“Do I own my website?” comes down to four things: the domain name, the hosting, the site’s design and content, and the logins. If the domain is registered to you, you have the admin logins and you can get a full copy of the site, you’re in a good position to move it when you choose. If any of those are in someone else’s name, it’s worth sorting out now, while everyone’s on good terms.
It’s one of the questions people ask us before they book, so here’s how each part works and how to check it. This is general information to help you ask the right questions, not legal advice.
1. Your domain name
Who it’s registered to, and why that should be you
You don’t buy a domain name outright. You register it for a set period and keep renewing it, and whoever is named as the registrant is the one who holds it. That should be your business, with an email address you control, so renewal reminders come to you, and nobody can move it without you knowing.
It’s common for a web designer to register a domain on a client’s behalf to save them the hassle. That’s fine, as long as it’s registered in your name, not theirs.
How to check who holds your domain
The quickest way is to log in to the account where the domain is registered and see whose name is on it. If you don’t know where that is, you can look the domain up: Nominet’s lookup for addresses ending in .uk, and ICANN Lookup for .com and other generic endings. Personal details are often hidden for privacy, but you’ll usually see which company the domain is registered with, which tells you where to start.
Keep it renewed
If a renewal is missed, the domain can lapse and someone else could register it. Put renewals on auto-renew with a payment card that won’t expire soon, and make sure the reminders go to an inbox someone reads.
2. Your hosting
Renting, not owning
Hosting is the space on a server where your website’s files live, so people can see it. It’s a service you pay for, like a phone contract, rather than something you own. That’s normal. What matters is that you can get your site out if you ever need to.
What to make sure you have
- Access: a login to the hosting account, or a clear way to ask for a full copy of your site at any time.
- Backups: regular backups kept somewhere other than the server itself, and a way to restore them.
- A way out: if you leave, you should be able to take a complete copy of your site’s files and database with you. Ask what that involves before you sign.
3. The design, the code and the words
Who owns copyright to start with
This is where most of the confusion comes from. Under UK law, copyright in a piece of work usually belongs to whoever created it. If one of your own employees builds your website or writes your copy as part of their job, your business usually owns it. But if you pay a freelancer or an agency to create it, they own the copyright to begin with, unless you’ve agreed otherwise in writing.
The Intellectual Property Office explains this well in its own post, Do I own my website?: paying for the work isn’t the same as owning it, so it’s worth putting a contract in place before the work starts.
Getting it transferred to you in writing
To move copyright from the designer to you, the transfer has to be in writing and signed by the person who owns it. Without that, a court might still decide you’re allowed to use the site for the purpose you paid for, but that may only be a permission to use it, not ownership. The GOV.UK guide to who owns copyright goes through the details, and the rule itself is in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
So the simple fix is a written agreement, signed by your designer, that says the design, code and content become yours once the project is paid for.
Photos, fonts and plugins: licensed, not owned
Some parts of any website are never owned by you or your designer, because they’re used under a licence. Stock photos and most fonts come with licence terms that say how they can be used. WordPress itself is free software released under the GPL, which means anyone can use and change it. Paid plugins and themes usually come with a licence tied to whoever bought them, so ask whose account they’re in and whether they can be moved to you.
4. The logins that matter
Make sure you, not just your designer, can get into each of these:
- The domain registrar: where your domain is registered and renewed.
- Hosting: where the site lives.
- WordPress (or whatever your site runs on): an administrator login of your own.
- Google Search Console and your Google Business Profile: in Search Console you should be a verified owner, and on your Business Profile an owner, not only a user or manager. On both, owners control who else has access, and only owners can add or remove people.
- Analytics and email: whoever set them up, make sure the accounts are in your business’s name.
If you work with an agency on your SEO too, the same applies. Our guide to choosing an SEO agency explains why those accounts should stay yours.
5. What to ask your web designer before you sign
- Will the domain be registered in my business’s name?
- Once the site is paid for, will I own the design, code and content? Is that in writing?
- Will I get an administrator login, and the logins for the domain and hosting?
- What’s licensed rather than owned (photos, fonts, plugins), and whose name are those licences in?
- If I want to move my site elsewhere one day, what do I get and how long does it take?
These sit well alongside the other questions worth asking a web design company, and they’re worth adding to your website brief.
6. How it works when we build your site
Our clients have always owned their sites once they’re paid for. When a site goes live, you get the logins to your website and a short guide to running it, and if we host it for you, the site is backed up every day.
Get it in writing before you start
If you’re not sure who owns your website today, start with the domain lookup and the logins above. Ownership problems usually come down to something nobody wrote down. A short agreement that says who holds the domain, who owns the design and content once it’s paid for, and what you get if you leave saves a lot of trouble later.
If you’re planning a new site, have a look at the websites we build.
If you’re already in a dispute over a website or domain, speak to a solicitor. For addresses ending in .uk, there’s also a formal dispute resolution service, which has been run for Nominet by WIPO since July 2026.
You can email us at hello@thesocialbay.co.uk, fill in our start a project form, or call or message us on 07441 918230.
Frequently asked questions about website ownership
Does my web designer own my website?
They may own the copyright in the design, code and content to begin with, unless your agreement transfers it to you in writing. The domain belongs to whoever is named as the registrant. Check your contract and your logins, and ask for anything that’s missing.
Who legally owns a domain name?
Whoever is named as the registrant holds it, for as long as it’s renewed. If your web designer registered it in their own name, ask them to move it to yours.
What’s the difference between a domain and hosting?
The domain is your address on the web, like yourbusiness.co.uk. Hosting is the server space where your site’s files live. You register the domain and rent the hosting, and they can be with different companies.
Can my web designer keep my website if I leave?
The domain is yours if it’s in your name. The design and content depend on what your agreement says about copyright. If there’s nothing in writing and you can’t agree, speak to a solicitor.
Do I own the photos on my website?
Photos your staff took as part of their job usually belong to the business. Photos taken by a photographer you hired usually stay theirs unless they’ve transferred the rights in writing. Stock photos are licensed, not owned, so you can use them on the terms of the licence.