Your website domain is owned by whoever is named as the registrant when it was registered. That should be you or your business, but often it’s the web designer, an old employee or an agency that set it up years ago. You can check in a couple of minutes with a WHOIS lookup, or by logging into the account where it’s registered.
It matters more than it sounds. Whoever controls the domain controls your website address and, usually, your business email.
Why it matters
- Your email runs on it. If the domain lapses, email to you@yourbusiness.co.uk stops arriving.
- Your Google ranking is tied to it. Years of reviews and links point at that address.
- You can’t leave without it. If your designer owns the domain, moving to someone else means asking their permission, or starting again on a new address.
- If it isn’t renewed, someone else can buy it. Expired domains with a history are snapped up and reused.
How to check who owns your domain
Look it up
- For .uk domains (including .co.uk), use the Nominet WHOIS search. For individuals, the name may be hidden for privacy, but it will show which company the domain is registered through, called the registrar, and when it expires.
- For .com and other domains, use a lookup such as ICANN Lookup. Personal details are usually hidden, but the registrar and expiry date are shown.
Find the account
The registrar is the company that holds your domain: names like 123 Reg, GoDaddy, IONOS or Namecheap, or your web host. Check whether you have a login there. If you pay a renewal bill for your domain, that’s where it is.
Check the name on it
Once logged in, look at the registrant or owner details. It should be your name or your business. If it’s your designer or an agency, ask them to change it.
How to get your domain back
Start by asking. Most designers will transfer it if asked politely. How it works depends on the ending:
- .uk and .co.uk domains move between registrars by changing something called the IPS tag. Your new registrar tells you which tag to use, and the current holder changes it. If you just need the owner changed, the registrar can update the registrant details, which Nominet may ask to be confirmed.
- .com and most others move with an authorisation code (sometimes called an EPP code). The current holder unlocks the domain and gives you the code, and your new registrar starts the transfer.
If the person who registered it won’t hand it over, or can’t be found, Nominet has a dispute resolution service for .uk domains. It’s worth knowing about, but most cases never get that far.
It’s not just the domain
While you’re checking, find out who controls the rest:
| What | Why it matters | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | Your address and email | Registered in your name, renewing automatically |
| Hosting | Where the site lives | You have a login, or know who does |
| Website files | The site itself | You can get a copy or a backup |
| Your business email accounts | You have admin access | |
| Google Business Profile | Your listing on Maps | You’re an owner, not just a manager |
| Analytics and Search Console | Your visitor data | You have owner access |
Write the logins down somewhere safe, and keep the list up to date when people change. If you’ve already lost access, website rescue covers getting you back in.
Before you pay anyone for a website
Ask who will own the domain, the site and the logins. The answer should be you, in writing. I cover this and other questions to ask in how much does a website cost in the UK?
Not sure what state your website is in? The free website check looks at its speed, phone performance and security certificate, and explains what it finds in plain English.
