After a failed contractor: find what's broken and fix it
Fixing a site after a failed contractor starts with a list, not a code: what exactly is broken, how to check it yourself, and how much each item costs individually. First, we measure — domain response, order path, analytics data collection, markup, site map — and only then do we name the jobs. Diagnostics is free, and the report remains with you regardless of who fixes it. In most cases, there are three or four critical places, and not "rewrite everything".
diagnostics with reproducible evidence, then corrections by points
after a free audit
Price
30
Guarantee
days after project sign-off
diagnostics with reproducible evidence, then corrections by points
What are we doing?
5-35
Term of works
working days: calculated from the list of defects, not from the size of the site
free diagnostics, 3-5 working days
Before the estimate
the certificate is valid, and the bare domain returns a 301 for an insecure protocol
Measured defect #1
the code of the tag manager is self-locking: it is on the page, there is no data
Measured defect #2
assessments of the previous executor's personality and conclusions for the court
What we don't do
Who it's for
Situations where this service delivers results
Scenario 1 of 5
The contractor stopped responding, and the site lives its own life
It seems to work, but something is constantly wrong, and there is no one to ask. A health slice is required: a list of defects with response codes and how to reproduce each. You decide what to touch from it.
We'll review your situation in a free audit
Scenario 2 of 5
You accept the job and do not want to sign the act blindly
Checking before signing is cheaper than fixing after. We measure what is measured: the response of the bare domain, the cleanliness of the site map, the real operation of the counters, the passing of the test order.
Scenario 3 of 5
The analyst's office is empty, although the counter "stands"
In the clinic site we measured, the tag manager snippet blocked itself: the identifier variable was filled with the analytics identifier, and the exit condition always fired. From the outside, everything looked set.
Scenario 4 of 5
Orders get lost between the site, the post office and the bank
The form is sent, but the letter does not arrive. The payment goes through, but the status does not change. Such gaps are visible only through a thorough run: we issue a test order from the product card to confirmation.
Scenario 5 of 5
The site is not made on what you were called
In our own measurements of other people's projects, we regularly see one stack in the description, and a completely different one in the code. This is not a defect in itself, but it does change the cost of support and the range of people who are capable of providing it.
Cases
Tasks and results in numbers — all metrics measured by us
online store of professional tools, catalog of over 6,000 items
Task
Check the technical condition of a working store with a large catalog: the owner wanted to know what was hiding behind the normal appearance.
Solution
Measurement of the site map and time of its generation, verification of the certificate and behavior of redirects from the root, analysis of structured data and counters, comparison of payment and delivery methods, measurement of page speed and weight.
Result
The site map gives 25,537 records for 6,857 unique addresses — 6,486 product pages and 361 categories, that is, each product is present on average 3.9 times under different category paths; the map itself is generated in 34.2 seconds. TTFB 671.2ms with 407.8KB HTML. Critical finding: the certificate is valid, but the bare domain gives a 301 to an unprotected protocol — internal addresses on a secure connection work, it is the language redirect from the root that is broken. Measured on 07/31/2026.
a clinic with a site on a single-page architecture with a pre-render for search engines
Task
Understand what a search engine sees, what a person sees, and whether data is collected at all.
Solution
Compare site responses for browser and crawler, measure both options, check sitemap, structured data and read counter code line by line.
Result
The crawler is served a pre-rendered page in 145ms to first byte and 178ms to full HTML (126KB, 24KB compressed) with 10 types of structured data; the browser gets a 3KB shell. The site map is correct, 89 addresses. Defect found: The inline tag manager code is self-blocking - the id variable is filled with the analytics ID, and the exit condition always fires, so the container is not loaded at all. Measured on 07/31/2026.
