Do I own my website?
Not always. A website is three things: the address, the hosting, and the site itself. Each one can be in someone else’s name, even though you paid for it.
You’ll work with Isaac Riehm, founder · Scottsdale, Arizona
The three things you need to own
| The part | What it is | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| The domain | Your web address, like yourbusiness.com, rented by the year. | lookup.icann.org shows the company it’s registered with. The owner’s name is often hidden, so log in to that company to be sure. |
| The hosting | The computer your site runs on, rented by the month or year. | Find out who pays the bill. Whoever holds the account controls the site. |
| The site and its code | The pages, design, pictures, and code that make up the site. | Read your contract with whoever built it. It decides who owns the work. |
Why paying isn’t always owning
In the US, a designer you hire usually owns the design and code they write, unless a written contract gives it to you.
Many agencies and site builders keep your site in their own account. If you leave, the site can stay with them.
Some site builders don’t let you take the site with you at all. You keep your words and pictures, not the site.
This is practical advice, not legal advice. If a contract is in dispute, talk to a lawyer.
Check it yourself
- 1Make a short list: domain company, host, site builder, and email. Next to each, write whose account it’s in.
- 2Try logging in to each one. If you can’t, use “Forgot password” with your business email.
- 3If an account is someone else’s, ask them to add you as an owner or user. Get the answer in writing.
- 4Find the contract or invoice from whoever built the site. Look for “ownership,” “transfer,” or “intellectual property.”
What you can do yourself
- Ask your web person to move the domain into an account in your name. Domain companies have a standard way to do it.
- Ask for the hosting login, or for the site to move to an account you own.
- Ask for a full backup of the site, and keep it somewhere you control.
- Put the domain and hosting bills on your card, so the renewal notices reach you.
How it works with me
- The domain, the hosting, and every account are in your name from day one.
- You add me as a user. I never need your password, and you can remove me when the job is done.
- Once the job is paid, the site and its code are yours. That’s written in the agreement you sign.
- If you stop working with me, nothing has to move.
When to call me
The first call and a look are free. You know the price before any work starts.
- Your web person won’t answer, or won’t hand things over.
- You don’t know what you have or where it is.
- Your site is stuck on a builder you can’t leave.
- You want a site that’s yours from day one.
The first call and a look are free. I can usually tell you where your domain and site live while we talk.
$450Repair or upgrade
Your site is stuck on an old site builder, and it moves to an account in your name.
Half to start, half when it’s done. Done within 5 business days of the deposit and access.
$900Rebuild or new site
You can’t get the old site back. A new site of up to about 5 pages, set up in your name.
Half to start, half when it’s done. Done within 10 business days of the deposit, access, and your photos and words.
Tell me your web address and what you see.
(623) 252-4330Call or text anytime. If I don’t pick up, I’ll call you back the same day.
Questions owners ask
- Can my web designer keep my domain?
- If it’s registered in their name, they control it. Ask them to transfer it to you. If they refuse, a lawyer can tell you your options.
- Can I move my site off a site builder?
- Sometimes. Some builders let you take it with you, and some don’t. When they don’t, the site gets rebuilt somewhere you own.
- What happens if something happens to you?
- You own everything: the program, your data, the accounts, and a written guide to how it works. It is built with common tools any good developer can pick up. You never depend on me alone.