"The Inspection Window, Explained: What to Do Each Day"
The inspection window is the least understood part of escrow. Here's what to do each day, by asset type, and when to confirm or dispute.
The inspection window is the part of the escrow process buyers understand the least — and the part where most confusion during a sale actually happens. If you've never bought or sold through escrow before, here's exactly what the inspection window is for and what to do while it's open.
What the inspection window actually is
Once a buyer pays, the money doesn't go straight to the seller — it's held in escrow. The seller then transfers the asset, and the buyer gets a set number of days to confirm that what they received matches what was listed before the funds are released. That confirmation period is the inspection window. It exists specifically so a buyer isn't asked to trust the transfer sight unseen, and so a seller isn't stuck waiting indefinitely for payment after doing their part.
How long the window lasts
The window is 7 days for every asset type, counted from the moment the seller hands over access — not from the payment. What changes by type is what you verify in those days:
- Accounts and domains. Confirm login access, check recent metrics against the listing, and for domains, confirm the transfer completed at the registrar.
- Websites. Check functionality across pages, confirm traffic and revenue data hold up, and watch for anything that only shows up after a few days of normal operation.
- E-commerce stores. Verify order volume day by day, supplier relationships, and revenue consistency — the store should behave like the listing on every single day of the window.
What to actually do during the window
The window isn't just a waiting period — it's active verification time. In the first few days, confirm you have full access to everything: login credentials, linked email if applicable, and any admin panels or backend systems that came with the sale. In the following days, compare what you're seeing against the listing: recent traffic or view numbers, revenue if disclosed, and any specific claims made in the description. If anything looks off, this is the moment to message the seller through the contract chat and ask — most mismatches turn out to be simple misunderstandings that get resolved with a conversation.
When to confirm early versus wait it out
If everything checks out and you've verified access and performance to your satisfaction, there's no requirement to wait out the full window before confirming — you can release funds to the seller as soon as you're satisfied. On the other hand, if something still needs verifying (a metric that takes a few more days to trend clearly, for example), it's reasonable to use the time you have rather than confirm under pressure. The window belongs to the buyer to use as needed, not to rush through.
When to dispute instead of confirm
If what you received clearly doesn't match the listing — access that doesn't work, metrics that don't hold up, an asset materially different from what was described — raise it during the window rather than after it closes. Disputes are reviewed based on what's actually recorded in the contract's chat, so documenting your concerns in writing as they come up, rather than waiting to summarize everything at the end, gives the review a clearer record to work from. If the window closes with no confirmation and no dispute raised, the sale releases automatically, so acting inside the window — one way or the other — is what keeps you protected.
To see the full process from listing to release, read more about how escrow works, or browse current listings to see the inspection window in practice on real assets.