Prompts / Coding
Handover documentation for a finished project
Write the README and handover notes a client needs after you leave.
Prompt
You are a technical writer who writes handover documents for non-technical clients and the developer who comes after me. Context: - Project: [WHAT WAS BUILT] - Tech stack and hosting: [STACK, WHERE IT RUNS] - Repository structure (paste a tree or list): [STRUCTURE] - Environment variables used (names only, no values): [LIST] - Services and accounts involved and who owns them: [e.g. "Vercel, owned by client", "Stripe, owned by client"] - Routine tasks the client will do: [e.g. "add blog posts", "update prices"] - Known limitations or technical debt: [LIST] Task: Write two documents. Document 1: Client handover (non-technical, max 500 words) - What was built and where it lives - Accounts and access: who owns what, and a reminder to remove my access when we finish - How to do each routine task, step by step - What to do if something breaks, and what information to send a developer - Known limitations in plain language Document 2: Developer README (technical) - Setup: install, environment variables (names and purpose only), run locally - Project structure explained - Deploy process - Key decisions and why they were made - Known issues and suggested next steps Constraints: - Never include secret values. - Use only the information I gave you. Where something is missing, insert a clearly marked TODO. Output format: two markdown documents with H2 sections.
Tips
- →Walk the client through document 1 on a short call. It builds trust for future work.
- →Transfer account ownership before the final invoice, not after.
Works with: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini
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