Who owns the website after handover: what you should have in hand

The website is paid for, live, and inquiries are coming in. And then it turns out that the domain is registered to the developer, the hosting is paid from their card, and you do not have the password to the admin panel. While the relationship is good, this goes unnoticed. The problem surfaces when the developer has disappeared or you want to change contractors.

Why does the question of website ownership come up after handover?

At the start, attention is on other things: the client cares about the result, and it is more convenient for the developer to register the domain and hosting in their own name. But a website is a set of things, and those things have owners: the domain, hosting, code, access to services.

If they are not registered in your name, you depend on the developer even in small things: changing the phone number, renewing the domain, bringing in a new specialist.

Whose name should the domain be registered in?

The domain is the website address, and it should be registered in your name or your company name. Access to the account at the registrar should also be yours.

If the domain is registered to the developer, your website address is formally not yours. What a domain is and how to register it - I covered this in the article Domain and Hosting: What They Are and Whose Name They Go In.

Who should pay for hosting?

Hosting is where the website files are kept. It is better to open the hosting account in your name and pay from your own card. Then the website will not stop opening because the developer forgot to pay or disappeared.

The developer can work in your account with the access you grant - this way it is convenient and safe.

What access do you need to get after handover?

When the website is handed over, collect the following for yourself:

Domain registrar - the login and password for the account where the domain is registered.

Hosting - access to the account and the control panel.

Website admin panel - administrator access, not just editor access.

Analytics - owner access to the visitor counters.

Email on the domain - if there is such email, access to its settings.

Check the access yourself: log in to the accounts and make sure the password works. It is worth doing this before the final payment - the article Website acceptance checklist: what to check before the final payment will come in handy.

Do you need the website code?

If the website is built on custom code, ask for an archive with the source files or access to the repository. Even if you are not a programmer, the code will be useful to a new developer if you have to change contractors.

You can keep the source files with you or in the cloud - the main thing is that they do not exist only on the developer's computer.

How do you agree on this before work starts?

Discuss ownership before the start, not when a dispute has come up:

Domain and hosting - registered in your name and paid from your card.

Access - transferred at handover, and the list is recorded in your correspondence or the commercial proposal.

Code - handed over together with the website.

Support - if the developer stays on for support, they work with your access. More details - in the article Website support after launch: what it includes.

If the developer avoids such questions, that is a reason to be wary. More details - in the article How to Choose a Web Developer and Not Get Burned.

What do you do if the access stayed with the developer?

Start with a calm request: list the access you need and ask for it to be handed over. If the domain is registered to the developer, ask them to re-register it in your name - the registrar will tell you how to do this.

If the developer does not respond, contact the domain registrar and the hosting support: ask what options they have for your situation.

How much does a website that is fully yours cost?

A landing page - from $190, a multipage website - from $490, a complex project - on request. From the very start, I register the domain and hosting in the client's name and with the client's payment method, so the website stays yours without separate arrangements. The article Landing page or multipage website: what your business needs will help you decide on the format.

If you already have a website and it is unclear whose name it is registered in, message me - I will help you figure out what you have in hand.