How do I organize my app’s source code and design files for a sale?

Start by finding every place the work lives. Code may sit in a few repositories, designs on a designer’s own drive, and notes in old chats. Bring it into one location the buyer’s adviser can review. Use clear folder names and add a short guide that says what each part does and how to run it.

Write down how to build and release the app. A buyer needs the steps, the tools and the settings that make a working version. Test the instructions by asking someone who has never seen the project to follow them. Note any outside components and the terms they came with, since some cannot be passed along.

Then gather ownership records. If freelancers or former partners wrote code or drew screens, find the agreements that say who owns the result, and ask your lawyer whether anything needs to be signed before the sale. Remove passwords and private keys from the files and transfer them separately. A tidy package makes questions shorter and shows the work was cared for. Finally, leave the design files in a state a new designer could pick up: named layers, shared colour and type settings, and exports for every screen. A buyer who can find things quickly is far more relaxed about the rest.

Key takeaways

• Put code, designs and notes in one reviewable location.
• Write build and release steps that a stranger can follow.
• Find the agreements covering work by freelancers and partners.
• Keep passwords and keys out of the shared files.