True Measure / Ownership & access
Website ownership and handover checklist
Record who controls each service, what the agreement allows and what remains unresolved.
Use paper or your own notes for answers and checklist marks. No answers are collected or saved on this page.
Know what is being handed over
Before launch or a provider change, ask who can manage each part of the website and what you will receive. Keep account access, supplied files, and rights under the agreement as separate questions. Being able to log in does not settle every ownership or licensing question.
Use this sheet with your provider. It records operational answers; it does not determine legal rights. If an agreement is unclear, get the wording clarified before relying on it.
Website:
Business representative / provider:
Handover date:
Keep secrets off this sheet. Do not write passwords, recovery codes, API keys, payment details, or private sign-in links. Record the responsible person and where approved instructions are stored.
1. Record who can manage what
Use verified, pending, not included, or not applicable. “Verified” means the authorized person demonstrated the agreed access, not merely that an invitation was sent.
On narrow screens, scroll each table sideways to read every column. Use Tab to focus a table and the arrow keys to scroll.
| Service or asset | Responsible role / provider | Access checked and date |
|---|---|---|
| Domain registration | ||
| DNS settings: where the domain points | ||
| Website platform and hosting | ||
| Content editing | ||
| Form destination and business inbox | ||
| Search or analytics accounts, if used | ||
| Files, exports, and backup instructions |
2. Ask what the agreement allows
- ☐ What original writing, design files, code, and other deliverables will we receive?
- ☐ Which parts use third-party software, templates, fonts, or media? What terms continue to apply?
- ☐ What can we edit or export ourselves? What requires the provider or platform?
- ☐ If we stop a subscription, what stops working, and what can we take with us?
- ☐ Who performs a move, and what costs or notice requirements are stated?
- ☐ Where are these answers recorded in the agreement or written handover?
Deliverable / written answer / unresolved issue:
3. Assign ongoing responsibility
| Responsibility | Named owner | Date or instructions location |
|---|---|---|
| Domain and service renewals | ||
| Updating billing/contact details | ||
| Routine content changes | ||
| Backups and restore verification, if included | ||
| Reporting faults and requesting support |
4. Demonstrate the handover
- ☐ The authorized business user can perform the agreed editing task.
- ☐ We know where a test inquiry arrives and who handles it.
- ☐ We can find the agreed deliverables and instructions.
- ☐ We know which services continue to incur charges.
- ☐ We have a named person for each unresolved item.
- ☐ Any planned access removal will happen only after replacement access is verified and the change is authorized.
Fictional example: An owner can edit pages but has not confirmed who receives domain-renewal notices. Mark domain responsibility “pending,” even though the website is live.
Read the result
Do not turn unchecked boxes into a general “all done.” List the remaining items, the person responsible, and what evidence will close each one.
Next unresolved item / owner / confirmation needed:
Source note
ICANN’s domain-management guidance provides official further reading on protecting domain-registration accounts. This worksheet is broader operational planning, not an ICANN certification or a guarantee against interruption or account loss. Your provider’s current instructions and written agreement govern the particular handover questions.