You may receive an archive of project code and discover that you cannot run it, or that a critical component depends on a subscription excluded from handover. You may have repository administration access without the contractual rights for each component having been discussed. Ownership questions therefore need separating from access and operation questions.
This is a discussion worksheet for working with a developer, not contract drafting or interpretation of any country's law. Parties should document intended rights and constraints in an agreement reviewed by an appropriate specialist where needed. Do not assume payment or possession of source files automatically settles every right.
Three component types within one project
A fictional internal request portal includes newly written project code, third-party libraries and a paid notification service. The organization wants another team to maintain it later. “All code belongs to the customer” does not adequately explain actual deliverables and permitted use of every part.
Request an inventory distinguishing work created for the project, any pre-existing developer components and third-party software and services. Discuss the rights needed to use, change, maintain and transfer each under the relevant agreement and license, rather than applying one assumed right to different components.
A questions-and-evidence worksheet
| Topic | Question before signing | Suitable handover evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Custom work | Which rights are agreed, when and how are they documented? | Defined deliverables and an agreement reference. |
| External components | What licenses and restrictions apply, and who follows their terms? | A component, version and license register. |
| Repository | Who administers it and grants or removes access? | Authorized access, a version record and build documentation. |
| Services and accounts | What stops when a subscription ends, and who renews it? | An account, responsibility and renewal register without exposed secrets. |
| Data | What can be exported, in which format and with what meaning? | A sample export and field, relationship and attachment descriptions. |
| Transition | What assistance is included when the operating team changes? | An agreed rebuild and operation exercise. |
A repository need not be public to provide suitable organizational access. Agree accounts, roles, access review and materials delivered at each stage. Account administration may differ from authority to publish a release or extract data. Name each responsibility.
Licenses do not disappear inside code
GitHub documentation explains that a license describes what others may do with source code. This principle prompts questions about component licensing, rather than determining your project's rights or choosing a license for the parties. Request an external component statement for review instead of assuming anything downloadable may be used in any way.
In the portal example, the notification service may require its own account and recurring charges. Integration code does not grant the service itself. Ask about replacement options and limits, and the work required if a service closes or changes terms. Identify included support and work requiring another quotation.
A repository transfer does not transfer everything
GitHub documents repository transfer and the recipient's administration of contents and settings, with associated elements handled under the documented mechanism. This is a platform administration procedure; it does not establish automatic transfer of every contractual right or external account. Review requirements, access and dependencies before requesting an actual transfer.
Ask about build files, version definitions, environment settings, databases, migrations and documentation. Sensitive access information needs an appropriate delivery method, not a public repository or a guide distributed to everyone. Separate secret values from example configuration so the team can understand operation without exposing accounts.
Test data export with its meaning intact
A single-table export may omit attachments, relationships or understandable states. Prepare a sample request with lines, notes and a file, then request the included elements and a description of their relationships. Identify exclusions and reasons, preserving access boundaries when delivering files to the authorized team.
Discuss export timing, the intended version and who performs it when service ends. This article sets no legal retention periods or privacy obligations. The organization should approve relevant requirements with appropriate specialists. The proposal should explain how the solution supports those approved requirements and where its limits lie.
A handover exercise another team can follow
Ask an authorized team to rebuild a specified version and run it in a suitable test environment using the delivered materials. Record additional intervention and anything blocked by a missing component or account. This does not decide legal ownership, but shows whether technical handover supports practical continuity.
The WooCommerce handover checklist gives a specialist example for store accounts and extensions. When requesting a software project from Nextwave, attach the questions worksheet and define handover evidence from the start. Usage rights, access and operation then avoid becoming one unresolved question on the final day.
Sources and worksheet limits
GitHub's repository licensing guide and repository transfer guide were opened on 3 November 2026. They support the stated platform mechanisms and concepts, not legal advice or a binding contract template. The example is fictional and the questions are editorial guidance.
