Agency project handover checklist
A practical checklist for the resources, systems, and control checks agencies should complete before calling a project safely handed over.
Most project handovers do not fail because one dramatic thing was forgotten. They fail because several smaller assumptions were never checked together.
A complete-looking handover can still leave the agency exposed if the files are shared but not editable, the systems are recorded but not confirmed, or the outgoing supplier still controls the only live admin route.
What to check
Resources
- ✓ Primary source files and editable working files
- ✓ Final approved copy decks and content exports
- ✓ Brand assets, image libraries, and linked files
- ✓ Handover notes that explain what the next team is looking at
Systems and access
- ✓ CMS or platform admin access
- ✓ Hosting, deployment, or infrastructure routes
- ✓ Analytics and reporting ownership
- ✓ Domain, DNS, and any registrar access
- ✓ Paid media, CRM, or third-party platforms that affect delivery
Handover check
Client website build
Must resolve
Hosting access missing
The site is live, but the agency cannot yet administer the environment independently.
Needs checking
Source files supplied, not verified
The files were sent over, but nobody has confirmed they are the latest editable versions.
A safe handover is not just a collection exercise. It is a control exercise. The agency should be able to say what exists, who controls it, and whether the next team has actually verified it.
Delivered
Something was sent over.
Controlled
The agency can actually administer or retrieve it.
Verified
Someone has checked that it is usable, current, and complete.
Common misses
Exports were shared, but the editable source was not.
A login exists somewhere, but nobody has confirmed the admin route still works.
A supplier provided the latest version, but the agency never checked whether it matches the live environment.
What happens if you skip it
The next team loses time trying to reconstruct what should already have been recorded.
Urgent changes get blocked because the agency cannot actually reach the systems behind the work.
Confidence drops quickly because nobody can say what is missing, what is external, and what has really been verified.
If you need one simple rule, use this: if the outgoing supplier stepped away tomorrow, could the agency still keep the work moving safely? If the answer is uncertain, the handover is not complete.
How Custody helps
Custody helps agencies turn handover into a visible record of what is missing, what is still externally held, and what has actually been verified.