How do you hand a project over to a new developer?

Secure your access first: code, hosting, domain, store and service accounts. Then get a copy of everything, ask for documentation and a walk-through, and have the new developer review the code before agreeing to take it on. Do not wait for a conflict to find out what you own.

By Nazar Kashuba · Reviewed

Changing developers is common and usually survivable, if you hold the keys. The pain comes from discovering that you do not.

Secure access

  • The domain and its DNS.
  • Hosting and servers.
  • The code repository, plus a full copy.
  • App store developer accounts.
  • Third-party services: payment, email, analytics, maps, AI and others.
  • Credentials for admin areas, stored safely and changed after the handover.

Collect knowledge

  • How to run, build and deploy the project.
  • Where the data lives and how backups work.
  • A list of external services and their costs.
  • Known problems and shortcuts.
  • Any specification or notes about why things are the way they are.

A sensible sequence

  1. Get everything under your control while relations are calm.
  2. Have the new developer review the code and tell you honestly its condition.
  3. Do a handover session with the outgoing developer, paid if necessary.
  4. Change credentials after the old developer’s access is no longer needed.
  5. Start with small tasks to build understanding before big changes.

A frank review may say that the code is fine, or that parts need rework. Either is better to know before you plan.

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