Client website handoff: an accessibility checklist and dated record for web designers

A copyable accessibility handoff checklist and record template for web designers and agencies: which pages to test, an automated check, a keyboard run, five manual checks, third-party widgets, and an honest handoff note (WCAG 2.2 AA, not 'ADA compliant').

Web designers who talk shop in public forums keep describing the same habit: before they hand a site to a client, they run an automated check on the pages that matter, try the main task with only a keyboard, and keep a dated note of what they found and fixed. It takes under an hour on a small site, it gives the client something concrete instead of a vague "it's accessible", and it makes the next update easier for whoever picks the site up. This guide turns that habit into a checklist and a handoff note you can copy.

1. Why a dated handoff record helps

Sites change after launch. The client adds photos, blog posts, pop-ups and booking widgets. A record shows what was true on launch day and what they need to keep doing.
It replaces a promise you can't keep. No designer can sign off that a business is "ADA compliant". You can show which standard you targeted (WCAG 2.2 AA), how you tested and what you fixed. Our proposal wording guide has matching text for the contract.
It makes questions easier to answer. If a visitor reports a problem, or the client ever gets a complaint or demand letter, a dated list of what was tested and fixed is a useful starting point for them and their lawyer. It doesn't protect anyone from claims. See what to do after an ADA website demand letter.

2. Pick the pages that matter

Don't test only the home page. Choose 5 to 10 pages that cover every template and the main tasks: the home page, the contact or quote form, the booking or appointment page, one service or product page, the cart and checkout for a store, one long text page (a blog post or policy) and any page with video or a map.

3. The handoff checklist

Automated check on each chosen page. Use a free tool such as WAVE, the axe DevTools browser extension or Lighthouse in Chrome, or our free homepage snapshot. Write down the tool, the date and the number of errors per page. Fix missing alt text, unlabelled fields, unnamed buttons and low contrast first (1.1.1, 3.3.2, 4.1.2, 1.4.3).
Keyboard-only run through the main task. Unplug the mouse. With Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space and Escape, open the menu, fill in and send the form, book a slot or buy something. Focus should always be visible, never hidden behind a sticky header or cookie banner, and never stuck (2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.4.7, 2.4.11). Our keyboard test has the steps.
Five quick manual checks. Zoom to 200% and check nothing is cut off (1.4.4); key images have alt text that makes sense in context; form errors say in words what to fix (3.3.1); videos have checked captions (1.2.2); every page has a clear, unique title (2.4.2).
List the third-party tools. Booking widgets, chat bubbles, review embeds, maps and payment pages are often outside your code. Test them with the keyboard anyway, note any problems, and ask the vendor for its accessibility conformance report. See conformance reports (VPATs).
Publish an accessibility statement with a working way to report problems. Our free statement generator writes one in a couple of minutes.
Write the handoff note (template below) and send it with the logins and the invoice.

4. Handoff note you can copy

Replace the brackets. The example dates, pages and counts are placeholders, not real results.

Accessibility handoff record
Site: [example.com]
Date of checks: [2026-11-02]          Checked by: [your name, agency]
Standard we designed and tested against: WCAG 2.2 Level AA

Pages checked:
  [Home, Contact, Book an appointment, Services, Blog post, Privacy policy]

How we tested:
  - Automated check with [tool name] on each page above
  - Keyboard-only test of [sending the contact form, booking a slot]
  - Manual checks: 200% zoom, alt text, form error messages,
    video captions, page titles

Results on the date above:
  - Automated errors found: [14]   Fixed before launch: [14]
  - Keyboard test: [passed / issues listed below]

Known issues and plan:
  - [Booking widget date picker is hard to use with a keyboard.
    Reported to the vendor on (date). Phone booking offered on the page.]

Not under our control: [booking widget, chat widget, payment page]

Keeping it up (your part):
  - Add alt text to every new image; caption new videos
  - Re-check after theme, plugin or template changes
  - We recommend a re-check every [3] months

Accessibility statement: [example.com/accessibility]

This record describes the technical checks above on the date shown.
Automated tools find only part of accessibility barriers. It is not
legal advice and does not certify compliance with the ADA or any law.

5. Keep it current after launch

Most new problems arrive with content: an image without alt text, a pasted table, a new pop-up, a theme update that removes focus outlines. Agree who re-checks and how often, and write it into the care plan. Our maintenance plan guide has a simple schedule.

6. Where Altwise fits (and where it doesn't)

Our reports cover the automated part of step 3 and the fixes, not the keyboard run or the manual checks.

Free homepage snapshot: paste the client's address and see the top 3 issues in about a minute, no signup. Good for a first look before you quote.
One report per launch: the agency 5-pack is 5 white-label Fix-Pack reports for $499 ($99.80 each). Each covers up to 10 pages you choose, ranks the issues by impact, gives copy-paste fixes for the client's platform, arrives within 48 hours as a dated PDF under your agency's name, and includes 1 re-scan after you apply the fixes, so the record can show before and after. Use the 5 reports within 12 months of purchase.
Ongoing: monthly monitoring ($49/mo, cancel anytime) re-scans up to 10 pages every 30 days while it's active.

14-day refund promise. Every report says plainly that it is a technical check and not legal advice, which keeps your handoff honest.

Buy the agency 5-pack – $499

Common mistakes

Writing "your site is ADA compliant" in the handoff email.
Testing only the home page, so the checkout or booking template is never checked.
Keeping no date or tool name, so nobody knows later what was checked.
Installing an overlay widget as "the accessibility fix". See overlays vs real fixes.
Leaving third-party widgets off the list because "it's not our code".

The 15-minute version

Run WAVE or our free snapshot on the home page and the main form page.
Do one keyboard-only run through the main task.
Zoom to 200% on the home page.
Paste the template above, fill in what you did, and send it.

What a scan can and can't check here

An automated scan finds only part of the barriers on the pages it visits. It can flag missing alt attributes, unlabelled fields, unnamed buttons, low contrast and missing page titles. It can't judge whether alt text makes sense, whether the keyboard order is logical, whether captions are accurate or whether a third-party widget works with a screen reader. That's why the checklist has a keyboard run and manual checks.

This is general technical guidance, not legal advice, and it doesn't certify compliance with the ADA or any law, or protect against claims.

Want the fixes written for you?

Start with a free homepage snapshot. The $149 Fix-Pack scans up to 10 pages and gives copy-paste fixes for your platform within 48 hours, with a 14-day refund promise. See a sample report first.

This is general technical guidance, not legal advice, and it does not certify compliance with the ADA or any law.

Redesigning a site or moving it to a new platform? See the redesign and migration accessibility checklist.

Related guides

All guides

This guide is general technical information, not legal advice. Following it does not certify ADA or any legal compliance. Automated checks find only part of accessibility barriers.

Check your own site, then decide

Free homepage snapshot. Your top 3 issues in about a minute. No signup, no card.
$149 Fix-Pack, if you want the full list. Up to 10 pages scanned, issues ranked by impact, copy-paste fixes for your platform, delivered within 48 hours, plus one re-scan after you apply them.

Get my free snapshot Order the Fix-Pack – $149

14-day refund promise. See a sample report first. A technical report, not legal advice; automated checks find only part of accessibility barriers.