The short answer
A website is three separate things: the domain (your address), the hosting (where the files live) and the code. You control your website only if you can log in to the first two yourself and have the third. Having paid for it isn't the same as owning it.
Why this matters
This is one of the more painful surprises for a business owner. Your developer registers the domain in their own account because it's quicker. Years later you fall out, or they change their number, and you find your business address belongs to somebody else. Your email can go down with it.
The 10-minute check
1. The domain
- Go to ICANN Lookup and type your domain.
- Note the registrar (such as GoDaddy, Hostinger or Cloudflare) and the expiry date.
- Can you log in to an account at that registrar and see your domain? If so, you control it.
- If you can't, ask your developer which account holds it.
2. The hosting
Ask your developer: which company hosts the site, and whose account is it in? Can you log in? If it's on the developer's shared server, your site disappears if they stop paying for that server.
3. The code
Ask for a full copy of the files, and for written confirmation that the code is yours once it's paid for. On WordPress, you should have an administrator login, not just an editor one.
4. Everything else
Check your Google Business Profile, Search Console, your email and your social media pages. Each one should have you as the owner. Your developer can be added as a manager.
Warning signs
- "Don't worry, we handle all the technical things."
- You've never seen a login for your own domain.
- The yearly renewal comes as a bill from your developer, and you don't know the real cost.
- Your developer's name or company shows up as the owner on your Google profile.
- Moving away would cost a "transfer fee" set by your developer.
How to fix it
- Create your own accounts, using a business email you control.
- Ask politely, in writing, for the domain to be moved to your registrar account. For most domains, this means an unlock and an authorisation code, and it's routine.
- Move the hosting or get the files. Do this before you change anything else.
- Check email separately. Moving a domain can interrupt email if the records aren't copied across.
- If they refuse, keep your payment records and get a lawyer's advice. Each registrar has its own dispute process.
What to agree before you start
Put this in writing with any developer, including us:
- The domain and hosting are registered in the client's name, using the client's email.
- The client receives all logins at handover.
- The code and design belong to the client once they're paid for.
- Any yearly costs are listed, with who they are paid to.
Common questions
Who owns my website if a developer built it?
It depends on the accounts and the agreement. Whoever controls the domain registrar account controls your web address. Whoever controls the hosting controls the files. Ask for both logins, in your name, and get code ownership in writing.
How do I find out who owns my domain?
Search your domain on ICANN Lookup or a WHOIS tool. Personal details are usually hidden, but you'll see the registrar. Then ask your developer which account it's in. If it isn't an account you can log in to, you don't control it.
My developer won't give me my domain. What can I do?
Ask in writing and keep a record. If you can show that you paid for it, or that the domain is your business name, the registrar's dispute process may help, and a lawyer can advise you. Prevent this in future by holding the account yourself from day one.