What should accompany a website handover

A published website continues to depend on content, accounts and services. Its handover should make those parts identifiable and establish who can change them. Gathering this information during the project avoids reconstructing it when the first update arrives.

A maintenance map

The map can be short, provided it addresses ordinary tasks:

• Content: where text and images are edited and how changes are reviewed before publication.
• Access: which accounts are involved, who administers them and how a change is requested. Passwords should use the agreed management method and stay out of public documentation.
• Providers: which service hosts the website and which services receive forms or deliver files.
• Recovery: how to locate an earlier version and what needs checking before returning to it.

It should also be clear which work is included after handover and which requires a separate agreement. Editing instructions do not establish an ongoing support commitment.

Decide what to review and when

A contact address needs checking when it changes. A technical claim needs attention when its source is updated. A form requires verification that its destination and behaviour remain as intended. Each element has a different reason for review.

This division focuses attention on changes that affect the website. The responsible person can consult the map, identify the part needing work and recognise when to ask for help. Maintenance starts with that ability to find a way forward as well as with the tools for editing.