Who owns my website if someone else built it?
It is one of the most important questions in web design, and almost nobody asks it until they want to leave. Here is what you should own, and what to check before you sign.
You should own your domain, your content, your design and your code. Some designers and website builders keep the code or host it on their own account, so you cannot take it with you. With us, you own all of it once the final invoice is paid: the code sits in a private repository that belongs to you, and the site runs on your own domain. Hosting and domain fees are paid by you directly, so nobody can hold the site hostage.
Your domain name, the words and pictures, the design, and the code that makes the site work. If any of these belongs to the designer, you are renting the site, not owning it.
Who owns the code and the design when it is finished? Whose name is the domain registered in? Can I take the site somewhere else, and what does it cost? Get every answer in writing.
Template builders and some agencies host your site on their own account and charge you monthly. If you stop paying, the site disappears, because it was never yours to move.
Every site we build is written in code and stored in a private GitHub repository that belongs to you. It is hosted on Vercel or Netlify, and the site runs on your own domain. Everything is agreed in a signed contract before we start.
Because the code is yours, any developer can take it on. You do not need our permission, though we are happy to help.
If you want to change words and images without a developer, we can build you a simple editor that you also own. See our CMS service.
Questions, answered
Do I own my domain?
Your site goes live on your own domain, and domain and hosting fees are yours to pay directly. That keeps control with you, not with us.
Can I move my site to another developer?
Yes. The code is yours, in a private repository you own, so any developer can pick it up.
What happens if I stop working with you?
Nothing happens to your site. It is yours and keeps running. Ongoing SEO and support run on a rolling plan with 30 days’ written notice, so you can stop after the minimum term.
Do you use WordPress or a template?
We usually hand-code sites, with no WordPress and no off-the-shelf template. Read custom website or WordPress for the honest comparison.
Want a website that is truly yours?
Book a free 20-minute call. No pitch, one project at a time, direct access to Yekta.
Book a free 20-minute call