Your developer has stopped replying: where should you start?

The site still works, but you do not know who can change it. An access list, a copy of your information and a review of its condition help you prepare the next steps.

Your site still receives customer enquiries, but the person who built it has stopped replying. You want to change a price and do not know where to sign in. Start by finding access and understanding what still works before deciding whether to rebuild.

List what exists

Open a table with three columns: the service, the person managing the account and the access you have. Look through quotes, invoices and setup emails.

Record the domain name, your site’s address; hosting, the service that runs it; and the accounts holding data. Add payment, email or booking services used in your work.

Look at what could interrupt your activity

Check renewal dates and the address receiving alerts. A service can continue running while its next invoice or expiry notice goes to someone you cannot reach.

If you cannot access an account, contact the service’s support team to ask about its recovery process. Gather the supporting documents you have. Avoid changing domain settings at random: they may also be used by your email service.

Retrieve a copy before making changes

Download accessible data and useful documents. For the code, ask where the project folder or repository is: the space holding files and their versions.

Also ask for backups and instructions for getting the application running again. Being able to take over a project depends on several elements; having the code alone is not always enough.

Describe the current state

Prepare a short list: what works, what is blocked and what needs changing first. Add screenshots and an example of the problem, using fictional information if you share the document.

Someone taking over can then examine the existing work and suggest a limited intervention. Ask what can be kept before comparing that with a complete rebuild. The cost of a handover cannot be inferred from the number of pages alone.

Organise what happens next

Plan who controls each account, who receives alerts and how a replacement gets access. Keep decisions, files and operating instructions somewhere you know how to find.

For the next change, ask for a specific result and a way to check it. The guide to different ways of creating an application helps you consider the options; your inventory will make it easier to discuss them without starting from scratch.