Client handoff checklist: files, access, final invoice

Files and sources

The client should leave with two things: the files they will use as they are, and the sources that let someone else change them. For a brand identity, that means the exported logos and the working file. For a bakery website, it means the live site, the code repository and the mockups.

Final exports delivered in the formats and sizes agreed in the quote (logo: SVG, PDF, PNG on a transparent background, in color, black and white)
Source files shared or transferred to the client (Figma file, design files, code repository)
Fonts listed with their license, and who needs to buy it
Stock images listed with their license and the account that bought them
One dated handoff folder with readable file names (oakstreet-logo-color.svg rather than final-v3-ok.svg)

Organize the handoff folder as if the client had to find their way around it alone a year from now: 01 Logos, 02 Typography, 03 Images, 04 Sources, and a short README file that says what each folder holds and what each format is for.

Access and accounts

This is the block people forget most often, and the gap shows up later. Three months after launch, the domain expires, the card on file is yours, and the client calls you. Every account tied to the project should be in the client’s name, paid by them, with admin access they control.

Domain in the client’s name, with their payment method and auto-renewal on
Hosting in the client’s name, paid by them
CMS or back office: the client has an admin account; yours is deleted or downgraded
Third-party services handed over: analytics, forms, email sending, maps, booking
Two-factor authentication tied to the client’s phone or email, not yours
DNS records written down in the documentation (where they are managed, what each one does)

If an account has to stay with you, because you handle maintenance for example, write it into the maintenance contract with an end date. The day the contract ends, the account moves to the client. And if nobody remembers where the domain is registered, a WHOIS lookup shows the registrar, even when the owner’s name is hidden.

Documentation and training

The client doesn’t need a thirty-page manual. They need to know the four or five things they will do again and again: change the opening hours, add a cake to the menu, post a news item. One page per task, with screenshots, is enough. Send it as a PDF and keep a copy in the project folder: the day the client loses it, you can resend it in a minute.

Walkthrough done, by video call or on site, with the person who will update the site
Walkthrough recorded, if the client agrees, and the link sent
Short documentation sent: how to edit, where the files are, who to call
List of providers and their contact details (host, registrar, third-party services)
What stays covered after delivery, and until when, as agreed in the quote
Who runs backups, how often, and how to restore

Run the walkthrough with the person who will make the updates, not the owner who signed the quote. At the bakery, it’s the shop assistant who changes the menu every week.

Final invoice and wrap-up

The last block closes the project on the admin side and sets up the next one. Do it in one go, on delivery day or the day after. Send the final invoice when the client approves, while the project is still fresh in their mind: an invoice that arrives three weeks after launch first has to remind the client what it’s for.

Deliverables approved in writing (an email from the client is enough)
Final invoice sent, including the out-of-scope requests approved along the way
Testimonial requested
Written permission to show the work in your portfolio
Your access removed or downgraded, as agreed
Project moved to the Closed stage and its folder archived

Many freelancers only hand over source files once the final balance is paid. If that’s your rule, write it into the quote from the start, for example: “Source files are delivered upon receipt of the final payment.” This is a sample wording to adapt to your situation, not legal advice.

The full checklist to paste into Obsidian

Create a note in the project folder, for example “Handoff Oak Street Bakery”, and paste the text below. Lines starting with - [ ] become checkboxes. The properties at the top let you find all your ongoing handoffs in a BasesThe database feature built into Obsidian: tables, cards and Kanban boards made from the properties of your notes. No plugin to install.help.obsidian.md view. The [!warning] callout at the top shows as a colored warning box and repeats the password rule every time you open the note.

---
type: handoff
project: "[[Oak Street Bakery website]]"
status: In progress
date: 2026-11-20
---
> [!warning] No passwords here
> Pass credentials through a password manager, then tick the box.

## Files and sources
- [ ] Final exports delivered in the agreed formats
- [ ] Source files shared or transferred (Figma, design, repository)
- [ ] Fonts listed with their license
- [ ] Stock images listed with their license
- [ ] Dated handoff folder, readable file names

## Access and accounts
- [ ] Domain in the client’s name, auto-renewal on
- [ ] Hosting in the client’s name
- [ ] Client admin account; mine deleted or downgraded
- [ ] Third-party services handed over (analytics, forms, email)
- [ ] Two-factor authentication tied to the client
- [ ] DNS documented

## Documentation and training
- [ ] Walkthrough done (and recorded if agreed)
- [ ] Short documentation sent
- [ ] List of providers sent
- [ ] Warranty and end date restated
- [ ] Backups: who, when, how to restore

## Final invoice and wrap-up
- [ ] Deliverables approved in writing
- [ ] Final invoice sent
- [ ] Testimonial requested
- [ ] Portfolio permission obtained
- [ ] My access removed
- [ ] Project set to Closed, folder archived

Keep a copy of this note in your templates folder. On the next project, insert it with the Templates core plugin and delete the lines that don’t apply: a brand identity has no hosting, an app often adds app store accounts.

The end-of-project email

Once every box is ticked, send one message that sums it all up. The client will dig it out six months from now, when they are looking for their logo or wondering who to call. Here is a template to adapt:

Subject: Oak Street Bakery website, final handoff

Hi Claire,

The new site has been live since November 20. Here is everything you need from here on.

Files: the “Handoff Oak Street Bakery” folder (link) holds the logos, photos and mockups.
Access: the domain, hosting and site admin are in your name. The logins are in the shared password manager.
Documentation: the update guide (link) and the walkthrough recording (link).
Warranty: I will fix any bugs you report until December 20.
Invoice: the final invoice is attached, due within 30 days.

Two small requests, if you have five minutes:
1. What has changed for the shop since the launch? A few lines would make a great testimonial.
2. May I show the site in my portfolio?

Thank you for this project.
Best regards,

For the testimonial, a specific question gets better answers than “a few words about working together”. Ask what changed, or what the client would tell a friend who is thinking of hiring you.

Questions

When should I hand over source files?

Whenever your quote says. Many freelancers deliver them once the final balance is paid; what matters is that the rule is written down before the project starts.

The client doesn’t have a hosting account in their name yet. What do I do?

Create it with them on a call: they enter their details and payment method, then add you as a user. You never have to transfer an account you paid for.

Should I keep access to the site after the handoff?

Only if a maintenance contract says so. Otherwise, delete your account or downgrade it, and tell the client in writing.

Does the checklist change for a logo or an app?

The four blocks stay the same; only the lines change. A brand identity has no domain or hosting; an app often adds app store accounts and certificates.