Freelance source files: specify what will be handed over.

Separate exports, native files, resources and access.

A source file often means the working document used to modify a creation. The term can cover different things depending on the profession. Ask what the client intends to do: change content, continue design, produce another asset or maintain a project. An accurate description is more useful than assuming you share the same definition.

Four categories to name

The format alone may not settle the question. An SVG can be an agreed export without representing every preparatory file. A design link is not necessarily a copy transferred into the client’s account. Describe each item’s role instead of relying only on its extension.

Check the independence the client needs

Ask who will take over and for which task. Someone replacing text may need different material from a team rebuilding the whole project. That need helps you choose the right level of documentation and avoid handing over something the recipient cannot use.

Define the package before production begins.

List the deliverables, formats and any editable files. Identify what is not planned and which resources require a separate licence. Source files are not automatically all included, nor are they always excluded or chargeable. The answer requires an assessment of what was agreed.

A template for defining the package

Adapt the list to the actual project; this message is not a universal assignment of rights. If the need changes, confirm the new scope and treatment before producing additional material. Keep the final list alongside the accepted reference so both parties can find it later.

In Dealokr, deliverables can be described in the signed agreement. It gives you a common reference for distinguishing the preview to review from the material planned for handoff. The inventory should follow your agreement rather than an assumption about what the client means by “sources”.

Distinguish editable files, usage rights and licences.

Being able to open a document does not answer every question about using it. The client may need to reproduce a creation, adapt it or pass it to another contributor. Consider those uses alongside the available rights and agreed terms, not only the technical ability to edit.

A reference point under French copyright law

In France, an original creation can be protected by copyright from its creation. Paying for a service does not, by itself, mean an automatic assignment of all rights. Not every file is necessarily a protected work: originality and the circumstances require an appropriate assessment.

Where an assignment is needed, the rights transferred must be identified separately and their exploitation defined, including scope, purpose, territory and duration. Sending a file or using vague wording does not describe all those elements. Have particular circumstances assessed instead of reusing a clause intended to cover every project.

Check resources that are not yours

A font installed on your computer or an image purchased for a specific use is not automatically redistributable. Read the relevant licence. If it cannot be transferred, explain how the client can obtain their own permission or agree on an authorised replacement.

Separate rights in your creation from permissions attached to third-party resources. Do not promise unrestricted use while a photograph, music track or extension still imposes conditions. Identify the limitation before the recipient builds their own work around an assumption.

Return to the agreement when the client asks for more sources.

First identify the intended use and files already owed. If they are included, organise handoff under the accepted conditions. Do not introduce a new charge or withholding condition simply because the request arrives near the end of the project. Start by checking what the existing commission requires.

A message to clarify the need

Remove irrelevant options and do not invent an exclusion missing from the agreement. A new request may justify a proposal for acceptance; preparing a file already agreed requires a different assessment.

Assess a broader takeover

Cleaning up layers, adding documentation or converting a file can involve work. Explain what was planned and what is additional, then agree on the next step. If the contract’s interpretation is disputed, clarify that point before presenting your reading as an established obligation for the other party.

Document tools, dependencies and takeover limits.

Prepare a dedicated handoff copy at the reference version. Check the application, its version, fonts, extensions and media needed. The client should be able to identify what is supplied, what they need to install or obtain and any compatibility limits.

Add a short README

A readme can contain the inventory, recommended tool, version tested, authorised resources and opening instructions. Identify any links or media that remain external and how to find them. Do not claim compatibility with application versions you have not checked. Where something is uncertain, record that limit rather than letting the recipient discover it later.

example-project-v03/
  01_exports/
  02_editable_files/
  03_authorised_resources/
  README.txt

This structure is illustrative. Include resources only where their transmission is permitted. Unneeded drafts, material from other clients and unrelated internal documents do not belong in the package. Review the actual contents rather than copying an entire working directory without checking it.

Keep credentials out of the archive

Do not put passwords, keys or secret credentials in the folder. Arrange invitations or access handoff through an appropriate channel, with the intended recipient and agreed role. Access to an account needs a separate check from whether the files open.

In Dealokr, you can present a preview for review and retain exchanges in the project history before handoff. That helps identify the version assessed; preparing dependencies and checking licences still need to be done for the actual agreed package.

Test opening the files and include an inventory.

Open the material from the copy intended for the client. Check missing links, media and exports. When testing on your usual computer, remember that an installed font or extension may hide a dependency absent from the package. Record that requirement even when the file appears to work locally.

A handoff note to personalise

Describe only checks actually performed. If an item is missing or needs an agreed conversion, identify its status and planned follow-up. Confirmation of downloading does not, by itself, establish that the client can continue working with the document. Ask about opening it where that matters to the handoff.

Agree on access and retention after handoff.

Check the accepted payment and handoff conditions before the final send. Do not turn ambiguity about source files into a new unilateral rule. If a difficulty arises, separate material already owed, additional requests and conditions still needing clarification. Each needs to be addressed on its own basis.

Connect payment and hosted files

For fixed-price work in Dealokr, the client pays 100% upfront through Stripe Connect. Following the required review, you request the transfer under the project’s conditions; the client gains access to hosted final files after confirmation. Bank arrival is separate, and a date or comment does not automatically trigger the transfer.

A first milestone transfer does not unlock every file. Figma, Drive and other external links remain subject to their provider’s permissions. The workflow creates neither an automatic assignment of rights nor the licences needed for third-party material.

Plan backups and availability

Keep the delivered version, inventory and related exchanges in a way suited to your activity. Confirm the availability period offered, each person’s backups and included follow-up. Do not leave the client to assume unlimited storage, maintenance or support.

A later takeover is easier when the recipient can find the right files, prerequisites and agreed permissions. The aim is an understandable package, not only an archive that was sent. Preserve a clear reference to what you actually handed over.