How do I document my SaaS product’s server setup so a buyer can run it?

Aim to answer one question: could a capable stranger keep this running on Monday? Begin with a simple diagram showing the servers, databases, storage and outside services, and how they connect. Add a list of accounts for each, with who owns it, how billing works and who can sign in.

Next, write the routine steps. How is a new version released? How are backups taken and restored? What do you check each morning, and what raises an alarm? Describe the last real outage in plain terms, including what you did and what you would change. Buyers value a candid account of past failures.

Handle secrets with care. Passwords and keys should not appear in the document. Instead, explain where they are stored and how access is passed to the new owner at closing. Plan a time for changing them after the handover so that your old access ends cleanly. A technical adviser can review the draft, and your lawyer can tell you what to share before the sale is firm. Mention the cost of running each part so the buyer sees the real running expenses. Keep the document alive after the sale begins. If you change something during the process, update the notes the same day, so the version the buyer receives matches what is actually running.

Key takeaways

• Draw the system and list every account with its owner.
• Test the document by having someone else follow it.
• Keep secrets in a vault and plan a clean handover of access.