If your web designer won't give you access to your website, you're not alone. It's one of the most common problems small businesses hit when they want to change providers. Sometimes the designer has moved on. Sometimes they're holding the logins over an unpaid bill.
A website is really three separate things: the domain name, the hosting, and the website files and content. Each one has a different owner on paper, and a different way to get it back.
This guide takes them in order of importance. The domain comes first, because whoever controls it controls your email and where customers land.
1. Find out who holds what
Look up your domain in a WHOIS tool. For a .com.au domain, use the WHOIS lookup on the auDA website. It shows the registrar the domain is held with, and for .au domains, the registrant, which is the business or person who holds the licence.
- Registrant is your business: good news. You hold the domain, even if the designer set it up.
- Registrant is the designer's business: harder, but still fixable. See step 4.
- Hosting: check old invoices and emails for the hosting company's name.
2. Ask in writing, once, clearly
Send one short, polite email listing exactly what you need: the domain transfer code, the hosting login, and a full copy of the website files and database. Give a reasonable deadline, such as seven days. Keep it factual. A written request is useful later if you need to escalate.
If there's a genuine unpaid invoice, settling it is often the fastest way out, even if you dispute part of it.
3. Get the domain transfer code yourself
You don't need the designer to move a domain you hold. For .au domains, auDA says the transfer code (also called the authInfo code or domain password) is sent to the registrant contact email in the .au registry. You can request it from the registrar, or use auDA's password recovery tool at pw.auda.org.au.
- Give the code to your new registrar. auDA says moving a .au domain between registrars costs nothing and takes up to three days once approved.
- For .com domains, ICANN says your registrar must give you the code within five calendar days of asking.
- Note ICANN's 60-day lock: changing the registrant name or email on a .com can block a transfer for 60 days.
4. If the domain is in the designer's name
Moving a domain to a new registrant is a change of registrant, which is a different process to a transfer. Both parties usually have to agree, and the new holder must meet the .au eligibility rules. Contact the registrar, explain the situation and ask what evidence they need, such as invoices showing you paid for the domain.
If that fails, auDA has a complaints process. Legal advice is worth getting at this point if the domain carries years of business history.
5. Get a copy of the website itself
Here's the uncomfortable part. Under Australian copyright law, the creator of commissioned work like website code generally owns the copyright unless a written agreement says otherwise. Your text, photos and logo are usually yours, but the site's code and design may not be.
Check your original quote, invoice or contract for anything about ownership or handover. If there's nothing in writing, you can still save your own content: copy your page text, download your images and note every page address so you can redirect them later.
6. Decide whether to recover or rebuild
Once you hold the domain, you're no longer stuck. You can point it at a new website whenever you're ready. If the old site is dated anyway, rebuilding with your own content is often faster than a long dispute over files you may not own.
Keep your email working through the switch. Your domain's email records need to be copied across before the domain moves, or email can stop.
7. Make sure it never happens again
- Domain in your business name: with your own email as the registrant contact.
- Your own logins: an account for the registrar and the hosting, with the designer added as a user, not the owner.
- Ownership in writing: a clause saying the website and its content belong to you once paid.
- A list you keep: where the domain, hosting, email and backups live.
Every website Lumeen builds is built from scratch for your business and belongs to you. Our FAQ explains how moving from an old provider works.
Key takeaways
- (01)
A website is three things: domain, hosting and files. Get the domain back first.
- (02)
If your business is the registrant, you can get the .au transfer code yourself through auDA's recovery tool.
- (03)
Copyright in website code usually stays with the designer unless a written agreement says otherwise.
- (04)
Keep the domain in your name, your own logins, and ownership in writing from day one.
Frequently asked questions
Can a web designer legally keep my website?
They can often keep the code and design they created, because the creator generally holds copyright unless a written agreement transfers it. Your own content and a domain registered to your business are a different matter.
How do I get my .com.au domain back from my web designer?
Check the WHOIS record on auDA's site. If your business is the registrant, request the transfer code from the registrar or through pw.auda.org.au, then give it to a new registrar. The transfer is free.
What if my web designer has disappeared?
Contact the domain registrar and the hosting company directly. If your business is the registrant or the account is in your name, they can help you regain access with proof of identity and payment.
Will I lose my Google rankings if I rebuild the site?
Not if the move is planned. Keep the same domain, note every old page address, and redirect each one to its new page on launch day.
More answers on price, hosting and timing in our FAQ.