By NoWeekends WebDesign ·
The account-and-file checklist
Use this with your proposal or handoff email. Ask the provider to name the account holder, explain your access and say what you will receive if you leave.
| Item | What to ask for |
|---|---|
| Domain registration | The registrar, registrant details, account custodian, renewal date and renewal payer. |
| Website files or builder | The source files or platform workspace, your role there and what can be moved elsewhere. |
| Hosting | The hosting provider, who pays, when service ends and what another host would need. |
| Content and licenses | Copies of your copy, logo and images, plus any font, photo, theme or software license limits. |
| Email and connected tools | The email provider and account access for any forms, booking, analytics or search tools you use. |
| Leaving the service | The cancellation process, handoff steps, fees, timing and bills you will take over. |
A useful answer names the actual provider and deliverable. “You own everything” still needs an account list, a file list and any limits on moving them.
Check domain registration and account custody separately
Ask who is recorded as the domain’s registrant and whose registrar account holds it. If your designer manages that account, agree how you will request access, renew the domain or move it. Keep your business contact details current and confirm how account recovery works.
Changing a hosting provider and transferring a domain to a different registrar are separate steps. A registrar transfer may require an authorization code and may be restricted by a transfer lock. ICANN describes several possible 60-day restrictions, including after a new registration, a previous transfer or a change of registrant. Check the applicable rule with your registrar before agreeing a move date. Read ICANN’s domain transfer FAQ.
Find out what can move to another host
Ask for the deliverable by name: for example, HTML and CSS files, a content export, or a site transferred to your own builder account. Then ask what another provider needs to run it. A content export may leave out page layouts, forms or other platform features.
The answer depends on the platform. Wix says a Wix site must operate on its servers, even though the content belongs to you. Moving the same content to a different platform can therefore involve rebuilding the site. See Wix’s hosting explanation.
Account roles also matter. Webflow distinguishes site ownership in a workspace from paying its site-plan bill: covering the bill alone does not grant the same control over transfer or duplication. Ask the designer to show you the role your business will have. See Webflow’s account-ownership guidance.
Keep a separate record for third-party images, fonts, themes and software. Ask whether each license stays usable after handoff, needs transferring or requires a new purchase. Have any replacement work and charges agreed before the move.
Keep email and connected tools on the list
Record which service handles business email before changing DNS or closing hosting. Mail delivery uses DNS records such as MX records, which point messages toward the receiving mail server. Ask whoever manages the move to preserve the required email records and test mail afterward. Cloudflare explains how MX records work.
For Search Console, confirm your business has the appropriate ownership access and that the provider has only the access they need. Google distinguishes verified owners, delegated owners and users. Record the verification method so it can be maintained when the site changes. Use account invitations and each service’s secure handoff process. Read Google’s Search Console access guide.
If your website uses a form or booking service, identify its account holder, subscription payer and destination inbox. Ask for a test using the actual contact path after the move. A page loading successfully does not establish that an inquiry reached you.
Agree a practical handoff order
- Collect the record. Save the agreed file list, account roles, renewal dates, license terms and cancellation instructions. Exchange credentials only through an agreed secure channel.
- Have the destination provider check the files. Confirm they can run the site and identify any rebuilding or extra services before changing the live setup.
- Agree the changeover and remaining bills. Name who handles the domain, DNS, hosting and email changes. Confirm when the old service will stop and who pays each next renewal.
- Check the result before closing the old setup. Test the live pages, mobile navigation, contact path and email. Confirm your access works and that the necessary files and records are in your hands.
Get the steps and responsibilities in writing. If you are comparing providers as well as handoff terms, use our website cost guide to put upfront payments and continuing charges on the same calendar.
How NoWeekends handles ownership
You remain the domain owner and registrant. If we hold the registration in an agency-managed registrar account, we disclose and agree that custody with you before purchase. That arrangement does not mean a separate customer-controlled registrar account has already been created.
On cancellation or request, we provide the website source and agreed domain handoff without an agency handoff fee, subject to the registrar’s transfer rules and third-party license terms. You keep the domain’s already-paid registration term and arrange future hosting and renewals after paid service ends. See the NoWeekends package for the work and service included.
Discuss your website. Tell us whether you are starting with a new domain or an existing site, and what your business needs customers to do.