Website handover checklist: 12 things that must be in your name

Why this matters more than the design

The calls we dread are the ones that start with "our old developer stopped answering". The website is up, but nobody at the business can log in, the domain is registered to the developer’s email, and renewal reminders go to someone who left town. Fixing it can take weeks, and sometimes the domain is lost.

None of this needs technical skill to prevent. It needs a list, and someone to tick it off on launch day.

1–3. Domain, DNS and email

1. 1Domain registrant: the registrant name and email should be yours or your company’s, not the developer’s. Ask for a screenshot of the registrar account, or a login to it.
2. 2Registrar login: you should be able to log in to the registrar (GoDaddy, Hostinger, BigRock and others) yourself, with your email on the account and two-factor login switched on.
3. 3DNS and email: know where your DNS is managed (registrar, Cloudflare or hosting) and who controls your business email. If email runs on Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, the admin account must be yours.

4–6. Hosting, admin access and code

1. 1Hosting account: the hosting or cloud account (cPanel, AWS, Google Cloud, Vercel) should be billed to you. If the developer hosts many clients on one server, ask for your own cPanel login and a written note of the plan and renewal date.
2. 2Website admin: an administrator login for WordPress, Shopify, WooCommerce or your custom admin panel, in your own name. Developers can have their own user, which you can remove later.
3. 3Code and files: for custom sites and apps, a copy of the source code (a GitHub or GitLab repository you own is best), plus the design files (Figma), and any app store accounts for mobile apps.

7–9. Google and tracking accounts

These are the accounts that hold years of data. Lose them and you start from zero.

1. 1Google Analytics (GA4): you should be an Administrator on the property, not just a viewer.
2. 2Google Search Console: you should be a verified Owner.
3. 3Google Business Profile: you should be the primary owner. Developers and agencies can be managers.

The same goes for Meta Business Suite, the Facebook and Instagram pages, Google Ads and any WhatsApp Business API account.

10–12. Licences, backups and a handover note

1. 1Paid themes and plugins: licences (Elementor Pro, a premium theme, a booking plugin) should be bought on your account or transferred to it, otherwise updates stop when the developer’s licence expires.
2. 2A full backup: a recent copy of the files and database that you keep somewhere outside the hosting, such as Google Drive.
3. 3A one-page handover note: where everything lives, renewal dates and costs, and how to reach support.

If your developer will not hand things over

Start politely and in writing: list exactly what you need, ask for it by a date, and offer to pay any genuinely outstanding invoice. Most handovers stall because nobody asked clearly.

If that does not work: the domain registrar can usually help a business prove it is the rightful registrant; Google has recovery routes for Business Profile and Search Console ownership; and a new developer can rebuild hosting from a backup. Keep copies of invoices and messages, they help in every one of these routes.