Own your code: 6 things to check before you hire a developer
Who owns your website, your domain and your data is decided before the project starts. Six checks that keep you in control.
Plenty of small business owners discover, years later, that they do not really own their website. The developer registered the domain in their own name, the hosting is on their account, and the site was built on a platform only they can edit. Leaving means starting over. You can avoid this with six checks before you sign anything.
1. The domain is in your name
Your web address should be registered to you or your business, in an account you can log into. The developer can be added as a helper, but you are the owner. ICANN, which oversees domain names, lists the rights every domain registrant has, including the right to move your domain to another registrar.
2. Hosting is on your account, or you can move it
Either the site lives on a hosting account you own, or the developer agrees in writing to move it to yours whenever you ask, at no extra cost.
3. You get the code
Ask for the source code to be handed over at the end, ideally in a code repository you own. Even if you never open it, it means another developer can pick up where the first one stopped. Paying for the work is not always enough: in the US, code written by an outside contractor usually belongs to the contractor unless a written agreement transfers it, as the Copyright Office explains.
4. You have the logins
Make a list of every service the project uses: domain, hosting, email sending, forms, analytics, payment provider. You should have an owner login for each.
5. Your data can be exported
Any app that holds your customers, jobs or orders should let you export everything to a spreadsheet. If the data can only be seen inside the app, you are locked in.
6. It is written down
All of the above belongs in the quote or contract, in plain words. A fixed quote with a written scope is the natural place for it. “Client owns the domain, hosting account, code and data” is one sentence, and it saves a lot of pain later.
Why we do it this way
Every project we hand over includes the code, the logins and a short how-to video. You can keep us on a care plan for updates and small fixes, or take everything elsewhere. Our view is simple: if a client stays, it should be because the work is good, not because leaving is hard. The details are in our pricing and FAQ, or ask for a free audit and we will put it in writing for your project.