The most expensive mistake we see in web projects has nothing to do with design or code. It is discovering, a year later, that you do not actually own your own website — the domain is registered to your former developer, the hosting is on their account, and moving on means starting over or paying to be released. It is rarely malice; it is usually just how things got set up when nobody thought to ask. The fix is simple: before you pay the final invoice, make sure these accounts are in your name.
The domain name
Your domain should be registered to you or your company, at a registrar you can log into. This is the single most important one — whoever controls the domain controls your web address and your email. Ask for the registrar login, and check the registrant details show your name, not the agency's.
The hosting or cloud account
Where the site actually runs should be an account you own, with billing in your name, even if your developer manages it day to day. This is the difference between hiring someone to drive your car and renting a seat in theirs. A good partner sets this up in your name from day one and simply gets access to it.
The source code
You paid for the code; you should have a copy of it, in a repository you control. Ask for access to the code repository (GitHub, GitLab, or similar) under your own account. Without it, no other developer can ever pick up the work.
DNS and email
DNS is the switchboard that points your domain at your site and your email. Make sure you can reach wherever it is managed. If your business email runs through the same setup, that access matters even more than the website itself.
Analytics and search tools
Your traffic data and your Google Search Console are business assets that accumulate value over time. Have them created under your own account and share access with whoever needs it — not the reverse.
A straightforward test cuts through all of it: if your relationship with your developer ended tomorrow, could you walk away with everything and hand it to someone new without asking permission? If the answer is yes, you own your website. If it is "I'd have to ask them," you do not — and that is worth fixing before the next invoice, not after a dispute.
Ownership gaps like these often trace back to a vague brief at the start of the project — see our guide on how to brief a developer for what to nail down before work begins. And if you are weighing up a new build or want a second opinion on an existing one, our services page covers how we scope and deliver both.
Frequently asked questions
What if my current developer refuses to hand over the domain?
Check the registrar account first — if the domain is registered in your name but they hold the login, ask for that access to be transferred, not the domain itself. If it's registered in their name, you'll need their cooperation for an authorisation-code transfer; if they refuse, registrars have a dispute process, but it's slower and harder than getting ownership right at handover in the first place.
Is it normal for a web developer to keep hosting in their own name?
It's common, but it shouldn't be permanent. Many developers set up hosting under their own account for convenience during the build, then never transfer billing to the client afterwards. Ask directly whether the account is yours or theirs — "I manage it for you" and "you own it" are two different answers.
How do I check who actually owns my domain?
A WHOIS lookup shows the registrant organisation, though privacy protection can mask the name. The more reliable check is simpler: try logging into the registrar account yourself. If you can't, you don't control the domain, regardless of whose name appears in WHOIS.
What should I do if I already paid for a website I don't own?
Ask your developer directly for registrar, hosting, and repository access — most will comply once asked plainly, since the alternative is an awkward conversation neither side wants. If they resist or go quiet, that's useful information about the relationship, worth raising before paying for anything further.
Does this apply to website builders like Wix or Shopify too?
Yes, arguably more so — on a hosted platform, the account itself is the asset. If your site was built inside an agency's Wix or Shopify account rather than one created in your name, ask for full ownership transfer of that account, not just admin-level access to it.