Do you actually own your website? Domains, code and lock-in
It's an uncomfortable question with a surprisingly common answer: a lot of businesses don't truly own their own website. The domain is registered in someone else's name, the code sits on a platform they can't leave, or the accounts belong to a developer who's gone quiet. Here's what ownership actually means, and how to make sure it's yours.
The four things you need to own
- Your domain name. Registered in your name (or your company's), with access to the registrar account. This is your address on the web — it must be yours.
- Your website's code and content. The actual files and content, and the right to take them elsewhere.
- Your hosting. The account the site runs on, in your name or fully under your control.
- Your accounts. Analytics, email, CMS logins and anything else tied to the site.
How people get locked in
- Proprietary builders — some platforms make it hard or impossible to export your site and leave.
- Developer-held domains — your domain registered under an agency's account, not yours.
- "We host it for you" — fine, until you want to move and can't get access.
- No handover — logins and files that never actually get passed to you.
Why it matters
Ownership is about control and continuity. If you don't own your domain, someone else controls your web address and email. If you can't export your site, you're stuck with whoever built it, on whatever terms they set. Businesses discover this at the worst possible moment — when they want to move on, and find they can't.
How to check and fix it
- Confirm your domain is registered to you, and that you can log in to the registrar.
- Ask, in writing, who owns the code and whether you can take it elsewhere.
- Make sure hosting and all accounts are in your name, with your access.
- Get a proper handover — every login, documented — at the end of any project.
A good developer sets this up so you own everything by default and never has to be asked. If getting straight answers about ownership is like pulling teeth, treat that as information about who you're dealing with.
Common questions
Do I own my website if an agency built it?
Not automatically — it depends on your agreement. You should own the domain, the content and, ideally, the code, with all accounts in your name. Some arrangements leave the domain or platform under the agency's control, which is where lock-in happens. Check, and get ownership confirmed in writing.
What happens to my website if my developer disappears?
If you own your domain, hosting, code and accounts, you can appoint someone else and carry on with minimal disruption. If your developer holds any of those, it can get difficult — which is exactly why owning them yourself, and having a documented handover, matters so much.
How do I know if I own my domain name?
Check who the domain is registered to and whether you can log in to the registrar account (such as GoDaddy, Namecheap or 123 Reg) yourself. If you can't access it, or it's registered under a developer's account, you don't fully control it — and that's worth fixing.
How do I avoid being locked into a platform?
Favour platforms and builds you can export and move, keep your domain and accounts in your own name, and get a full handover of files and logins at the end of every project. Ask up front whether you can leave and take everything with you — before you commit.
Let's talk
Let's talk about your project.
Whether you've got a clear brief or just an idea, tell us what you have in mind and we'll give you an honest recommendation — even if that's a smaller project than you expected.