How to hand over a WordPress site properly
A site you need the developer for every time you add a page isn't finished — it's a dependency. What a real handover includes.
I build sites to be handed over. If a client needs me every time they want to add a page or change a phone number, the project isn't really finished. Here's what a proper handover includes.
1. Access that belongs to the client
- Domain, hosting and DNS in the client's own accounts — not the developer's.
- Admin users for the client team, with the right roles. Editors don't need to be administrators.
- Premium plugin and theme licences registered to the client.
2. A short, practical guide
Not a 40-page manual. A few pages, or short screen recordings, covering the tasks they'll actually do: adding a post, editing a page, adding a product, changing the menu, updating the footer.
3. Documentation for the next developer
One day someone else may look after the site. They should find:
- A list of plugins and why each one is there.
- Custom code location and what it does.
- Field groups, custom post types and templates explained.
- Any integrations (payments, CRM, email) and where their keys are configured.
4. Backups and updates sorted
Automatic off-site backups running and tested. A clear answer to "who updates plugins, and when?" — whether that's the client, the host, or a maintenance retainer.
5. A final check together
A call where the client does the common tasks themselves while I watch. Anything confusing gets fixed or documented on the spot.
A good handover is cheaper for everyone — including the developer.
Clients who can run their own site come back for the bigger projects, not the small edits. That's a better relationship for both sides.