What to check before buying a custom website

A custom website is a big purchase. Check these things before you confirm receipt.

1. Domain and hosting transfer

Make sure the seller provides:

• Access to the domain registrar, or the transfer (auth) code
• Login details for the hosting account
• A record of the DNS settings

2. Source code

You should receive:

• The full, readable source code (compiled or minified files on their own aren't enough)
• A database dump or migration files
• Environment configuration files
• Build and deployment instructions

3. Design assets

Check that you have:

• Figma, Sketch or Adobe XD source files
• All images, with licenses that cover your use
• Font files, or details of the font subscriptions
• The logo in vector format (SVG or AI)

4. Functionality testing

Test every page, form and interactive element. Check that:

• Contact forms send emails
• Logins work
• Payment integrations work
• Pages have SEO meta tags
• Pages load at an acceptable speed

5. Documentation

The seller should provide:

• A README or setup guide
• Documentation for the admin panel
• API documentation, if there's an API
• A maintenance guide

Using escrow protection

With escrow, the seller isn't paid until you confirm receipt or a moderator decides a dispute, so take the time to check everything. If something is missing, open a dispute before you confirm.