Improve
Take over an existing website or app when the original developer is gone
If the person who built your website or app has disappeared, stopped replying, or left no documentation, we can step in and take ownership of it. We audit the code, hosting, and access you actually have, recover what's missing, map how the system really works, and clear the small defects that have piled up. You keep the existing project instead of rebuilding from scratch, and we tell you honestly what's healthy and what needs attention. Remote, worldwide, billed in 30-minute increments with no subscription.
Situations we take over every week
- The developer or agency who built your site has vanished, gone quiet, or closed down, and no one else knows how the project works.
- You have a live website or app but no admin passwords, no server access, no repository, and no idea where anything is hosted.
- The code has no documentation, no comments, and no README, so any change feels risky and every quote you get says 'rebuild it'.
- Small defects have accumulated: a broken contact form, a checkout that fails intermittently, images that won't upload, an error banner nobody explains.
- You're locked out of your own hosting, domain, or CMS because the login belongs to the former provider.
- An update (PHP, a plugin, a framework, a dependency) broke the site and there's no one left who understands the setup to roll it back.
- The site is technically online but the application throws 500 errors, white screens, or timeouts, and your host says the server is fine.
- You want to make a simple change or add a feature, but you're afraid touching the code will bring the whole thing down.
- You inherited a project from a co-founder, freelancer, or former employee and need someone to make it maintainable again.
- You're mid-migration or mid-redesign, the person handling it left, and the project is stuck half-finished.
How we take over an orphaned project, step by step
- Inventory what you actually control. Before touching code, we list every access you have and every one you're missing: domain registrar, DNS, hosting panel, SSH/FTP, database, CMS admin, git repository, email, third-party APIs and payment accounts. Recovering access is often the first real blocker, and we know the routes to regain it.
- Identify the real stack from the live system. We fingerprint what's running rather than trusting anyone's word: server headers, CMS and plugin versions, framework and language (PHP, Node, a CMS, a custom app), the database engine, cron jobs, and how the pieces are wired together. This is where our hosting-support background matters most: the site is down, the server is fine, but the application breaks.
- Reproduce and triage the defects. We reproduce each reported symptom, then read the real signal, PHP fatal errors, stack traces, 500s in the server logs, browser console and network errors, failed queries, and separate 'cosmetic' from 'will-cause-an-outage'. You get a plain-language list ranked by risk, not a wall of jargon.
- Get the project into a safe working state. We take a full backup of files and database, set up a way to run or stage the project safely, and put the code under version control if it isn't already, so the next change is reversible instead of a gamble.
- Fix the accumulated defects in priority order. We clear the quick, high-impact issues first (the broken form, the failing checkout, the update that broke a page), and flag the deeper technical debt with an honest estimate rather than hiding it. Billing is in 30-minute increments, so you only pay for the work each fix actually takes.
- Hand back documentation and the keys. We leave you with a short, concrete map: where it's hosted, how to log in everywhere, what the known weak points are, and what to watch. The goal is that you're never again dependent on a single person who might disappear.
Technologies & environments — examples, not a limit
Don't see your technology above? This isn't a compatibility checklist. Tell us the problem and describe your environment, and we'll confirm quickly whether we can take it on, most varied stacks are exactly what we handle.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take over a website when I don't have the passwords or server access?
Yes, recovering access is usually the first thing we do. We work through your domain registrar, hosting provider, CMS, and email to regain control of what the previous developer held. In most cases access can be recovered because you, not the former provider, are the legitimate owner.
The developer who built my site has disappeared. Can you maintain it without the original code documentation?
Yes. We reconstruct how the project works directly from the live system and the code itself, which is what 'undocumented takeover' means. You don't need the original developer or any handover file, we produce the documentation that was missing.
Do I have to rebuild my site from scratch, or can you fix the existing one?
In most cases you don't need to rebuild. We first audit what you have and tell you honestly whether it's worth keeping. Rebuilding is a last resort we only recommend when the existing project is genuinely beyond economical repair, not as a default.
My host says the server is fine but the site is broken. What's happening?
That usually means the problem is in the application layer, not the server, a code error, a bad update, a broken dependency, or a misconfiguration. This is exactly the gap we specialise in: the server is healthy, but the app fails and the person who built it is gone.
How do you charge for taking over an existing project?
There's no subscription and no lock-in. We bill in 30-minute increments, so you pay only for the time each audit or fix actually takes. After the initial review you'll know what the priority fixes involve before we proceed.
Do you work remotely, and how fast do you respond?
We work fully remotely, worldwide, so your location and your host's location don't matter. We reply within two business hours. We use AI to accelerate diagnosis and repetitive checks, but a human stays responsible for every decision on your project.
Tell us what's broken and what access you still have. We'll review the situation, confirm we can take it on, and give you a clear picture of what recovering and stabilising your project involves, no subscription, no obligation to rebuild.
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