Most owners find out who really owns their website on the worst possible day. The person who built it stops answering, the bill for the address goes unpaid, or a new designer asks for a login nobody has. By then, getting it back can take weeks.
It doesn’t have to go that way. A website runs on a handful of accounts, and each one can be in your name from the start.
Why it matters
When the accounts are yours, you can change who works on your site the same afternoon. You add the new person, remove the old one, and nothing goes down. When the accounts belong to someone else, they hold your website, your email and sometimes your place in search with them.
This isn’t about distrust. Good builders move on, retire or get busy. Owning the accounts simply means your business never depends on one person staying around.
The six things to own
- The domain. Your address, like yourbusiness.com. It should be registered to you, with your email on it, and set to renew on your card.
- The hosting account. Where the site lives. You own the account and invite the builder in.
- The code and the content. The files, the words and the pictures. Ask for a copy you can keep, or keep them in an account you own. If your site is on a website builder, ask what you can take with you if you leave.
- Your email. If your email runs on your domain, the account behind it should be yours too, so nobody can switch it off.
- Your Google profile. The listing people see on Maps and in search. You should be its owner, with the builder added as a manager if they help.
- Your analytics. The numbers on who visits. They belong to the business, not to whoever set them up.
How to check what you own today
You can check most of this in an afternoon. The test is simple: can you log in yourself?
- Domain. Search your inbox for a renewal notice. If you’ve never seen one, it’s probably going to someone else. Public lookups often hide the owner now, so logging in is the surest test.
- Hosting. Find out who gets the bill and whether you have your own login.
- Email. Find out who the main admin is. If it’s a past employee or your builder, change that first.
- Google profile. Open your profile and look at who has access. You should be listed as the primary owner.
- Analytics. Log in and check that you’re an administrator.
If you can’t get into something, treat it as not yours yet, and put it on the list.
What to ask before any work starts
Three questions settle most of it:
- Whose name will the domain and the hosting be in?
- Will I get the logins, and can I remove your access myself?
- If we stop working together, what do I get, and how?
A builder who means well answers all three in one reply. If the answers are vague, ask again before you pay anything.
The simple rule: they work inside your accounts. You never work inside theirs.
Mistakes to avoid
- Using the builder’s email on an account. Password resets and renewal notices go to them instead of you.
- Using one employee’s personal email. When they leave, the account can leave with them. Use an address the business controls.
- Sharing one password. Give each person their own login, so you can remove one without changing everything.
- Leaving login codes on someone else’s phone. If the two-step code goes to their number, they still hold the key.
- Letting a card expire. Domains can lapse quietly. Turn on auto-renew and keep the card on the account current.
- Assuming that paying means owning. Custom work doesn’t always belong to the person who paid for it. Get it in writing.
If it’s already in someone else’s name
Start with the domain, since everything else points to it. Ask the person who registered it to move it to an account in your name. Most registrars have a simple transfer, and the site keeps running while it happens. Then do the same for the hosting and your Google profile, one at a time.
If they won’t answer, Google has a way to ask for access to your profile, and registrars have their own dispute steps. It takes longer, and it depends on whose name is on the record, so start as soon as you can.
Questions owners ask
Is it rude to ask for all this?
No. It’s a normal question, and a good builder expects it. You’re not accusing anyone of anything. You’re making sure your business can keep running no matter what happens.
What if my builder says it’s easier on their account?
It may be easier for them, but it isn’t better for you. Opening an account in your name takes minutes, and you can invite them in right after.
Can my builder pay the bills for me?
Yes, as long as the account stays in your name and you can see it. Paying a bill is fine. Holding the account is the problem.
How we handle it
When we build a website, every account is opened in the client’s name from day one, and we work as a guest on it. That’s how all our websites are set up. If you want to see what that looks like for your business, tell us what you’re building. If you’re still deciding what you need, start here.