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Who actually owns your website? Check before you need to.

Your domain, hosting, code and logins are business assets. Many businesses only find out who controls them when they try to leave a supplier.

Techwise IQ team · · 2 min read

On this page
  1. What it looks like from the inside
  2. The five things you should own, in your name
  3. A UAE note
  4. What to do this week
  5. Sources

Here's how it usually goes. A designer offers a bundle: design, hosting and "we'll register the domain for you". It's convenient. Years later the relationship goes sour, or the designer disappears, and the business finds out the domain was registered in the designer's name.

This isn't rare. Domain Name Wire, an industry publication, has covered cases of web designers holding client domains "hostage" since at least 2008 [1]. One case from 2015: a Miami chef said his former web firm refused to release his domain after he cancelled the service [2].

What it looks like from the inside

  • UK Business Forums, 2016: a client wanted to move its .com domain away from a former designer. The designer held the domain in their own company's name, refused to release the transfer code, and asked for a fee even though the contract said moving was free. Other members pointed out something worse. Because the designer was the registered owner, even a completed transfer would not make the client the owner [3].
  • Hacker News, 2025: a commenter described projects falling apart because one key thing was never moved into the organisation's name. "A common one is the domain name." Nobody notices until there's a falling-out [4].

The five things you should own, in your name

AssetWhat "owning it" means
Domain nameYou are the registrant (owner) at the registrar, on an account you control. Your supplier can be added as a technical contact.
DNSYou can log in and see where your domain points.
HostingThe account is in your name, or your contract says it moves to you on request.
Code and contentThe contract says you own them once you've paid, and you have a copy.
Admin loginsYou have admin access to the site, analytics, Google Business Profile and email, not just "a user".

A UAE note

.ae domains are run by the .ae Domain Administration (.aeDA), which is part of the TDRA [5]. For co.ae, the name generally has to match a company or trademark that the registrant controls [5][6]. In other words, the registrant should be your business.

What to do this week

  1. Look up your domain at your registrar. Whose name is on it?
  2. Ask your supplier, in writing, for a list of every account they set up for you.
  3. Make sure at least one person in your business has admin access to each one.
  4. Put the logins in a password manager the business owns, not one person's head.

None of this is about distrusting your supplier. Good suppliers are happy to do it, because it's how it should be set up anyway.

When we hand over a project, the accounts are in your name and you get the logins.

Bring us the problem

Sources

  1. Domain Name Wire, "Web designers holding domain names hostage" (2008), opens in a new tab
  2. Domain Name Wire, "Miami chef alleges web designer is holding domain name hostage" (2015), opens in a new tab
  3. UK Business Forums, "Previous web designer holding my client's .com domain name" (2016), opens in a new tab
  4. Hacker News comment (2025-12-30), opens in a new tab
  5. Wikipedia, ".ae", opens in a new tab
  6. AE Server, ".ae domain name policy explained", opens in a new tab
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