Tools & Website Access Checklist for Technical SEO Audits

Before firing up your crawler of choice, you want to make sure you’ve got the necessary tools and, crucially, the website access nailed down.

This checklist lays out exactly what you need to get the job done properly. No excuses for showing up unprepared.

Essential Tools

Is a Google Analytics 4 account set up for the website?
Is the necessary Google Analytics 4 property and view accessible?
Is a Google Search Console account set up for the website?
Is a Bing Webmaster Tools account set up for the website?

Tools & Website Access

Is administrator-level access available for the Google Analytics 4 property?
Is full access available for the Google Search Console property?
Is there access to the website’s Content Management System (CMS)?
What is the level of CMS access (e.g., administrator, editor)?
Is FTP or SFTP access available to the website’s server?
Is a staging site available for testing changes?
Is there access to the staging site’s CMS and server?
Is there access to the website’s server log files?
Can these logs be analysed for server errors and crawler activity?

Access Verification

Have all provided logins been verified as functional?
Can each platform be successfully logged into?
Has the access level for each platform been confirmed?
Do the access levels align with the requirements of the audit?
Is access to any of the platforms restricted by IP address?
If so, is the IP address authorised, or is the necessary information available to authorise it?

Documentation

Are all login credentials and access information recorded in a centralised location?
Is the documentation stored securely to protect sensitive information?
Are appropriate security measures in place (e.g., encryption, access controls)?
Are there any limitations in access to any of the platforms?
Have these limitations been clearly documented?

Account Setup

Have accounts been created for all necessary tools (if they didn’t exist)?
Are the accounts properly configured?
Do all team members involved in the audit have access to the necessary tools?
Are the access permissions appropriate for each team member’s role?

Project Management

Has a project been created in a project management tool (e.g., Asana, Trello)?
Is the project set up with clear tasks, deadlines, and assignments?
Are access information and tool logins documented within the project management tool?
Is this information easily accessible to authorised team members?