A website is the visible part of a project. The real deliverable is everything that proves the site is yours and lets anyone keep it running. Use this checklist to confirm you actually received it — whoever built your site.
A beautiful homepage means little if you don't control the domain, can't reach the files, or don't know which accounts exist. Many cheap or rushed websites leave no real handoff, which quietly locks you to whoever built it. A proper handoff is what turns a website into an asset you own.
Your web address should be registered in your name, with the registrar login or transfer access documented. If someone else 'holds' your domain, you don't really control your site.
You should know where the site is hosted, how to access that account, and what it costs. Hosting in someone else's account with no access is a common lock-in trap.
You should receive the actual files or repository that make up your site, so any developer can pick up exactly where the last one left off — no rebuilding from scratch.
A clear map of every account created for your project (domain, hosting, analytics, email, profiles), what each one is for, and who controls it.
Two-factor authentication on the accounts that matter, plus recovery notes so you can regain access if something is lost. Security is part of the deliverable, not an afterthought.
The text of your site, organized and editable, so you're not stuck if you want to update or move it later.
Your images, optimized for the web but also available in their original quality — handed back to you, not trapped in a builder you don't own.
Clean structure, metadata, headings, and a sitemap — applied and explained in plain language. An honest baseline, never a promise of rankings.
Search Console and analytics set up in your accounts, so the data about your own site belongs to you and not to a third party.
A clear statement of what the service covers after launch, what maintenance options exist, and where the boundaries are — so there are no surprises.
Once everything is handed over, you should be able to revoke any access the builder held. A good handoff includes the steps to do exactly that.
At OwnSite Studio, every project ends with a Digital Asset Folder and a documented handoff PDF that cover every point above. You can see a representative example on our sample delivery page — it's the difference between a website and a website you actually own.
See a sample deliveryYour domain in your name. If you don't control the domain, you don't really control your site — everything else is easier to fix later.
Whether we build it or not, you deserve a clean handoff. If you'd like a site that ends with everything on this list, tell us about your business.
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