Small Business Guides Ownership & access
Who actually owns my website and domain?
A lot of business owners only ask this question when they need to change something — switch supplier, update an email address, or move hosting — and discover they don't actually have the login for their own domain. It's more common than you'd expect, and it's entirely fixable.
This isn't usually anyone's fault. It just means nobody explained clearly who should hold what, early on.
Ownership & accessThe one field most owners can't answerIf you don't have this login, it's worth checking sooner rather than later.
Several separate things, often confused as one
Your website is actually several accounts.
Domain name
The web address itself — yourbusiness.co.uk.
Domain registrar
The company the domain name is registered with.
DNS
The settings that point your domain to your website and email.
Hosting
Where the actual website files live and run from.
Website platform
The system the site is built on or managed through.
Website files & content
The pages, images and text that make up the site itself.
Email hosting
Where your @yourbusiness.co.uk email actually runs.
Google account
Often tied to Search Console, Analytics and your Business Profile.
Analytics account
Where your website's visitor data is stored.
Search Console
Google's own tool for how your site performs in search.
Google Business Profile
Your listing in Google Maps and local search results.
SSL certificate
What keeps the connection to your site secure.
Not alarmist — just practical
You should be able to walk away, if you ever need to.
None of this is about assuming bad intent. Most suppliers set things up sensibly. But if your domain, hosting or key accounts are registered in someone else's name — a previous developer, an old agency, a freelancer who's moved on — making a simple change later can become far more complicated than it needs to be.
Keeping access to the important accounts in your own name means you can change supplier, fix a problem, or make an update whenever you need to, without being dependent on someone else being reachable.
Worth checking today, not during a crisis
What you should know or have access to.
Your domain name and who it's registered with
The exact registrar it sits with, even if you've never logged in.
The login for that registrar account
Or confirmation that the account is genuinely in your name.
Who your hosting is with, and how to log in
The company your website files actually live on.
Admin access to your website itself
Not just viewing it — the ability to actually change it.
The Google account your business is connected to
Often the account underneath several of the tools below.
Access to your Analytics account
So visitor data belongs to the business, not one person.
Access to Search Console
Google's own diagnostic tool for how your site is found.
Ownership of your Google Business Profile
Your listing in Maps and local search — genuinely valuable to control.
Common, reasonable concerns
Straightforward answers, no drama.
Thinking about a new website and want to get this right from the start?
Plan your websiteWhat if my previous supplier registered my domain in their name?
It's worth asking them directly for the transfer details — most will cooperate without issue. If you're not sure who registered it, a WHOIS lookup on your domain name will usually show the registrar, which is a starting point for finding out.
Does Built by Clare keep ownership of client websites?
No. Domains, hosting and accounts are set up in the client's own name as standard practice, with the client retaining access throughout and after the project.
Not sure what you currently have access to?