What you should own
| Asset | Should be in your name | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | The registrant record and the registrar account | A designer or agency listed as registrant |
| Hosting | The hosting account and billing | Sites on an agency's shared account |
| Website code and design | Transferred to you in writing | Contracts that license use but keep ownership |
| Content and photos | Yours, or licensed for your use | Stock images licensed to the agency, not you |
| Analytics and ads | GA4, Search Console and ad accounts | Accounts created under the agency's email |
Why the contract matters
Under U.S. copyright law, work an independent contractor creates usually belongs to the contractor unless both sides sign a written agreement transferring it. That covers website code and design. A contract that says "you own the website" protects you. A contract that says nothing leaves room for a dispute later.
Some agencies build sites on their own platform and license it to you. That can work, but leaving then means rebuilding.
Our approach
You own every asset from day one. We set up the domain, hosting, analytics, Search Console and ad accounts in your name and work inside them. If you ever leave, you keep everything, with no transfer fees or delays.
Good example. A roofing company's contract states it owns the site's code, design and content. Every account sits under its own business email, with the agency added as a user.
Bad example. The same company finds out after canceling that its agency owns the site, the domain and its Google Ads history.
Check your setup today
- Look up who your domain's registrant is.
- Log in to your hosting account yourself.
- Confirm you are the owner in GA4 and Search Console.
- Find the ownership clause in your web contract.
Read can you transfer a domain. Our web design work comes with full ownership in writing.