for important changes.
Keep the instructions close to the actual implementation. A generic platform tutorial may not explain your custom content model or release workflow. Identify who checks a new page on mobile, who approves factual claims and who investigates a failed publication.
Clarify what the backup includes and how restoration works.
A backup plan should cover the content database, uploads, configuration and code or release artefacts that the site needs. Specify where recoverable copies are stored, who can access them, retention and how a restore will be tested. A file labelled “backup” is not evidence that recovery works.
Discuss recovery priorities for the actual site. A brochure site, an active store and a customer portal have different data-loss and downtime implications. Agree expectations using the systems and operating requirements involved, rather than assuming one generic schedule suits all websites.
Separate defects, routine maintenance and new features.
A defect is a failure against an agreed requirement. Maintenance includes activities such as compatible updates, monitoring and supported operational checks. New features or new content structures may require a separate estimate. Put these distinctions into the support arrangement.
State the supported components, contact channel and how urgent incidents will be assessed. Do not assume a support plan includes every third-party account or guarantees uninterrupted operation. Clear scope helps your team request the right work without an argument about what “maintenance” means.
Keep search and content ownership active.
After launch, somebody must maintain useful content, check important links and review search discovery. Google’s guidance treats SEO as an ongoing effort; new or changed pages should serve a real audience and remain understandable to users and search engines.
Agree who reviews contact details, service information and case-study permissions. Track subscriptions and licences that affect images, fonts or plugins. When changing supplier, arrange an orderly transfer of documentation and access, then verify the public site still works.
The handover register.
Use this as a starting point for a project-specific operating record.
Area
What to agree
What to receive
Risk to address
Domain and DNS
Ownership, billing and renewal
Business account and accountable administrator
Losing control when a supplier changes
Content and code
Editing process and release workflow
Walkthrough, documentation and agreed repositories
An implementation nobody can update
Backups
Scope, retention and restoration
Recoverable copy and tested restore instructions
Backups that omit data or uploads
Support
Included work and incident handling
Written scope and contact route
Unclear responsibility after launch
Questions before you begin.
Should my agency own my domain?
Agree ownership explicitly. Keeping the domain in the appropriate business account generally makes renewal and supplier changes easier to manage. Contributor access can be provided separately.
Is a source-code repository always part of handover?
It depends on the platform and contract. A hosted ecommerce platform, a CMS theme and custom software have different artefacts. Ask exactly what is included and what licences or platform dependencies apply.
How often should the website be maintained?
Set the schedule around the platform, supported components and business impact. Review update requirements, backups, monitoring and content responsibilities with the people operating the site.
