Your business should own five things: the domain name, the hosting account, the website files, the admin login, and the Google accounts that measure your traffic. If any of these sit only in your web designer’s name, you depend on that person to keep your website online.
This happens more often than people think. A business owner changes agency and finds the old one will not release the domain. Or the designer who set up Google Search Console has left, and nobody can get in. The checklist below helps you avoid both.
The five things you should own
1. The domain name
Your domain, such as yourcompany.com.my, is your address online. It should be registered with your company as the registrant, and the login for the registrar account should be in your hands.
To check: look up your domain on the registrar’s WHOIS service, or ask your designer which registrar they used and request the login.
2. The hosting account
Hosting is the server where your website lives. The account should be under your company, paid by your company card or invoice, with the designer added as a user if they need access.
If the hosting sits inside the agency’s own account alongside other clients, ask what happens if you leave. Some agencies will migrate your site for you. Others charge a fee or make it difficult.
3. The website files and database
For a WordPress site, this means the files and the database. For a custom-built site, it means the source code. You should be able to download a full backup at any time.
Under section 26(2) of Malaysia’s Copyright Act 1987, copyright in commissioned work is deemed transferred to the person who commissioned it, subject to any agreement between the parties. Your contract can change this, so make sure it says you own the website design and content you paid for. Paid themes and plugins are usually licensed, not owned, and that is normal.
4. The admin login
You should have your own administrator account on the website, not a shared login and not an “editor” account with limited rights. With an admin account, you can add or remove users yourself.
5. Google Search Console, Google Analytics and Google Business Profile
These accounts hold your traffic history and your map listing. Ask your designer to add your company Google account as an owner (not just a user) on each one. Owners can add and remove others. Users cannot.
If a former designer refuses to share Search Console, you can verify the domain yourself through your DNS records, as long as you control the domain. That is one more reason to own the domain first.
Before you pay: questions to ask
- Whose name will the domain be registered in?
- Will the hosting account be in our company name?
- Will we receive the admin login on launch day?
- Who owns the design and content once the project is paid?
- If we move to another provider later, will you hand over a full backup? Is there a fee?
- What is the yearly renewal cost for domain, hosting and maintenance?
Get the answers in writing, ideally in the quotation or contract.
Be careful with full payment upfront
A common complaint on Malaysian forums is paying the full project fee before the site is even live. A fairer structure links payments to milestones, such as a deposit to start, a payment after design approval, and the balance at launch.
After launch: your 10-minute check
Once your site is live, spend ten minutes confirming:
- You can log in to the domain registrar
- You can log in to the hosting account
- You have an admin account on the website
- Your company Google account is an owner on Search Console and Analytics
- You know when the domain and hosting renew, and who pays
Save all logins in a password manager that more than one person in your company can access.
If you are already locked out
If a past designer holds your domain or hosting:
- Ask in writing for the logins or a transfer, and keep a copy
- Check your original quotation or contract for ownership terms
- Contact the domain registrar with proof that the domain belongs to your business
- As a last step, get legal advice
It is slower than getting it right at the start, but most domains can be recovered with the right proof.
For a wider checklist on choosing a provider, see how to choose reliable web design services. Our website maintenance checklist shows what to keep up once you have the logins. If you are planning a new site, bring these six questions to your first meeting with our corporate web design team. For an existing site, our website maintenance service covers backups and updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns my website, me or the web designer?
It depends on your contract and on whose name the domain and hosting are registered in. Under section 26(2) of the Copyright Act 1987, copyright in commissioned work is deemed transferred to the person who commissioned it, subject to any agreement between the parties. Confirm ownership in writing.
How do I check who owns my domain?
Look up the domain on your registrar’s WHOIS service, or ask your designer which registrar they used. The registrant should be your company.
Can my web designer refuse to give me the website?
If the contract gives them ownership or payment is still outstanding, they may try. Clear ownership terms in the contract and paying by milestones reduce this risk.
Should I be an owner or a user on Google Search Console?
An owner. Owners can add and remove other people. If you are only a user, you depend on someone else to manage access.
What happens to my website if my web designer closes down?
If the domain, hosting and admin login are in your name, you can move to another provider. If they are in the designer’s name, recovery is harder, so check ownership now.
