The automation handover checklist.
The most common way automation projects go wrong happens after they succeed. The system works, the builder moves on, and nobody can touch it. This checklist prevents that.
4 min read. Updated
Why handover goes wrong
It usually gets left until the last day, when the budget is gone. The fix is simple: agree what handover means before work starts, and make the final payment depend on it. On every project on our platform, a milestone cannot be marked as delivered until these items are confirmed.
1. You own the accounts
Every tool should sit in an account belonging to your company, paid for by you. That includes the automation platform, hosting, the AI provider and any connected services. If the builder needs access, invite them, then remove them at the end.
2. Keys are transferred
List every API key and credential the system uses. New keys should be created in your accounts, and any the builder created personally should be replaced. Then check that the builder can no longer log in.
3. Documentation exists
You do not need a novel. You need a page or two written for the next person, covering:
- What the system does and does not do
- What each part connects to
- How to tell that it has stopped working
- What to do first when it does
- How to change the common rules
4. You have the workflow exports
Get the actual working files, such as n8n workflow files, Make blueprints or a code repository. Store them somewhere you control. If the platform ever disappears, or you change builder, these are what let you rebuild.
5. Someone else could take over
This is the real test. Ask a colleague, or a different builder, to read the documentation and explain how the system works. Better still, ask them to make one small change. If they cannot, the handover is not finished.
After handover
Name one person inside your company as the owner. Agree a warranty period. Decide whether you need maintenance, and review the documentation whenever the process changes.
Questions
What if a past freelancer still holds our accounts?
Ask them in writing to transfer ownership now, while the relationship is good. If you cannot, plan a rebuild in accounts that you own.
Do we need source code if we use a no-code tool?
You need the equivalent: exported workflows and blueprints. Without them, your system exists only inside someone else's account.