Ask before the build
- Which finished files and materials are included?
- What rights will you have to move and modify them?
- When do those rights take effect?
- Are any tools or assets used under another licence?
Website ownership explained
When you buy a website, what is actually yours?
“You own your website” sounds simple until you need to move it. Your domain registration, the words and images on the pages, the code and design, the hosting account and the logins are separate things. A good agreement explains each one before payment.
Five things to separate
The website is more than one asset.
Start with the connections below, then open the questions about files, rights and ongoing services. Ask for written answers when comparing a one-off build with a subscription, especially if a provider says the website is “all yours”.
- 01
Website files
Request the completed site, source files and asset notes.
New hostDeploy and test the copy. - 02
Your domain
Keep access to the registrar and renewal details.
Web connectionPoint the domain at the new host. - 03
Business email
Identify its provider and existing mail settings.
Mail continuityCheck email still sends and arrives.
Also check third-party fonts, images, forms and booking tools. Their licences or accounts may need separate arrangements.
Questions to ask about files, rights, licences and renewal
Swipe sideways to see all columns
| Part of the site | What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Domain registration | Who is the registrant, who can access the registrar account, and who pays for renewal? | Moving web hosting should not mean losing the business address people know. |
| Website files | Will you receive the built site, source files and any necessary instructions when the project is complete or hosting ends? | A screenshot or live link is not a portable copy of a website. |
| Words, design and code | What rights does the written agreement give you to use, edit, copy and move the work? | Paying for a commissioned work does not automatically settle every copyright question. |
| Images, fonts and tools | Which items are yours, licensed from someone else, or tied to a particular service? | Third-party licences may limit transfer or continued use elsewhere. |
| Hosting and email | What does the monthly fee cover? Are web hosting, domain renewal and business email separate? | You may cancel one service while needing the others to continue. |
For a .uk domain, Nominet distinguishes the registrant from the registrar and provides account services for registrants to manage a domain. See Nominet's domain services. Domain arrangements vary by suffix and provider, so check the actual registration details rather than relying on a sales phrase.
The legal point
Commissioning work does not answer copyright on its own.
The UK Intellectual Property Office says that, for commissioned copyright work, the creator is generally the first owner unless there is a different written agreement. An agreement can transfer rights or grant a licence, and third-party material may be governed by separate terms.
Keep a handover record
- Your signed agreement and final page list.
- Domain registrar and renewal details.
- Website file copy and asset licence notes.
- Names of providers for hosting, email and forms.
Read the Intellectual Property Office guidance on commissioned work and its explanation of copyright transfers. This guide is a buyer checklist, not advice about the legal effect of a particular contract.
What leaving should look like
Plan the exit while everyone is getting along.
Ask how to request a copy of the site, whether it can run on another host, and what needs replacing if a licensed tool is tied to the current provider. Confirm who will change DNS settings and how business email will stay working during a move.
If your old provider owns the registrar account or a page builder account, collect the access and export details before cancelling. Our provider handover guide gives you a request to send and checks for domain, email and URL continuity. If an existing site is being replaced, make an inventory of important URLs and forms too. Our redesign checklist covers the new site's content and launch.
Keep copies of important content and assets in a place your business controls. That makes a later update or handover less dependent on one person's inbox.
The UpOnUp arrangement
Your site can come with you.
Once your build is paid in full, the finished website and project files are yours under our published service terms. You can request a copy, including if you end our hosting, and arrange another host. Your domain and existing email remain under your control. Read the scope and terms before ordering.
Keep the finished project.
Your build includes planning, writing, original design and responsive development for up to 25 agreed pages, with two consolidated refinement rounds. After full payment, you own the finished website and project files, subject to third-party licences.
Choose your hosting arrangement.
Our optional hosting is arranged separately, with no minimum term. The first charge is one calendar month after launch. Ending it does not take away your right to request the website files.
Request your files.
Cancel before the next renewal and ask for the project copy. Third-party fonts, software and images remain subject to their own licence terms.
Our service terms are the source for the UpOnUp arrangement. Read them before buying and ask if a particular asset, integration or handover format matters to you.