Short answer: you should own your domain, your hosting account and your website’s admin login, all in your own name. If someone else holds any of these, you don’t fully control your business online.
Website and domain ownership is a hot topic right now. It’s important to know what you own, what your rights are and how to maintain control of your digital business assets.
Who owns your website?
Website ownership depends on two main factors.
1. What platform was your website built on?
Some platforms lock you into their service. Shopify, Wix and Squarespace are notorious for this. You may own the content on your website, but you can’t take the design or setup with you. If you want to change services in the future, you may need to rebuild your site from the ground up.
Self-hosted WordPress is different. You own the files and the database, and you can move your website to any host you like.
2. Who built your website?
We’ve been at this for 15 years and we’ve seen everything. Some agencies will not provide full control of your website, so it’s important to review your contract before you sign.
We recently worked with a client who had a website built by an agency. They ranked well for most of their keywords, but they were unable to access their hosting or any admin logins for their website, and the agency would not allow them to reuse any of the content. The agency had built out hundreds of pages of dense content that could not be copied to a new website.
The client was locked into a high monthly cost just to maintain their website, or faced a LARGE uphill battle to rebuild everything. In the end, all of the content had to be recreated individually, along with a new design. Not only did it cost the client more, it required much more skill and work to set everything straight.
At 368 Durham, we make sure you have full access to your hosting, website and domain.
Red flags to watch for in a web design contract
Before you sign with an agency, watch for these:
- No clear ownership section in your contract. If your contract doesn’t say who owns the domain, website and content, don’t assume it’s you.
- You’re forced to use the agency’s hosting. Recommending their hosting is normal. Requiring it, with no access to the hosting account, is not.
- They require a domain transfer to their registration. Your domain should stay in your name, in an account you control.
- A yearly cancellation fee or release fee. You shouldn’t have to pay to get your own website back.
Why domain ownership matters
Domain ownership is important too. Your domain is your .com or .ca, and it points traffic to the right places: your website, your email and more. It’s important to make sure you have full admin access over your domain.
Losing a domain can be tough
Once a domain expires, there’s a short window to renew it, often around 30 days depending on the domain and registrar. After that it’s released to the public, and domain hoarders (yes, it’s a thing) can scoop it up and hold it hostage at a high price.
Owning your domain account means you receive the notifications about upcoming charges, renewals and expiry notices, not a past designer or an old email address nobody checks.
A new domain can wreck your SEO
Registering a new domain after losing the old one can wreck your SEO rankings. It’s like starting from day 1. Every link pointing to your old domain, every Google ranking you’ve earned, and every business card and sign with your web address on it now points somewhere you don’t control.
What you should have access to
Here’s what every business owner should be able to log in to, in their own name:
- Domain registrar account: where your domain is registered and renewed
- DNS settings: often at the registrar or Cloudflare
- Hosting account: where your website files live
- WordPress admin login: an administrator account, not just an editor account
- Business email: the account that runs your @yourbusiness.ca email
- Google Business Profile: you should be an owner, not just a manager
- Google Analytics and Search Console: so your history stays with you
If you’re missing any of these, now is the time to sort it out, while things are still friendly.
How to check if you own your domain
- Look up your domain. Use a WHOIS lookup for .com domains, or CIRA’s lookup for .ca domains. For privacy, many domains hide the owner’s details. That’s normal, but the registrar name tells you where the domain is held.
- Find the account. Ask whoever set up your website which registrar and account your domain is in. Make sure the account is in your name or your business’s name, not theirs.
- Check where renewal emails go. If renewal notices go to someone else’s email address, update the contact email to yours.
What to do if you’re locked out
- Ask in writing. Email your current provider and request your logins, plus your domain’s transfer code (also called an authorization or EPP code).
- Contact the registrar. If you’re the legal owner of the domain, the registrar can help you regain access to it.
- Get advice. If the provider refuses, talk to a lawyer about your contract, and to a web professional about your options.
Even if you can’t get your old website back, protecting your domain comes first. It’s the one piece that’s hardest to replace.
Frequently asked questions
Does my web designer own my website?
It depends on your contract and the platform. With a good agency, you own your domain, hosting and website. Read your contract and ask before you sign.
Can I move my Wix or Squarespace site to another host?
Not the site itself. You can export some content, but the design and setup stay on their platform, so moving usually means rebuilding.
What happens if my domain expires?
There’s a short window to renew it, often around 30 days. After that it can be released to the public and registered by anyone.
Should I pay a fee to cancel or release my website?
You shouldn’t have to. A yearly cancellation or release fee is a red flag. Check your contract before you sign.
Not sure who owns your website?
We’ll check for you. 368 Durham offers free website audits and consultations: we’ll review who owns your domain, hosting and website, flag any risks, and help you take back control. Book your free audit.
