My site is being handed over
Website acceptance checklist: what to check before signing
20 checks you can do yourself — on phone and computer, no special software. At the end: how to record remarks and when to sign the acceptance act.
Download the full checklist (PDF)This is not legal advice. Check rights and liability with a lawyer in your country.
Ask in advance
- A link to the site before launch — password-protected so Google can't see it
- A list of what's done, with brief item numbers
- An admin panel login in your name — the place where texts and prices change
- A test payment mode, if the site takes payments
- The brief and approved design images (mockups) — we check against them
How to go through it
- 1Mark every itemAccepted, not accepted or not checked. «Not checked» doesn't mean «accepted».From you: A pen or a spreadsheet
- 2Write down remarksOne remark — one entry with a screenshot. Template below.From you: Phone screenshots
- 3Send the studio a listBefore signing the act, in one letter. After the fixes, check again.From you: One letter
1. Is everything done
Compare the site with the brief
Go through the brief item by item
Check it yourself- How to check
- Open the brief and the site side by side. Find each page and feature from the brief on the site. Long brief — start with the main pages.
- Fine if
- Everything in the brief is there.
Test the site's main feature with your own examples
Check it yourself- How to check
- Calculator, catalogue, booking, delivery cost — take 2–3 cases you know the answer to.
- Fine if
- The site calculates and shows the same as you would.
Find placeholder texts and images
Check it yourself- How to check
- Scroll through every page. Look for «Lorem ipsum», «text text», images with someone else's watermarks.
- Fine if
- None. If the photos aren't yours, ask the studio where they come from and whether you may use them.
Check contacts and prices
Check it yourself- How to check
- Phones, addresses, opening hours, company details, prices — against your data.
- Fine if
- Everything matches.
2. Requests arrive
Send a request and find it
The most important part of acceptance. «Thank you» on screen only means the site took the data. Whether the request reached you is another matter.
Send every form marked «TEST»
Check it yourself- How to check
- Name «TEST», your phone and email. Note the time.
- Fine if
- The request arrived at the right inbox or request software (CRM). You noted how many minutes it took.
Send a form with mistakes
Check it yourself- How to check
- Empty fields, an email without «@», a three-digit phone, a very long text.
- Fine if
- The site says in words what to fix. Every field has a label. What you typed isn't erased.
Check the emails
Check it yourself- How to check
- If the site emails you and the customer, check both. Your mailbox and, for example, Gmail.
- Fine if
- They land in «Inbox», not in «Spam».
Tap the phone, messengers, email and map
Check it yourself- How to check
- On a phone, on every page where they appear.
- Fine if
- The number dials, the messenger and email open, the map shows your address.
3. Phone and computer
Walk your customer's path
The customer path is what the site is for: from the home page to a request, booking or purchase.
Customer path on iPhone and Android
Check it yourself- How to check
- Safari on iPhone, Chrome on Android. Borrow a colleague's phone if needed.
- Fine if
- The path works to the end, nothing gets in the way.
The same path on a computer in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari
Check it yourself- How to check
- Use the browsers you have (Safari is Mac only). Ask the studio to show you the rest.
- Fine if
- The path works in all four browsers.
Narrow the browser window to phone width
Check it yourself- How to check
- On a computer, drag the window edge until it's narrow.
- Fine if
- No sideways scrolling, nothing overlaps or gets cut off.
Open every menu item and every link at the bottom
Check it yourself- How to check
- On phone and computer.
- Fine if
- Everything opens, nothing leads to an empty page.
Open a page that doesn't exist
Check it yourself- How to check
- In the address bar, add /proverka-404 to the site address and press Enter.
- Fine if
- A «not found» page with a button to the home page, not a blank screen.
4. Usable by everyone
Check that anyone can use the site
Two simple checks from the international accessibility standard WCAG 2.2. A full check is a specialist's job.
Zoom the page to 200%
Check it yourself- How to check
- Ctrl and «+» on a computer (Cmd and «+» on a Mac), four or five times.
- Fine if
- Text isn't cut off, blocks don't overlap.
