Why agencies need a repeatable process
Image licensing issues often appear during transitions: redesigns, content migrations, new retainers, and client handoffs. The agency may not have chosen the original assets, but the new site can still carry old hero photos, blog images, template graphics, and stock-like backgrounds forward.
Best moments to scan
- Before final launch approval for a redesign.
- Before taking over maintenance for an existing client site.
- Before migrating a blog or media library.
- Before handing a completed site to the client.
- After a client reports an image copyright letter or stock-photo claim.
Agency handoff workflow
- Run the scan on staging or the live site when representative pages are ready.
- Review High and Medium risk images with the designer, content lead, and client.
- Ask for license proof where images came from the client or a previous vendor.
- Replace unresolved decorative images before launch.
- Store the report with the project handoff package.
What to tell clients
The cleanest message is simple: the scan is not a legal verdict. It is an image inventory and risk-prioritization step. If an image was bought correctly, the client should keep the proof. If nobody knows where it came from, replacement may be safer than carrying uncertainty into the new site.
What the report gives your team
- Image thumbnails and page locations for quick review.
- Risk level per image.
- Matched-source and stock-platform context where available.
- Recommended action for each image.
- A PDF that can be stored with project records.
Related resources
Start with the sample report if you want to show the client what they will receive. For a general process, use the website image copyright audit guide.