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Who owns our website files, domain, and DNS?

You should own all three. Here is what to confirm before and after a build.

You should own your domain, your DNS, your content, and your website, full stop. If any of those sit in an agency's account rather than yours, you do not have a vendor, you have a hostage situation waiting to happen.

The three things people confuse

  • The registrar is where your domain name is registered and renewed. It should be an account in your company name, with your billing card, and at least two of your people able to log in.
  • DNS is the phone book that points your domain at things. An A record points a name at a server's IP address. A CNAME points one name at another name, which is how most modern platforms connect a subdomain. MX records route your email, which is why careless DNS work can take down your inbox along with your site.
  • The site itself is the templates, pages, images, and copy. Your CMS account should be in your name with you as a super admin, and we should have access as a partner or added user.

What to confirm, before and after

Before a build starts, confirm you can log in to the registrar and that the domain is not set to expire during the project. Confirm who controls DNS and whether email runs through the same zone. Ask, in writing, that the new CMS or hosting account be created in your company's name.

After launch, log in to everything yourself once. Not a screenshot, an actual login. Registrar, DNS, CMS, analytics, Search Console, and the ad accounts. Then turn on registrar lock and auto renew, and set the domain expiration reminder to an address more than one person reads.

If you are leaving a vendor

Ask for four things: the registrar login or an authorization code to transfer the domain, admin access to the DNS zone, an export or admin access to the site and its content, and the original source files for the logo and brand assets. A professional vendor hands these over without drama. Resistance tells you everything about why you are leaving.

We take the position that clients should be able to run their own website and should not be married to us. That is also why we build on platforms a marketing person can actually edit. A site you cannot change without calling an agency is a retention strategy, not a service.

Related: Do you offer website maintenance after launch?, How do I get started with LevelUp Digital?, Who handles hosting, SSL, and updates after launch?, and contact us.