Reddit Website Handover Checklist for Agencies

Prep — 7 days before launch

1. Domain ownership audit. Confirm the apex domain is in the client's registrar account, not yours. Transfer locks or 60-day holds are common — start early.
2. Hosting account handover. Create the account under the client's billing email and pay method on day one. Use a placeholder name if the live one is being decided.
3. DNS prep. Lower TTL on the live records a week ahead so propagation finishes quickly on launch. Document every record and its purpose.
4. SSL preparation. Order or validate the cert. Decide whether you manage auto-renewal or whether the client does.
5. Repo and asset transfer. The code repo, design files, copy doc, and brand assets — all in one drop. Use a folder structure the client can keep or hand to a future vendor.
6. Backups verified. Confirm hosting account has daily backups enabled, retention matches the client's needs, and a restore was tested recently.

Dry-run — 3 days before launch

A staging site being green is not the same as a launch being green. Run a full dry-run from a fresh browser.

1. DNS propagation test. Use a clean DNS resolver or VPN. Confirm both apex and www resolve to the right place.
2. SSL chain check. The cert is valid, the chain is clean, no mixed-content warnings. Test inside an incognito window.
3. Critical paths walked. Contact form, checkout, signup, account login, password reset, unsubscribe, webhook endpoints. Each one tested end-to-end.
4. Mobile sanity. One iOS, one Android, one tablet. No special-case bugs in CSS where the desktop view hid them.
5. Analytics and tracking. Confirm GA, ads pixels, and any conversion events are firing. A launch without analytics is a launch without learning.

Launch day — transfer ownership atomically

The handover is one event. Sequence it. Do not let it stretch across two days.

1. DNS cutover. Move records to production. Watch propagation in real time. Expect stragglers for up to 48 hours.
2. Ownership transfer. Hand over hosting, domain, and any third-party accounts. One password manager invite is cleaner than five email forwards.
3. DNS restored in TTL window. Once stable, raise TTL back. Document the recovery move in case anything regresses.
4. Launch message sent. Single email, single channel, with: go-live confirmation, current issue list, owner contacts, and the launch runbook link.
5. Stand scheduled. A 15-minute call 2 hours after go-live with one technical owner from the client and one from your team. Just to confirm nothing is on fire.

Post-launch — inside 72 hours

1. Revoke temporary access. Staging credentials, contractor accounts, agency-side admin roles, shared logins, and any one-time consultant tokens.
2. Close staging. Either delete the project or freeze it with the client's permission. A staging site live for years is a known compromise vector.
3. Hand over the runbook. One document covering: where things live, who to call for what, what's covered under support, and what is considered new work.
4. Confirm sign-off. A 14-day "everything looks stable" check is reasonable, but the agency side should not be running the site forever.

Related handovers you may need

• Client handover checklist for freelancers →The general pre-delivery pass that this list expands on.
• Client offboarding template for freelancers →Email scripts that close the engagement without burning the relationship.
• Project sign-off template for freelancers →The signed acceptance document that closes the loop on ownership.