Growth · Paid-media governance · 09
Exit planning and account handback
Exit planning and account handback ensures that if the engagement ends, the organization keeps everything and loses nothing: the advertising accounts in its own name with full administrative access, the conversion tracking, audiences, negative lists, campaign history, documentation of what was done and why, and a handover that lets an internal team or a successor continue without starting over. It is needed because accounts managed by agencies are too often held in the agency’s name, because institutional knowledge leaves with the vendor, and because the organization’s own terms promise that all accounts and data are the client’s from the start. The planning produces account ownership verified from day one, documentation maintained throughout, and a handback package delivered on exit with a transition period.
Scope
What the review covers.
- Account ownership in the organization’s name with administrative access verified
- Documentation of structure, settings, exclusions and decisions, maintained throughout
- Conversion tracking, audiences and lists held in the organization’s accounts
- Handback package: documentation, access, history, recommendations
- Transition period and successor briefing
- Removal of our access on completion
Deliverables
What you receive.
| Deliverable | Form |
|---|---|
| Ownership verification | At the start, recorded |
| Living documentation | Maintained during the engagement |
| Handback package | On exit |
| Transition support | Briefing for the internal team or successor |
Prerequisites
What we need from you.
- Accounts created or transferred into the organization’s ownership
- A named internal owner for the accounts
- Agreement on the transition period at exit
Related
Where this sits.
By David Selakovic · Published 2026-10-16 · Revised 2026-10-16 · Reviewed every 180 days
Questions
Asked before engaging.
Why plan the exit at the start?
Because ownership and documentation established at the beginning cannot be withheld at the end. Our terms say you own everything; this is how that is made true.
What if we exit before twelve months?
The plan’s minimum term is stated in the proposal. Whenever the engagement ends, the handback is the same.
Will the account keep working after you leave?
Yes. Governed accounts are documented so that nothing depends on us being there.