Move through the site with the Tab key
Check it yourself- How to check
- Press Tab and watch what gets outlined.
- Fine if
- You always see where you are. You can reach every button and close any pop-up.
5. Data and trust
Padlock, privacy policy and cookies
Padlock in the address bar
Check it yourself- How to check
- On the home page, the form page and any other page.
- Fine if
- The padlock is everywhere; the browser doesn't say «Not secure».
Privacy policy
Check it yourself- How to check
- Open it. Ask the studio which analytics services the site uses.
- Fine if
- There is a policy, and it names your forms and those services.
Cookie consent window
Check it yourself- How to check
- Open the site in a private window: Ctrl+Shift+N in Chrome or «Private Browsing» in Safari.
- Fine if
- «Reject» sits next to «Accept». No boxes are pre-ticked.
6. The site stays yours
Check access before signing
The site address and server are in your name
Ask to be shown- How to check
- Ask the studio to show whose name the site address (domain) is in and whose account the server (hosting) is on.
- Fine if
- The owner is you or your company. Notifications go to your email.
You change the site without the studio
Check it yourself- How to check
- Log into the admin panel under your name, change a price or text following the instructions, then change it back.
- Fine if
- It worked without the studio's help. There are instructions.
Ask them to show
- Speed: a PageSpeed Insights report for mobile. Good: main screen in under 2.5 seconds
- Google: site open to search, sitemap submitted in Search Console on your account
- Analytics: a test request shows up in the report as a completed goal
- Security: default passwords changed, admin login protected from password guessing
- Backups: where they are kept and when the site was last restored from one
- Plugins and site system: latest versions, paid licences in your name
Why ask
- 1A specialist checks thisIt needs tools. The studio has them — ask for the result.
- 2Proof — attach to the actAttach the screenshot or report to the act. «It's all set up» is not proof.
- 3No answer — a remarkIf the studio didn't show it, record that as a remark.
When to sign the act
| Remark | For example | What to do with the act |
|---|---|---|
| Blocking or critical | Request or payment fails, the site won't open, prices are calculated wrong | I advise not signing until it's fixed |
| Major | Page layout broken in one browser, catalogue filter doesn't work | Only if you agree: by name in the act, with a fix deadline |
| Minor | A typo in an unimportant place, uneven spacing | Listed in the act with a fix deadline |
| Wish | «I want a bigger button» — it's not in the brief | Separately, doesn't affect the act |
How to record a remark
One remark — one entry, so a developer can reproduce the problem. Screen recording: Control Centre on iPhone, the top shade on Android.
Remark template
Remark #7. Request from a phone doesn't reach the inbox Where: «Contacts» page, «Book» form On: iPhone, Safari Steps: 1) open «Contacts»; 2) enter the name «TEST» and a phone; 3) tap «Send» Expected: the request reaches the company inbox (brief, «Forms» section) Got: the site says «Thank you», no email after 15 minutes Proof: screenshot, screen recording Severity: critical
Why before signing In Russia and Romania, whoever accepts work without remarks can't later rely on obvious defects (art. 720 Russian Civil Code, art. 1862 Romanian Civil Code). For your country, check with a lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
The studio says it tested everything. Why should I?
The studio checks its own work, but you sign the act. A remark is easier to record before signing than to prove afterwards.
Meeting in a couple of days and many remarks. What now?
Go to the meeting with the list. Agree what will be fixed and by when, and a re-check. Sign the act after it, or with the list of remarks.
Can I sign the act with remarks?
Yes, if the studio agrees. Put minor remarks into the act as a list with a fix deadline. If the studio objects, that's a matter for negotiation, and in a dispute — for a lawyer.
I have an online shop or online booking. Is this enough?
No, go through your whole scenario: payment in the bank's test mode, cancellation, refund; booking, rescheduling and cancelling. The full checklist (PDF) has separate sections for this.
Want me to accept the site for you?
From €450 · 5 working days, urgent: 48 hours (+50%). I'll run the full checklist and give you remarks for the act.