SOP #46 — The 9-Item Asset Transfer Checklist (Zero Downtime Move)

SOP #46 — The 9-Item Asset Transfer Checklist (Zero Downtime Move)

$140k content site. A botched transfer can tank rankings. We moved it with zero traffic loss using this checklist:

1. Domain — push, do not transfer registrars mid-deal; unlock + auth code held in escrow.
2. Hosting — clone to your server, verify byte-for-byte before DNS cutover.
3. DNS — lower TTL to 300s 48h before move; cut over at low-traffic hour.
4. Email/Mailing list — export + verify import count matches.
5. Analytics + Search Console — add your access before close, do not remove seller's yet.
6. Affiliate/ad accounts — confirm payee change processed.
7. CDN/Cloudflare — replicate every rule.
8. SSL — reissue, confirm no mixed-content.
9. 48h monitoring — watch crawl errors and rankings.

Outcome: traffic dip under 2%, recovered in 4 days.

Save this — run it every deal.