A web app launch and handoff checklist
The app is not finished when the builder can use it. It is finished when the business can run the normal task, correct a mistake, and recover from a predictable failure.
Put ownership in the business’s hands
Confirm who controls the domain, hosting, source files, and any paid services. The owner should be able to access the accounts without relying on the builder’s personal login.
Record renewal dates, costs, and support arrangements. Keep passwords in the business’s secure credential storage, not in a handoff document or source repository.
Test the task on the devices that matter
Check a normal entry, an invalid value, a correction, reopening, and export. Use the keyboard on desktop and real tap targets on a phone. Check text size, focus visibility, labels, and contrast in light and dark modes.
For offline claims, disconnect and complete the task. For installation claims, actually install it. Record device, operating system, browser version, date, and evidence. A narrow desktop window is a layout test, not an iPhone test.
Prove recovery before launch
Export a sample record and restore it safely. Check what happens when storage is unavailable or a download fails. Write a manual fallback that staff can follow while the app is being repaired.
Rehearse an update with old work present. Keep a known-good release and explain any limits to rolling back. Do not wipe data as a routine troubleshooting instruction.
Have someone else use the guide
Give a staff member the handoff sheet and let them run the job without coaching. Fix the instructions where they get stuck. Name an internal owner for routine questions.
Agree when the builder’s support ends and how future changes will be handled. Use the downloadable checklist to record acceptance, including anything still untested.
Your choice stays on this device. It is not sent to the site owner.