What's included
Complete list of work and what you get as a result
Report with reproducible evidence for each defect: address, response code, way to check for yourself
Sorting what is found into three groups — loses money now, creates risk, spoils quality; the queue of works is being built behind it
Itemized estimate: the cost of each correction can be seen separately, any line can be rejected
Fixing the "as accepted" status in the version control system before the first edit — so that there is room to roll back
A copy of the site on the test site: the changes are there first, they are already tested on the combat site
End-to-end running of the order from the product card to confirmation — with repairs that break on the way
Reinventing Analytics: One workflow instead of three half-lives, with verification that events are arriving
Removing risky places in the markup — primarily announced ratings and reviews that are not on the page
Sitemap and robots.txt in working order, revalidated via webmaster panel
Written transmission: what was changed, how to check, what we deliberately did not touch and why
Terms: payment by stages, warranty period of 30 calendar days for completed works
When this service isn't right
What's not included — so there are no surprises at delivery
Legal evaluation of the contract with the previous contractor and support of the dispute
Expert opinion for the court
Refund from the previous performer
Rewriting the project from scratch under the guise of corrections is a separate estimate
Hosting, domain, acquiring
Process steps
Transparent stages with approval at every step
Total duration:5–35 days
1
Diagnostics
3-5 working days
Walk around the site and check what's being measured: domain responses, sitemap, markup, counters, test order. Access is desirable, but part of it is visible from the outside.
2
Sorting of finds and estimates
1-2 working days
We divide the list into critical, risky and cosmetic, and we give an assessment of the work under each item. You cross out what you decide not to touch, and the estimate is recalculated.
3
Fixation of the state and test site
1-2 working days
We start the repository, if it was not there, we remove a full copy of the files and the database, we raise the test site. After this step, any of our edits can be rolled back with one command.
4
Critical fixes
2-7 working days
What loses money or creates a risk of sanctions: protocol and redirects, a break in the order chain, risky markup. It comes out as a separate statement, without waiting for the rest of the list.
5
The rest of the list and re-measurement
3-20 working days
Analytics, sitemap and robots.txt, minor defects in the agreed order. At the end, we measure the same as during the diagnosis, and put the numbers next to each other - before and after.
6
Transfer
1-2 working days
A written description of the changes, a list of what we deliberately did not touch, accesses, a conversation about the report. Then there is a 30 calendar day warranty period for the work performed.
Free diagnostics: what exactly is broken
We don't evaluate the previous contractor's work with words - we measure. Each point in the report is either a number or a reproducible scenario that you can test yourself.
What we measure
Availability and protocolHow the site responds to bare domain and internal addresses. In the tool store we measured, the certificate was valid, but the root domain returned a 301 to an insecure protocol—anyone accessing the root ended up on an insecure connection. It was not the certificate that was broken, but the language redirect.
Analytics that don't workIs the data actually being collected? In the clinic site we measured, the tag manager code was blocking itself: the analytics ID was written into the snippet instead of the container ID, and the exit condition was always triggered. From the outside, the meter was "standing", in fact, it did not work.
Risky decisions in markupThings for which sanctions arrive. In the application we measured, a rating of 50 was declared in the structured data, even though there was no mention of reviews on the page - a direct reason for manual sanctions for self-imposed review marking.
Site map and indexingDoes the sitemap exist, is it empty, or does it not duplicate addresses? This is the most frequent silent failure after project delivery.
Discrepancy with what you were promisedDoes the actual stack match the declared stack? We regularly see one set of technologies in project descriptions, and a completely different one in the website code; it's not always a problem, but it's something to be aware of.
Order and moneyDo the orders arrive, do the notifications come, does the payment work correctly. Tested by a test order from start to finish.
What you get
A report with a list of what was found: what is broken, how to check it yourself, how critical it is.
Separation into three groups: loses money now, creates risk, spoils quality.
Estimates for itemized corrections — so that you can take a part.
Conversation for 30–40 minutes on the report.
Timeline: 3-5 working days
Why is it free
Because you should have an independent picture before you decide what to do with the previous contractor and how much to invest further. The report is yours and does not depend on whether we fix it.
What's next
After diagnosis — itemized estimate, contract, account, report. We do not undertake to rewrite the entire site if the problem is closed by fixing three places, and we will say so directly.
Short form: your contact and site URL
Contract, act and 30-day warranty
Every project gets a written contract: scope, deadlines, amount, acceptance procedure. After delivery — act and invoice, then 30 calendar days of warranty.
Sole proprietor & bank transfer
The contractor is a registered sole proprietor. Payment by invoice with closing documents.
