Website Development Agreements: Deliverables and Acceptance Criteria

What delivery standards need to be clearly written in the website construction contract? List the pages and functional scope first, and then agree on acceptance testing, account asset handover, and maintenance boundaries. Attached is a checklist that can be retained as evidence.
Share This Article
Website Development Agreements: Deliverables and Acceptance Criteria
Table of Contents

“The website is finished” is difficult to use as a basis for acceptance. What delivery standards need to be clearly written in the website construction contract? First confirm the scope of the page and function, and then write down the checkable results, inspection methods and handover materials for each item. The fact that the website can go online only means that it is open to the public; whether the page is complete, whether the customer inquiry can be delivered, and whether the account number has been returned, still need to be checked separately. The following is an edited list for Party A and Party B to discuss the scope of the project and is not a legal set of terms applicable to all transactions.

First, break the delivery scope into countable and positionable projects.

First make a list of pages: which are independent pages and which are just shared templates; how many homepages, product pages, blogs, and contact pages are there; whether Chinese and English language versions are produced page by page. Then list the functional paths, such as whether a confirmation prompt appears after the visitor submits the form, whether a notification is received in the specified email address, and whether records are retained in the background. Just write “complete responsive website” and “have SEO functions”, it is easy for both parties to have different understandings of the completion status.

If you are still collecting requirements, you can use Website design proposal list Organize business, pages and materials. The proposal letter addresses “what you want to do”; the delivery table in the contract attachment should continue to answer “which item will be completed by whom, where it will be delivered, and how to confirm it.”

Put “includes” and “do not include” in the same table

Each module states the quantity, language, equipment scope and responsible party. Is the product information provided by Party A, or is it entered by the service provider? Does the image need to be cropped or redone? Who is responsible for new pages, modifications beyond the agreed rounds and third-party subscriptions? These are not fixed items that must be included in every contract and should be checked item by item based on the actual project. In particular, make it clear whether third-party themes, plug-ins, servers, domain names or payment services include purchase and renewal.

Matrix representation of website project delivery scope, divided into pages, functions, materials and confirmation of responsibilities
Original teaching diagram; specific items are filled in according to actual agreements and test results.

The acceptance criteria should include both “results” and “evidence”

Party A can specify repeatable inspection actions for each item instead of just writing “satisfactory results”. The page can be opened in the agreed browser and device size; the navigation link points to the correct page; after the form is submitted with test data, the email is received at the designated recipient email address; the SEO title and description of the page can be modified in the background and output in the foreground. If there is a shopping function, the scope of test orders or sandbox testing should also be agreed upon. Actual projects may not necessarily include all of the above items, and items not included in the scope should not be considered a commitment by default.

Article 470 of China’s Civil Code lists the general contents of a contract, including subject matter, quantity, quality, remuneration and method of performance, etc.; Article 771 mentions acceptance standards and methods in the contract chapter. View the original text of the law reproduced by the Industry and Information Technology Department . What kind of contract a specific website project belongs to and how the terms are applied need to be judged based on the actual transaction; the list here only helps both parties clearly discuss the scope and acceptance methods.

Website construction delivery and acceptance form: edit example, fill in according to specific projects
Delivery project Vague expression Examples of verifiable statements Keep evidence
Page range Complete corporate website Deliver specified pages, languages and templates according to the attachment list Page URL list and page-by-page confirmation record
customer inquiry function The form works normally After the test is submitted, a notification will be received at the agreed address. Test time, screenshots and receipt records
Edit permissions Editable in the background List editable pages, fields and roles Party A’s account actual test and screen recording
Data handover Provide website backup List the scope of exported files, databases and site files File list, save location and sampling recovery record

The numbers and actions in the table are agreed upon by both parties and should not be copied mechanically. It is best for each item to have a space for “who will test it, in what environment it will be tested, and how to record problems if they occur.” In this way, acceptance disputes can be returned to the specific delivery, instead of just subjective feelings. When the project includes different browsers, mobile phones, and tablets, first agree on the devices or viewports to be tested; do not make “compatible with all devices” an unenforceable promise.

The website acceptance evidence shows that page access, form delivery and editing permissions are tested separately.
Original teaching diagram; specific items are filled in according to actual agreements and test results.

Accounts, content, copyrights and backups must be handed over separately

Make an asset list and indicate who owns the domain name registrant, host or cloud service account, WordPress administrator, design source files, image and font authorization, third-party plug-in subscription, statistics and webmaster platform permissions. During the handover, log in with Party A’s own account to check and confirm whether the original service personnel’s permissions need to be retained or revoked. The password should not be written directly into the public acceptance record. The handover method and recipient can be confirmed separately through secure channels.

“Exportable content” does not equal “full site backup”

WordPress official export instructions It shows that WXR files can contain articles, pages, custom fields, categories, etc.; this cannot directly prove that theme files, plug-in files, databases and media files have all been submitted. If both parties agree that the website can be migrated or restored, the file and database scope, storage location, access permissions, and whether any random recovery checks have been performed should be listed separately. For projects using Elementor, you can also check what the actual role can modify during handover; Elementor official role management instructions It can be used as a reference for the concept of permissions. The actual options are still subject to the on-site version and authorization. If you need a more detailed editing scope, please refer to Elementor editable page delivery check 。

The website data handover package indicates that content export, site files, databases, account permissions and training materials are organized into items.
Original teaching diagram; specific items are filled in according to actual agreements and test results.

Divide online acceptance and subsequent maintenance into two things

On the day of launch, it is checked whether the agreed website has reached a usable state: the official domain name can be accessed, key pages and forms are available, backend permissions have been transferred, and there is a list of known defects. Subsequent maintenance involves security updates, new content, plug-in or host renewal, and fault response. It is recommended to clearly indicate the start time, contact channel, response method, included work and exclusions; if “free maintenance for one year” does not have a scope, it will be difficult to check during execution. Large-scale revisions also need to separate new requirements from the original scope. Refer to Website revision scope and acceptance checklist Sort out changes.

Before signing for the goods, conduct a short drill operated by Party A: open the page list, submit a test customer inquiry, use the delivery account to modify an editable content, find backup and training documents, and write unresolved issues into the defect list. Record the test date, personnel, environment and results; write down the retest method after repair for temporarily failed items. If the budget is also in the comparison stage, you can look at it separately International business website website development cost budget , corresponding the quoted items and the delivered items here one by one.

Conclusion: Every delivery should have a confirmable outcome

The most important things to write down in the website construction contract are the page and functional scope, acceptance actions, account and file handover, and maintenance boundaries after going online. First use the page/function list to determine “what to submit”, and then use test records, URLs, account measurements and file lists to answer “how to prove submission”. Mark the undetermined quantity, equipment scope and third-party fees as to be negotiated and confirm them item by item before signing the contract; if you encounter specific legal disputes, ask professionals to review them in conjunction with the actual contract.

Creative Solutions for Global Brands

AIRSANG delivers cost-effective website design and development, brand visuals, and cross-border ecommerce solutions for brands worldwide.

WordPress Development

Shopify Development

Website UI Design

Pronto para transformar a sua empresa?

Marque uma chamada para saber mais sobre como a nossa agência de marketing digital pode levar o seu negócio para o próximo nível.