Changing web designers is a normal part of running a business. The risk is in the handover. If you don't have your own logins and ownership sorted before the old designer steps away, you can end up locked out of your own website.
Get these sorted while everyone is still talking.
Ownership
- The domain is registered in your business's name, not the designer's
- You know which registrar it's with, and when it renews
Your own logins
- Domain registrar
- Hosting
- DNS (often with the registrar or a service like Cloudflare)
- Business email admin (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 or similar)
- Website admin (WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace and so on)
Each login should use a business email address you control, with 2-step verification on.
Files and records
- A recent full backup of the website
- Copies of any paid themes or plugin licences, and who pays for them
- Any fonts, images or brand files the designer created for you
Money
- Every renewal (domain, hosting, plugins, email) is billed to the business, not the designer
- You know the next renewal date for each one
After the handover
Change the passwords for any account the old designer had, and remove their access where they no longer need it. Give your new designer their own login rather than sharing yours.
Get the list for your website
Deedbox checks your domain, DNS, email and hosting, then gives you a plain-English action plan and a recovery checklist. Free, no sign-up.