A business owns a usable website only when it can control, operate, move and recover the essential assets without depending on one supplier. Use this checklist before final payment, a staff departure or a change of agency.
Domain and DNS
- The business can sign in to the registrar account.
- Registrant details are accurate.
- Expiry and renewal method are documented.
- A second recovery route exists.
- The DNS provider is identified.
- Current nameservers and DNS records are exported.
- Website, email and verification records have named purposes.
Hosting and deployment
- The hosting contract and renewal cost are known.
- The business has an administrative route independent of the developer.
- Server or control-panel access is documented at the appropriate level.
- Deployment steps and environment requirements are recorded.
- The latest working backup can be restored outside the current supplier.
Website assets
- Current source files, theme or application code are available.
- Database export and uploaded media are included.
- Licences identify who owns the account and whether they transfer.
- Fonts, photographs and other media have usable rights.
- Analytics, Search Console and tag-management access belongs to the business.
Email and external services
- Mailboxes, aliases and groups are listed.
- SPF, DKIM and DMARC responsibilities are known.
- Forms, booking, payment, CRM and newsletter accounts are identified.
- API keys and recovery codes can be rotated.
- Former staff and suppliers can be removed without losing the system.
Acceptance record
| Asset | Owner/account | Renewal | Recovery tested | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domain | ||||
| DNS | ||||
| Hosting | ||||
| Business email | ||||
| Website source and database | ||||
| Analytics and Search Console |
When the checklist fails
Do not accept “the agency manages it” as evidence of ownership. Ask for the exact provider, account, registrant, export and recovery procedure. Resolve critical gaps before ending the supplier relationship or approving a migration.
Evidence required at handover
For each item, require working access or an export — not only a written assurance. Test sign-in using the business’s own device, confirm that recovery messages arrive, download a fresh backup, open the source archive and verify that analytics and Search Console show the live property.
Where a licence cannot legally transfer, record the replacement cost and what happens when the supplier’s subscription ends. The website may technically be delivered while still depending on a theme, plugin, font or image licence owned by someone else.
Final publication check
- Access has been tested, not merely promised.
- A restorable website copy and source package exist.
- Third-party licences and accounts have named owners.
- The business can remove the current supplier without losing the domain, email or analytics.
Sources and date checked
Technical and policy information was checked on 21 July 2026. Recheck provider-specific procedures before making a live change.
Keep the decision under your control
Retain the relevant accounts, source material, supplier terms and recovery information. Recheck changing prices, interfaces and rules before acting.