Do you actually own your website?

The four things to own

1. The domainRegistered in your business’s name, in an account you can log into. This one is non-negotiable; without it, you can lose your web address and your email at the same time.
2. The contentYour words, photos and logo. You should get copies, and the right to use them anywhere.
3. The design and codeSome agencies license the site to you while you pay them, and keep it if you leave. Others transfer it on final payment. Know which before you sign.
4. The accountsSearch Console, Google Business Profile, analytics, social accounts and any payment or booking accounts, in your name with you as owner.

Questions for the contract

• Who owns the site’s code and design after final payment?
• If I leave, what do I get, and in what form? A copy of the code, an export of the content, the database?
• Is there a minimum term or a fee to leave?
• Who is the registered owner of the domain?
• Are there third-party licenses (themes, plugins, fonts, photos) that end if I leave?

If you’re already locked in

Ask in writing for the domain to be moved to your own registrar account and for an export of your content. Most designers will cooperate. If a domain has been lost or is being held, our domain recovery service documents exactly how and what your options are.