Rights & access — yours
Code, design and materials transfer to you after full payment. Domain, hosting, repository and analytics are registered to you.
Client portal instead of email chains
During the project you get access to a portal: contracts, invoices, acts and project status in one place.
European clients
Among our work — projects for Norway, Bulgaria, Moldova and Spain.
Verifiable numbers
Every case in the portfolio comes with a link to a live site and a technical measurement.
Audit first, then pricing
There is no price list on the site intentionally: the scope of the same work differs multiples between clients.
We say "no" when unsure
If the task isn't ours or the deadline is unrealistic — we tell you upfront.
Did not find your case?
Describe how it works on your side — we will tell you whether “Fixing the site after a failed contractor” fits and what it means in your situation. No brief and no call: one question, one answer.
What affects the price
Why two seemingly identical tasks are priced differently
How many findings are truly criticalA report on thirty points and a report on five can give the same amount of work: most of the little things are not worth touching. It's not the length of the list that counts, but the number of places that lose money or create risk.
Is there a change history and access to the codeWith the repository, you can see when and what was broken, and any edit can be rolled back. Without it, the first stage goes to the copy, versioning and fixing the "as accepted" state - this is a day or two, which then saves a week.
What is the site made of?A box platform with a dozen edits through ocmod is sorted out quickly. A self-written article without documentation takes longer to read, and a single-page architecture with prerendering also requires a separate check of what the search engine sees.
Is it possible to work on a non-combat site?If the hosting allows you to upload a copy, the edits are tested there and go to production ready. If there is no copy, you have to work in windows and in small steps — not more expensive in terms of hours, but longer in terms of the calendar.
Who is responsible from your sideOne person with the right to say "yes" shortens the project more significantly than any optimization of our work. The longest part of the corrections is not the code, but waiting for a decision on disputed points in the report.
Technologies & integrations
What we build on and what it connects to
Stack
OpenCart 3.x and 4.x is the most common legacy; edits through ocmod and vqmod conflict, first we sort out who overwrites who
WooCommerce and WordPress — the defect is usually not in the core, but in a set of two dozen plugins
Next.js and React - we separately check what is given to work, and what is collected already in the browser
PHP and MySQL - we read the code and structure of the database; on outdated versions, editing involves updating the platform
Git - we fix the "as accepted" state before the first edit; there was no repository - we start from the archive
Google Search Console is the only source of truth about indexing, and without your access, it's closed
structured data validation - shows what is declared in the markup, but not whether a search engine will show it
Integrations
Google Search Console
Google Tag Manager
GA4
Google Ads
Meta Pixel
payment providers
carriers
SMTP
Telegram
Diagnostics with fixes vs "just rewrite everything"
How this option differs from the alternative
Development from scratch instead of repairOur approach
What you get at the startan estimate for the entire project before anyone even looked at the codelist of defects with evidence and cost of each item separately
What happens to what worksmoves with everything else, and part breaks on the wayit remains as it is - we touch only the broken
Page addressesnew structure of addresses: without a map of transitions, the accumulated information in the search is lostare stored, transitions are not required
Deadline for the first changethe first working screen - in weeksthe critical one is closed in a few days with a separate statement
When to rewrite is really smarterthe decision is made before the diagnosis, and there is nothing to check itlet's say for ourselves if the list of defects exceeds the cost of a new assembly
What we need from you
We can't start without this — best to prepare in advance
1Access: admin, hosting, database, webmaster panel, analytics offices. What is not - say right away, it changes the list of what can be checked in general.
2A description of what exactly does not suit you, in your own words and with examples: "the order from the 12th has not arrived" is more useful than "the website is buggy".
3Terms of reference or correspondence with the previous contractor, if preserved: half of the disputed points are closed right there.
4Permission to make a test order on the combat site - with a refund after verification.
5One person with the right to make decisions on the report and accept work.
If something is missing — let us know, we'll help you gather it or do it as a separate task.
FAQ
Most frequently asked questions — with concrete answers
How do you know if a site is really poorly made and not just disliked?
