Start with an access inventory
When someone leaves, the visible website login is only one place to check. A staff member may also have access to the domain registrar, hosting account, content management system, analytics, form notifications, email platform, social accounts, password manager, or a tool that publishes updates automatically. List the services they used and the level of access they had. If you already keep an account inventory, use it; if not, this departure is a good reason to create one.
For each service, record who owns the account, who administers it, how the departing person signs in, and whether anyone else can manage it. Separate individual accounts from shared credentials. A small charity, for example, might discover that its website editor has an individual content login but knows a shared password for the hosting dashboard. Those two kinds of access need different actions.
Assign one person to coordinate the checklist and another authorized person to confirm completion. Keep the record in a restricted location rather than in an open team document, and do not put passwords in it.
Protect critical access before changing everything
First, make sure the organization can still reach its most important accounts. Confirm that at least one continuing, authorized administrator can sign in to the domain registrar, hosting service, website, and organizational email system. Check who receives password-reset messages and whether recovery methods point to a personal email address or phone. Update those methods through the service’s normal settings before removing the departing person’s access.
Agree on the timing of access changes with whoever handles staff departures. At the appropriate point, disable the person’s individual accounts, remove their administrator roles, and revoke active sessions where the service allows it. For shared passwords they knew, change the password and update it in the organization’s password manager. If they had access to multifactor authentication codes or recovery codes, replace those too. Avoid sending new credentials in an ordinary group email.
Do not rush to delete accounts that contain website content, billing records, or configuration. Some platforms remove work or break integrations when an account is deleted. Suspend access first where possible, then transfer ownership and decide what to retain according to your organization’s policies.
Transfer work, not just logins
Look for tasks that depend on the person rather than on their account name. Who approves website updates? Who receives messages from the contact form? Who renews the domain? Who pays for hosting? Reassign those responsibilities to named people and update notification addresses. An inbox full of form submissions is no help if nobody is watching it.
Check connections between services as well. A calendar embedded on the site, a newsletter sign-up form, or a scheduled publishing tool may rely on the departing person’s authorization. Where practical, reconnect these tools using an organization-controlled account with only the access needed. Record what each connection does so a future administrator can recognize it.
Ask the departing staff member for a handover while they are available, if that is appropriate. Request locations of key files, routine publishing steps, and known issues—not their personal password. If an outside designer or agency manages part of the site, confirm who can authorize requests to that provider after the departure.
Check the site after access changes
Once accounts and connections have been updated, test the paths that matter to visitors. Open the site on a phone and a computer, follow the main navigation, submit a test contact form, and confirm that its notification reaches the right inbox. If the site takes bookings, donations, or orders, use an appropriate test process to check that the next step still works without creating a real transaction unnecessarily.
Also check behind the scenes: can an authorized person publish an update, restore access to another editor, and find the site backup procedure? Confirm that domain and hosting renewal notices go to a monitored organizational address. Write down any failed checks, who will fix them, and when they should be retested. This turns a one-time account cleanup into a verifiable handover.
Make the next departure easier
A short, repeatable checklist is more reliable than trying to remember every tool under pressure. Keep an inventory of website-related services, assign an owner and a backup for each critical one, and use individual logins wherever the platform supports them. Give editors only the permissions their work requires, and review access periodically so old accounts do not accumulate.
Store recovery information and handover notes where authorized colleagues can find them without relying on one person’s private account. After each departure, update the checklist with any overlooked service or broken connection. The aim is simple: the person can leave cleanly, while the organization retains control of its website and visitors can keep using it.
