If you work in a marketing, advertising or digital agency and make websites for clients then you’re in the right place. With this checklist, my goal is to help you run website projects, as risk free as possible.

Make this checklist your own by updating it with learnings from projects you work on. You can save it as your own template and make multiple versions for specific clients.

Interested in using AI?

At the end I’m giving you a prompt (with instructions) that will help to identify the risks that are specific to your exact project.

📌 Note: Before you dive in, make a copy of this document and exporting it to your own Notion workspace by clicking on the Duplicate button in the top right corner.

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Companion Article

I’d suggest reading this prior to using the checklist.

Ultimate Guide to Website Project Risks And How to Mitigate Them

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📝 Before Kick-Off

1. Scoping & Requirements Alignment

• [ ] Get written sign-off from all stakeholders (client + internal).
• [ ] Establish a formal change control process.
• [ ] Document an official stakeholder RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed).

2. Estimation & Budgeting

• [ ] Break deliverables into smaller tasks or phases. Use a Work Breakdown Structure.
• [ ] Gather estimates from each of your colleagues (copywriting, design, dev, QA, etc.)
• [ ] Use three-point estimation or planning poker; add 5–10% contingency.
• [ ] Compare current vs. past estimates to know your client has paid previously.
• [ ] First project with that client? Ask for their budget.