By the proof. team ·
You own your website only if two things are true: your agreement assigns the work to you, and the accounts it runs on are in your name. Many business owners find out they have neither on the day they try to leave.
Why does this go wrong so often?
Because it's faster for a studio to set everything up in its own accounts. The domain goes on the studio's registrar login, the site goes on the studio's hosting plan, and the code lives on someone's laptop. Nobody plans to hold you back. It just happens, and you notice years later, when you want to change vendors and the person who has the password has moved on.
What should be in your name?
Five things. Ask about each one before you sign.
| What | How to check |
|---|---|
| The domain | Log in to the registrar yourself. The account email should be yours, and the registrant should be you or your company. |
| The hosting | The hosting or cloud account should be opened by you, with your card. The studio works as an invited user. |
| The code | Ask where the code lives. It should be in a repository your company owns, with notes on how to run it. |
| Design files and fonts | You should receive the source files, and the agreement should say you own the logo and any typeface made for you. |
| Your data | Form messages, analytics and your CRM should sit in accounts you control. |
What should the agreement say?
Look for a sentence that assigns the work to you once you've paid, for any use. Look for another that says the accounts are in your name from day one, and that you can remove the studio's access at any time. If the studio uses subcontractors, it should also promise that they assign their rights to it, so it can assign them to you.
One limit is normal: a studio keeps the tools and know-how it uses for every client, and gives you a license to use them in your project. Open-source code and open fonts follow their own licenses.
What if you already have a site and aren't sure?
Try to log in to your registrar and your hosting today. If you can't, ask your current vendor to transfer both to accounts you open. It usually takes a few days, and it's much easier to do while the relationship is good.
How we handle it
In every proof. package, your domain, your hosting and your code are in your name from day one, and every file is yours once the project is paid. If you ever leave us, you take everything with you. You can read exactly what's included in Brand + Website.