Secure password sharing for agencies and web teams
Agencies live and die by client trust
A digital agency or web team handles more credentials than almost any other type of business relative to its size. CMS logins, hosting credentials, domain registrar access, Google Analytics, social media accounts, payment gateway API keys, email marketing platforms — the list grows with every client and every project.
These credentials move between agency and client at project start (when the client shares access), during the project (when team members collaborate), and at project end (when everything is handed back). Each transfer is an opportunity for something to go wrong.
The typical agency credential workflow and its problems
Most agencies default to one of these approaches:
Email — Fast, universal, but leaves credentials in inboxes, sent folders, and email archives permanently.
Slack/Teams — Convenient for team communication, but chat logs persist and are searchable. A Slack export hands every credential ever shared to whoever receives the export.
Shared Google Doc — Collaborative and accessible, but a document titled "Client Credentials" is a single point of catastrophic failure if anyone's Google account is compromised.
LastPass/1Password team vault — Excellent for internal credentials, but requires every client to have an account in the same system, which is unrealistic.
What the secure alternative looks like
For outbound sharing (agency to client, or client to agency), a one-time encrypted link solves all the above problems:
- No credential persists in any communication channel
- The client does not need an account anywhere
- The link self-destructs after one use
- Short expiry windows limit the window of vulnerability
For internal team credentials (shared CMS logins, internal tool accounts), a team password vault is the right tool. The two approaches are complementary, not competing.
Agency-specific scenarios
Client shares access at project start: Ask clients to use a one-time link when they share their credentials with you. This keeps their credentials out of your email and demonstrates that you take security seriously from day one.
Sharing developer access during the project: When a new team member joins a project, share the required credentials via a one-time link rather than through Slack or the project management tool.
Handing back credentials at project end: The final project handover should include all credentials sent via individual one-time links, grouped by system category. See our guide on credential handover for a full walkthrough.
Freelancer and contractor access: Freelancers working on a specific deliverable should receive only the credentials they need, via a one-time link, ideally with a note on expected access duration.
The client perception angle
Clients increasingly ask about security practices during the sales process. "How do you handle our credentials?" is a reasonable question. An agency with a clear, documented answer that involves encrypted one-time links makes a better impression than one that shrugs and says "we usually email things."
For agencies working with larger clients, enterprise clients, or clients in regulated industries, having a documented credential handling procedure can be a genuine differentiator.
Branding your credential sharing
PassTransfer's Pro plan supports custom subdomains, so your credential links come from yourcompany.passtransfer.com rather than a generic domain. This keeps the experience consistent with your brand and avoids any confusion on the client's end about where the link is coming from.
