It is common for a developer or agency to register a company's domain and hosting under their own account "to keep things simple". It works until it doesn't: the person changes jobs, a renewal email goes to an inbox nobody reads, and one morning your website and email stop working.
Why ownership matters
Your domain is your address on the internet. Your email, your website and often your logins to other services depend on it. Whoever controls the domain account controls all of that, legally and practically.
The checklist
- Domain registrant. Look up your domain in a WHOIS or RDAP service. The registrant organisation should be your company.
- Registrar account. You should have your own login at the company where the domain is registered, with a company email address you control.
- Renewal. Check the expiry date and turn on auto-renew with a valid payment method.
- Hosting or cloud account. The account should be in your company's name, with billing you can see.
- DNS. Know where your DNS is managed. That is where email and website records live.
- Email admin. If you use Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 or another provider, at least one admin login should belong to someone inside your company.
- Backups. Ask where backups are stored, how often they run and when a restore was last tested.
If something is in someone else's name
Don't panic, and don't start with an argument. Ask your developer to transfer the domain to an account in your name, or to add you as the owner. Registrars have a standard transfer process using an authorisation code. Move one thing at a time and check that the website and email still work after each step.
Keep a simple access document
Write down where each account lives, which email address it uses and who has access. Store passwords in a password manager, not in a chat. Review the list once a year, or whenever someone with access leaves.
A good technology partner will be happy to work this way. Access you control is not a sign of mistrust; it is basic housekeeping.