By measurable things. We look at how the domain responds to the request, whether the test order arrives, whether the analytics data is really collected, whether there is a site map and whether there are no ads in the markup about something that does not exist on the page. All this is either yes or no - there is no room for taste here. Each item in the report comes with a way to check it yourself, so you don't depend on either our rating or the previous performer's rating. But "I don't like the font" is not included in such a report: this is a matter of redesign.
What are the most common defects?
Those that are not visible at first glance. In the tool store we measured, the certificate was valid, the pages opened, everything looked fine — but the bare domain returned a 301 to an insecure protocol, and anyone who dialed an address without an internal page ended up on an insecure connection. Internal addresses worked correctly. The language redirect from the root was broken, one line in the configuration. The certificate itself does not save anything: it encrypts the channel, and that's where its role ends.
Analytics seems to be standing, but there are no numbers - does that happen?
Constantly. In the clinic site we measured, the inline tag manager code blocked itself: the identifier variable was written with the analytics identifier instead of the container identifier, and the exit condition compared the variable to that value - so the exit always fired and the container did not load at all. The code was on the page. Such things are found by the reader, not by the scanner. And separately: the restored meter itself does not improve anything, it only gives an opportunity to see; blockers, consent mode, and browser cookie restrictions make data a trend, not an accounting truth.
Could the contractor have done something that would attract sanctions?
Might, and usually unintentionally. In the app we measured, the structured data announced a rating with 50 ratings, even though the page had no mention of reviews. This self-imposed feedback marking is a direct reason for manual sanctions. We clean such places first, along with critical ones. Just don't get confused: honest markup does not increase positions and does not force the search engine to show an extended snippet, it only gives a chance. A false one creates a risk, and this asymmetry is not in your favor.
What's the first thing you do before editing?
We fix the "as received" status. We start the repository, if it was not there, take a full copy of the files and the database, set up the test platform - and only then touch the first line. This is our own recommendation even to those who will fix the site not with us: without a fixed rollback point, any correction in someone else's code is a blind game, and the dispute "it worked for you" becomes insoluble. A day of work on this step saves a week on the next.
Would you say the previous contractor is bad?
No. We write what we found and how to check it, without evaluations of personality and qualifications. Some of what looks like a mistake turns out to be a conscious decision in its circumstances — a limited budget, a customer requirement, outdated hosting. The part is really a mistake. It is not our job to understand the motives; ours is to show the facts you'll move forward with, including talking to the same contractor if you plan to.
Isn't it cheaper to do it all over again?
Sometimes cheaper — and we will say so if the list of defects exceeds the cost of a new assembly. But more often it turns out that there are three or four critical places, and their repair costs many times less than a new development, and the most important thing is that it does not entail a change of page addresses. Therefore, we give the estimate by points: you can see the cost of each correction separately, and you decide what to take and what to leave as it is.
How long will it run?
Diagnostics — 3–5 working days. Correction — from 5 to 35 working days depending on the list. Critical, which is losing money now, we suggest closing with the first outlay in a few days, without waiting for the rest. The longest part of this work is not the code, but the approval of the disputed points of the report: if you have one person with the right to say "yes", the deadline is significantly shortened.
Will traffic and sales increase after the fixes?
We do not promise this and do not advise anyone to promise it. Removing duplicates does not add traffic - it stops scattering it, and in the first weeks the number of pages in the index may even drop, this is the expected course of events. The sitemap does not guarantee indexing, the real numbers are visible only in your Search Console. Speed doesn't make an offer more attractive either: a site that loads in 200ms will simply give a person a reason to leave sooner. We remove technical waste - the thing that causes people and orders to get lost along the way. Demand is not created by repairs.
Submit the website address and describe in your own words what is wrong.
The answer is a list of what was found with answer codes and a way to check each item yourself, divided into critical, risky and cosmetic. If we do not find any serious defects, we will write exactly this.
From measured casesThe site map gives 25,537 records for 6,857 unique addresses
There is no price list on the site on purpose: the same work differs several times over between two clients, and a “from” figure explains nothing in that case. First a free audit — we count your pages, duplicates and speed — then we name the sum and the deadline and fix both in the contract.