Who Owns Your Website? What to Check Before You Pay
You do not automatically own your website. Ownership depends on who registered the domain, whose account holds the hosting, what the contract says about the design and code, and who holds the licences for content and images. Ask for each in writing before you pay, and make sure your name is on the domain and the hosting account.
Contents
- The four things to own
- Free sites and builders
- Questions to ask before you pay
- If you do not own your website
- What to put in a contract
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
The four things to own
| Item | What it is | What to ask | A warning sign |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain | Your web address, such as yourbusiness.co.uk | Is it registered in my name, and do I hold the login? | The supplier registered it in their own name |
| Hosting | The account where the site files and database live | Is the account in my name, and can I move it? | Hosting only available through the supplier |
| Design and code | The theme, templates and custom code | Do I get ownership or a licence, and can I take a copy? | Code you cannot export or reuse |
| Content and images | The text, photos, video and any paid licences | Who owns them, and are licences in my name? | Stock images licensed only to the supplier |
Free sites and builders
On a free website platform you build authority for the platform and not for your own business, and you often cannot move the site elsewhere. Builders can be fine for a simple presence, but check whether you can export your content and keep your domain. See website builder, freelancer or agency.
Want a second pair of eyes? Clariti Digital can review your setup and show you what to fix first.
Questions to ask before you pay
- Who will register the domain, and in whose name?
- Whose account will the hosting be in, and who holds the login?
- Will I own the design and code, or only a licence? Can I get a copy?
- Who owns the written content and the photos?
- Are there any paid plugins or licences, and in whose name are they?
- What happens to the site if I stop paying monthly fees or leave?
- Is all of this in the written contract?
UK guides advise that everything created for your business should belong to you.
If you do not own your website
- Find out who the domain is registered to, using a domain lookup, and check your hosting account.
- Ask the supplier in writing for the domain transfer, the hosting login and a full copy of the files and content.
- Read your contract for ownership and notice terms before you escalate.
- Keep copies of every request.
- If the supplier will not help, take advice from a solicitor.
What to put in a contract
- The domain is registered in your name, with you as registrant and administrator.
- You hold the hosting account or have full access and a right to move it.
- You own or have a perpetual licence to the design, code and content, and can take a copy.
- Any paid licences are in your name.
- Notice terms and fees for leaving are stated.
For price ranges and what else to compare, read what a small business website costs in the UK, and for how we build sites, see website design for local businesses.
Frequently asked questions
Do I own my website if an agency built it?
Not automatically. It depends on the contract and on who registered the domain and holds the hosting. Ask for ownership of each in writing.
Who should own my domain name?
You should, with your name or business as the registrant and your own login.
Can a supplier hold my website hostage?
If the domain, hosting or code is in their name, it can be hard to leave. That is why ownership should be agreed before you start.
Do I own the photos and text?
Only if the contract says so. Check who owns the written content and the licences for stock images.
What if I use a website builder?
Check whether you can export your content, and keep your domain registered in your own name.
Sources
- Kwiboo, How much does a website cost in the UK? A 2026 breakdown, checked 11 October 2026.
- Whito, How to choose an SEO agency in the UK, checked 11 October 2026.
- Pasko, How much does a website cost in the UK? 2026 guide, checked 11 October 2026.
Sam, Editor at Clariti Digital.
Related guides
- Website design for local businesses: What a local business website should include and how to judge a quote.
- Builder vs freelancer vs agency: How to choose between a website builder, a freelancer and an agency.
- Small business website cost UK: What a website costs and what to ask before you sign.
Need help with this?
Clariti Digital is a UK digital growth agency for established local businesses. We start with a diagnostic, then fix what holds back visibility, enquiries and trust. Call +44 7435 063827 or email sam@claritidigital.com.