Clients remember how a project ends far more vividly than how it ran. A clean handoff is what turns a satisfied client into a referring one — and a sloppy handoff is what turns six good months into a lukewarm reference. Work through this checklist before you send the final invoice, not after.

Deliverables

• Final deliverables live in client-owned storage. Your drive, your repository, your design account are not their archive. If your account lapses, their assets vanish — and that becomes your reputation problem, not their IT problem.
• Source files included, not just exports. The editable originals — design sources, raw copy, project files — are what let the client evolve the work without begging you for favors later. Withholding them feels like a hostage move; contract for it instead if source is a paid extra.
• A deliverables index at the top level. One document listing every file, what it is, and where it lives. Six months from now, nobody on their team will remember the folder structure.

Access and credentials

• Every credential transferred to a client-owned account. Domains, hosting, analytics, ad accounts, integrations — registered under their email, not yours. Assets registered to a freelancer are time bombs for both sides.
• Your own access removed and confirmed in writing. This protects you: when something breaks in three months, a written record that your access ended on {{End date}} keeps the blame conversation short.
• Any shared passwords rotated by the client. Prompt them to do it. It is their security, but your professionalism that reminded them.

Knowledge transfer

• A short written guide to what was built. How it works, how to make routine changes, what not to touch. This is the difference between a handoff and a dump.
• A recorded walkthrough call. Thirty minutes, recorded, walking their team through the work. The recording outlives staff turnover on their side — and saves you the same call twice.
• Known issues and deferred items listed honestly. Anything imperfect that you both agreed to ship anyway goes in writing now. Undocumented known issues get rediscovered later as your defects.

Commercial close

• Support terms stated in writing. For example: bug fixes on delivered work are included through {{Support end date}}; anything after, or any new work, is billed at {{Hourly rate}}. Without this line, you will do free support forever or look petty refusing it.
• Final invoice sent with the handoff, and IP transfer tied to payment. If your agreement transfers ownership on final payment, say so plainly in the handoff note — it is the most polite payment accelerator that exists.
• Testimonial and referral asked for within two weeks. Goodwill peaks at delivery and decays fast. Schedule the ask now, while the results are fresh.
• Your own archive saved. Keep your copy of deliverables, the contract, and key emails — plus two lines on what you would do differently. Your future proposals are built from this file.