How to make sure you own your domain name

Every so often, a business owner calls us in a panic. Their website is down, their email has stopped working, and the developer who set everything up has stopped answering the phone. When we start digging, we often find the same root problem: the business doesn’t actually control its own domain name.

The good news is that this is almost always preventable. Here’s how it usually happens, and how to make sure it never happens to you. (Not sure how domains, hosting and email fit together? Start with Making sense of domains, emails, websites and hosting.)

A typical scenario

• A business hires a web developer, who registers the domain name, sets up hosting and builds the website. Everyone is happy.
• Months or years later, something breaks. Email goes down, the website shows an error, or the domain is about to expire.
• The business tries to reach the developer by email, phone and support tickets, but gets no response for days, weeks or longer.
• A new developer looks into it and discovers the domain was registered in the old developer’s name, inside the old developer’s own account.
• Getting the domain back now depends on the old developer’s cooperation, and that can take a long time, if it happens at all.

Once we regain control of a domain, we move it into the client’s own registrar account, send them the login, and recommend they change the password to something even we don’t know. It’s their domain, and they should hold the keys.

How to make sure you own your domain

• Already stuck? Contact your registrar. If your developer won’t respond, the company where your domain is registered can explain how to prove your business owns it and get it transferred to you.
• Register the domain in your own name. If someone registers it for you, make sure your business is listed as the registrant (owner) and that the domain lives in a registrar account you control.
• Keep your login and contact email current. Use an email address you’ll always have access to, turn on two-factor authentication, and store the login somewhere safe.
• Turn on auto-renew and registrar lock. Auto-renew prevents an accidental expiration, and a registrar lock helps prevent unauthorized transfers.
• Check who’s listed as the owner. You can look up your domain’s registration details at ICANN Lookup. Many registrants are now hidden for privacy, so your registrar account is the best place to confirm.
• Get access to your hosting account, too. Even if your developer manages hosting for you, make sure you know where your website lives and how to reach it.
• Vet your web developer. Look for real testimonials with real names, a published phone number and people you can actually talk to.

How we handle it

When we register a domain for a client, it goes in the client’s name and their own account. If you’re in a situation like the one above, or you’re just not sure who controls your domain, contact us. We’re happy to help you sort it out, even if we didn’t build your website.

Most web professionals really do care about their clients. A little caution up front simply makes sure the most important piece of your online presence always stays in your hands.