The short version
- Whoever is listed as the registrant holds the domain, not whoever pays the bill.
- Check with a WHOIS lookup (CIRA's for .ca). Your registrar account should be in your business's name, with your email on it.
- Your domain, hosting, website files, content and email are five separate things. Ask about each one.
- Before you leave a developer, get the transfer code, a full backup and every login, and put ownership in writing in any new contract.
If you're asking "who owns my website?", the answer depends on whose name is on each account, not who paid for it. We see it all the time: a business has paid for a site for years, then finds out the domain is registered to the web designer, or to a company that no longer exists.
The quick answer: your domain belongs to whoever is listed as the registrant with the registrar. Look it up with a WHOIS search, then check that you can log in to the registrar account yourself. If you can't, ask your developer to move the domain into an account in your business's name, or to give you the transfer code.
The five things that make up "your website"
People say "my website" like it's one thing. It's actually five, and each one can be owned or controlled by someone different.
| Piece | What it is | Who should control it |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name | Your address, like yourbusiness.ca, rented yearly from a registrar | You, in your business's name |
| Hosting account | The server space where the site lives | You, or a provider with a clear contract |
| Website files and database | The actual site: theme, pages, plugins, settings | You should be able to get a full copy |
| Content | Your text, photos, logo and other material | You |
| you@yourbusiness.ca and your mailbox history | You, in an account you can log in to |
The domain is the most important. Whoever controls it controls where your website and email point. Lose the domain and you can lose both on the same day.
Registrant vs whoever pays the bill
The registrant is the person or company the domain is registered to. That's who legally holds it, and that's who can move it. Paying the renewal fee doesn't make you the registrant.
A lot of designers register domains for clients to save them the hassle. That's fine if they put it in your name. The trouble starts when they register it in their own name, or under their own account with no way for you to log in.
Special rules for .ca domains
The .ca registry is run by CIRA (the Canadian Internet Registration Authority). Its Canadian presence requirements limit who can hold a .ca, including Canadian citizens and permanent residents, corporations formed under Canadian or provincial law, and owners of registered Canadian trademarks (for names that match the mark).
That's another reason the registrant should be your business, not your developer. If your designer is outside Canada and the domain is in their name, things get messy fast.
How to check who owns your domain
- Run a WHOIS lookup. For a .ca, use CIRA's WHOIS lookup. For .com and others, use any registrar's WHOIS tool. You'll see the registrar, the expiry date and, for most businesses, the registrant name.
- Note the registrar. That's the company the domain is registered through, like GoDaddy, Namecheap, Webnames or CanSpace.
- Try to log in. Can you sign in to that registrar yourself? Is your business email on the account? If the answer is no, you don't really control it.
Don't panic if the registrant details are hidden. CIRA gives individuals who register under the citizen or permanent resident category free privacy protection, so their name doesn't show.
Businesses usually show by default, but registrars can sell privacy add-ons. If you can't see it, ask your developer to show you the account.
How to get your domain back from a web designer
Most of the time this is a friendly email, not a battle. Developers move on, retire or just never thought about it. Start nicely.
Option 1: move it within the same registrar
Many registrars let the current account holder push a domain into another account. You open your own account at the same registrar, and the developer moves it to you. No transfer code, no downtime.
Option 2: transfer it to a new registrar
Ask for the transfer code (also called the auth code or authorization code). You start the transfer at the new registrar, enter the code, and confirm by email.
ICANN's transfer policy guide for registrants says only the registered name holder (or someone they authorize) can start a transfer. Registrars either let you create the code or give it to you within five calendar days.
Transfers can also be blocked in some cases, including within 60 days of first registration or a previous transfer, or after a change to the registrant details. .ca domains follow CIRA's rules, but the transfer code idea is the same.
Before you start any transfer
- Make sure the domain isn't about to expire
- Get a copy of all DNS records, especially email (MX) records
- Unlock the domain at the current registrar
- Make sure the registrant email is one you can actually read
If the DNS records don't come across, your email and website can stop working. This is the step people skip. Our guide to switching hosts without losing rankings covers the DNS side.
If they won't cooperate
Ask in writing, keep it polite, set a reasonable date, and check your contract and invoices for anything about ownership. If the domain is in their name and they refuse, you may need legal advice.
Sometimes the faster route is a new domain and a careful move, but that's a last resort.
Hosting, files and content
Hosting
Some developers host your site on their own server as part of a monthly fee. That's normal, and it's how our hosting and care plans work too. What matters is that you can leave with a full copy whenever you want.
Website files
On WordPress, a full backup (files plus database) lets any competent developer rebuild your site on new hosting. On platforms like Wix or Squarespace, the site generally lives inside that platform. You can move the content, but the design usually has to be rebuilt.
Content and photos
Your text, logo and the photos you supplied are yours. Stock photos are licensed, and the licence may belong to the developer. Ask, so you don't end up using images you don't have rights to.
Don't forget your email
Email is the one that really hurts if it goes wrong. If your developer set up your mailboxes on their hosting or in their Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 account, leaving them can mean losing years of mail.
Ask where your email is hosted and who owns that account. If it's not yours, move it into an account in your name first. Our post on Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 can help you pick, and our business email setup handles the move.
What to ask for before you leave a developer
- The registrar name, and the domain moved into your account (or the transfer code)
- A full backup of the website files and database
- Admin logins for the website itself
- Logins or ownership for Google Business Profile, Google Analytics and Search Console
- Access to any ad accounts, with you as owner
- Where your email lives and how to move it
- A list of paid plugins or licences, and who holds them
- DNS records exported, so nothing breaks in the move
What a fair website contract says
A good contract makes this whole article unnecessary. Before you sign, look for plain answers to these:
- The domain is registered in your name, with your email on the account.
- You own the finished site and your content once it's paid for.
- You can get a full backup on request, and when you leave.
- Notice and handover terms are spelled out, including any fees.
- Google and ad accounts are in your name, with the developer added as a user.
Our guide to hiring a company to build your website has more questions to ask before you sign.
Not sure what you actually own?
Send us your web address. We'll check who holds the domain, where the site and email are hosted, and what you'd need to move it all into your name.See our website migration service →