Website Acquisition Checklist

A complete, phase-by-phase checklist for buying a website or online business. Work through each phase in order — do not skip to the closing before due diligence is complete.

New to the terminology? See the acquisition glossary. Have questions about the process? Read the full FAQ.

Phase 1

Pre-Offer Research

Before expressing interest or making an offer, verify the basics from public sources and the listing itself.

Confirm the domain is registered to the seller (WHOIS lookup)
Check domain age — older domains typically command a premium.
Review the listing's claimed revenue and traffic against any screenshots provided
Check organic traffic trend using Ahrefs, Semrush, or Similarweb (free tier)
A declining traffic trend in the 6 months before listing is a major risk signal.
Review the domain's backlink profile for spammy links or previous penalties
Search Google for the site's brand name — look for customer complaints, legal issues, or negative press
Estimate a fair asking price range using the category multiple (valuation guide)

If the public data does not roughly match the listing claims, ask the seller to explain the discrepancy before proceeding.

Phase 2

Due Diligence

After expressing serious interest, request access to the primary data sources to verify every material claim in the listing.

Request read-only access to Google Analytics or Google Search Console
Verify the traffic source breakdown — what percentage is organic vs. paid vs. referral.
Request revenue exports from ad networks (Google AdSense, Mediavine, Ezoic), affiliate programs, or payment processors (Stripe, PayPal)
Match the deposits to the reported monthly revenue figures.
For SaaS businesses: request subscriber list, MRR breakdown, and monthly churn data (churn rate glossary entry)
For eCommerce stores: request Shopify or WooCommerce dashboard exports, supplier contacts, and inventory records
Request a full list of all assets included in the sale — domain, hosting account, social profiles, email lists, code repositories, ad accounts
Check whether any existing employees, contractors, or freelancers are essential to operations
Verify the site has no active Google manual actions in Search Console (Manual actions tab)
Confirm the seller legally owns all content and has the right to transfer it

See our full due diligence guide for document-by-document guidance. See our full due diligence guide.

Phase 3

Negotiation & Legal

Once you have verified the key metrics, agree on terms and formalise the deal structure.

Request a signed NDA before sharing any counter-offers or deal terms (NDA glossary entry)
Prepare and exchange a Letter of Intent (LOI) covering price, structure, exclusivity, and target close date (LOI glossary entry)
Agree on deal structure: all cash, seller financing, or earnout (seller financing guide)
Have a lawyer review or draft the Asset Purchase Agreement (APA) for any transaction over $10,000 (APA glossary entry)
Confirm payment method — wire transfer, ACH, or through an escrow service (escrow glossary entry)
Agree on the seller's transition support period (typically 30 days of email support)

Phase 4

Transfer & Closing

Move all assets to your control before releasing funds. Do not release payment until you have confirmed access to everything.

Initiate domain transfer — seller provides EPP/auth code; buyer accepts at their registrar (EPP/auth code explanation)
Transfer or migrate hosting account and confirm the site loads correctly under your control
Change all CMS, hosting, and FTP passwords immediately after transfer
Transfer ad network accounts (Google AdSense, Mediavine) or update payment details
Transfer affiliate program accounts or update payout email addresses
Transfer email marketing platform (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Beehiiv) and confirm subscriber list ownership
Transfer social media accounts (change login email and phone for 2FA)
Confirm receipt of all agreed assets — only then authorise escrow release or final payment

Domain transfers take 5–10 business days. Keep the escrow window open until the domain is fully transferred.

Phase 5

First 30 Days

After closing, establish your baseline before making any changes.

Add your own Google Analytics and Google Search Console property and verify ownership
Document current traffic, revenue, and key metrics as your baseline — screenshot everything
Review all recurring expenses (hosting, tools, subscriptions) and cancel anything unnecessary
Audit the content and identify the top 5 pages by traffic and revenue
Make no structural changes to URLs, site architecture, or publishing schedule for at least 30 days — let Google re-index the change of ownership first
Identify the top three growth levers and prioritise the highest-impact one (post-acquisition growth guide)

Resist the urge to redesign or restructure immediately. Measure first, then improve.

Related guides

Due Diligence Guide — full step-by-step guide to verifying traffic, revenue, backlinks, and legal ownership
Website Negotiation Guide — opening offers, due diligence leverage, terms to negotiate, and LOI structure
Transfer and closing guide — step-by-step domain, hosting, and account transfer process
Website valuation guide — SDE multiples by category, value factors, and example calculations
Post-acquisition growth guide — what to do in the first 90 days after buying
First 30 days after closing — day-one security steps, transfer verification, and post-close risks
Working capital and cash flow after acquisition — how much cash you need post-close, when to expect break-even, and first-year cost planning
Website acquisition glossary — plain-English definitions of SDE, MRR, DSCR, escrow, LOI, and more

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