The Agency Client Site Handover Checklist

Handing a finished WordPress site to a client, step by step - access, documentation, training, and deciding who maintains it after launch. Tick items off as you go - your progress saves in this browser.

Why this matters

A web designer handed off a restaurant client's site and transferred the admin login - but the client's own email was never added as an administrator, the domain was still registered to the designer's personal account, and nobody documented that the forms depended on an SMTP plugin the designer paid for personally. Eight months later the designer changed email providers, the form notifications silently died, and the client lost every lead for a week before anyone noticed. Handover is not done when the site works - it is done when the client can run it without you.

1. All content is final and approved by the client in writing
2. All pages, posts, and products are proofread for typos and broken links
3. Forms are tested end-to-end: submit a test entry and confirm it arrives
4. All plugin and theme licences are registered to the client's accounts, not yours
5. Client has their own admin account with a strong unique password
6. Client admin has the correct role - not administrator if they don't need it
7. All temporary/admin accounts you created are deleted
8. Client email address is verified and receives WordPress notifications
9. DNS records point to the correct host and SSL is active on the live domain
10. Backups are confirmed working - a restore has been tested at least once
11. Staging environment is documented or decommissioned with client agreement
12. All third-party integrations (analytics, CRM, payment, email) use client-owned accounts
13. Client has login credentials for hosting, domain registrar, and any SaaS tools
14. Documentation delivered: how to edit content, update plugins, and restore backups
15. Client walkthrough completed - they can publish a page and submit a form themselves
16. Maintenance responsibility agreed in writing - who updates, backs up, and fixes
17. Final invoice sent and project closed out in your project management tool

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