# Agency Offboarding Checklist > Leave a marketing agency, freelancer, or web provider without losing accounts, files, tracking, or phone numbers. Canonical: https://vassalmarketing.com/information/resources/agency-offboarding-checklist/ **Maintained by Vassal Marketing** · Last updated on September 26, 2026 Reviewed at least quarterly and whenever a platform or rule it cites changes. General information, not legal or professional advice. Check rules that affect your business with a qualified professional. Work through these steps in order: confirm you own everything first, then collect your files, then remove access. Check your contract for the notice period and what you are entitled to receive, and stay polite. A smooth handoff is in everyone's interest. ## Before you give notice Make sure nothing you depend on is held only by the provider. - [ ] Read the contract for the notice period, fees, and who owns content and accounts. — Owner · Once - [ ] Fill in the marketing account ownership inventory. — Owner · Once - [ ] Confirm you have owner or admin access to every account. — Owner · Once - [ ] Move billing for ads, hosting, and domains to your own payment method. — Owner · Once ## Collect what you paid for Ask in writing and keep a list of what you received. - [ ] Ask for a full website backup, including files and database. — Owner · Once - [ ] Ask for original photos, logos, videos, and written content. — Owner · Once - [ ] Ask for a list of active ad campaigns and conversion tracking settings. — Owner · Once - [ ] Ask for a list of plugins, tools, and subscriptions, with renewal dates. — Owner · Once - [ ] Ask for the list of website redirects. — Owner · Once - [ ] Ask for past reports and raw data exports. — Owner · Once ## Remove access safely Remove access only after you have confirmed your own. - [ ] Remove the provider from Google Business Profile, GA4, and Search Console. — Owner · Once - [ ] Unlink their manager account from your Google Ads account. — Owner · Once - [ ] Remove their access to hosting, the domain, the website admin, and social accounts. — Owner · Once - [ ] Change any shared passwords they knew. — Owner · Once - [ ] Confirm call-tracking numbers still ring your business, or plan the switch. — Either · Once ## The first month after Check that nothing quietly broke. - [ ] Test your website, contact form, and phone links. — Either · Once - [ ] Confirm ads are running and conversions are still being recorded. — Either · Once - [ ] Watch for renewal notices on domains and tools. — Owner · Monthly - [ ] Write down the handoff date and what you received. — Owner · Once ## Questions business owners ask ### Can the agency keep our Google Ads account? If the account was created under your business and you pay the bill, you should be able to remove their manager link. Accounts created and billed under an agency are harder to move, so check the contract. ### What if they will not hand over the website? Check the contract for who owns the design and content. Confirm you control the domain and hosting first, and get legal advice if the dispute is serious. ### Should we tell the new provider everything? Share the account inventory and access through their own logins. Do not forward old passwords. ## Primary guidance - [Google Ads: Link and unlink manager accounts](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7459601) - [Google: Manage profile owners and managers](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3403100) - [Google Analytics: Add, edit, and delete users](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9305788) ## Related guides - [Safe website provider handoffs](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/website-stewardship/safe-website-provider-handoffs.md) - [Website provider exit planning](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/website-stewardship/website-provider-exit-planning.md) - [Google Ads accounts your business owns](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/paid-search/client-owned-google-ads-accounts.md) - [Google Business Profile ownership and access](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/google-business-profile/ownership-and-access.md) ## Related resources - [Marketing Account Ownership Inventory](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/resources/marketing-account-ownership-inventory.md): List every account your marketing depends on, who owns it, who has access, whether multi-factor authentication is on, and how to recover it. - [How to Evaluate an SEO Proposal](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/resources/evaluate-seo-proposal.md): A simple scoring sheet for comparing SEO proposals on diagnosis, deliverables, methods, reporting, ownership, cost, and risk. - [SEO Website Migration Checklist](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/resources/website-migration-checklist.md): Protect search visibility, tracking, and customer paths before, during, and after a redesign or domain move. [Browse all information topics](https://vassalmarketing.com/information.md).