Do you actually own your business website?
By Harry Norris, Aucta AI · Updated 25 October 2026
Not always. Paying for a website does not automatically make it yours. In the UK the designer usually owns the design and code unless your contract hands it over in writing, and many monthly plans keep the site on the provider's own platform for good. Check who holds your domain, design, Google profile and data, and get it in writing.
On this page
Most business owners only find out what they own when they try to leave. The site goes offline, the web address stays with the old company, or the Google profile they built up for years is suddenly out of reach. This guide shows you what to check, in plain English, so that does not happen to you. If you would rather skip the small print, our custom website you own after 12 months is built around this exact problem.
How much of your website do you actually own?
Tick each statement that is true for you.
The seven parts of a website you may or may not own
"The website" is really several things, and each can belong to a different person.
The domain name
Your web address. If it is registered in your web company's name, they control where your customers end up. It should be in your business's name, with your own login.
The design and code
What the site is actually built from. Many monthly plans run it on their own platform, so you can never take it elsewhere. Ownership only passes to you if the contract says so.
The words and photos
Usually the easiest to keep, but keep your own copies. If the provider wrote the text, check you are allowed to reuse it.
The hosting account
Where the site lives. Fine for your provider to run it, as long as you can move the site out when you choose.
Your Google Business Profile
Often set up by the web company and quietly owned by them. It should belong to your own Google account.
Analytics and Search Console
Your visitor and Google data. You should have your own access, so the history goes with you if you move.
Your business email
If your email runs through the web company's account, leaving can break it. Know where it is set up.
Why paying for it is not the same as owning it
Under UK copyright law, the person or company who creates a design or writes code usually owns the copyright in it, even if you paid them. Ownership only moves to you if your contract assigns it, and an assignment of copyright has to be in writing and signed. Without that, you may only have permission to use the site, not to take it elsewhere. This is general information, not legal advice: if a lot rides on it, have a solicitor read your contract.
The three kinds of monthly website plan
- Rent forever. The site runs on the provider's platform. Stop paying and it goes, often along with the design. Some will hand over your words and photos; few hand over anything else.
- Pay off, then own. You pay for a set term, then the site is yours to keep or move. Leaving early usually means paying the rest of the term.
- Pay upfront. You pay the build in one go and normally own it straight away, as long as the contract says so. Updates and hosting are then charged separately.
None of these is wrong. The problem is not knowing which one you are on. If you are still deciding how to pay, we compare paying monthly against a one-off build, with a calculator for your own quotes.
What to ask before you sign or renew
Copy this, add your name and send it. A good provider will answer every question in a day or two.
Hi, Before I renew (or sign), could you confirm the following in writing? 1. Is my domain name registered in my business's name, and can I have my own login to it? 2. If I leave, can I take a full copy of the website's files and design with me? 3. Does my contract assign copyright in the design and code to me? If so, when? 4. Is my Google Business Profile owned by my own Google account? 5. Do I have my own access to Google Analytics and Search Console? 6. What notice do I need to give to leave, and is there any exit or transfer fee? Thanks,
Warning signs
- !They will not tell you whose name the domain is in.
- !The contract talks about a licence to use the site, but never about it becoming yours.
- !They own your Google Business Profile and you are only a manager.
- !Leaving means a large 'transfer' or 'release' fee that was not mentioned upfront.
- !You cannot get your own login to anything.
We wrote our own plan around these questions. The domain is registered in your business's name. Your Google Business Profile, Analytics and Search Console are set up under your own accounts, with us added as a manager. After 12 months the website is yours.
At that point you choose: stay on £97 a month Website Care for updates and reporting, move to £47 a month hosting only, or take the site with you. If you leave, we hand over the files and help move your domain. No release fee.
Choosing a new site at the same time? Our guide to Next.js vs WordPress for a small business explains the difference between the two most common ways sites are built.
A custom website from £97 a month, yours to keep.
A custom website for £97 a month with nothing upfront, built to be found on Google and AI search, with hosting and small updates included. Yours to keep after 12 months, with everything in your own name from day one.
Common questions
If I pay for a website, do I automatically own it?
Not always. Under UK copyright law, whoever creates the design and code usually owns the copyright, even when you paid for it, unless your contract assigns it to you in writing. Many monthly plans also keep the site on the provider's own platform. Check your contract and ask for the answer in writing.
What happens to my website if I stop paying a monthly plan?
It depends on the provider. Some hand the site over after a set term, some give you your content but keep the design, and some simply switch the site off. Before you sign, ask exactly what you can take with you and what leaving costs.
How do I check who owns my domain name?
Ask your provider which account the domain is registered in and request your own login to it. The registered owner should be your business, not the web company. If they hold it, ask them to transfer it to you.
Who owns my Google Business Profile?
Whoever set it up with their Google account controls it. Make sure your own Google account is the primary owner, and add your web company as a manager rather than the other way round.
Do I own the website with Aucta?
Yes. On our £97 a month plan, the website is yours to keep after 12 months. You can stay with us for updates and hosting, move to hosting only, or take the site with you and we will help you move it.
Copyright rules: Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (see sections 11 and 90 on first ownership and assignment). General information only, not legal advice.