You cannot get into your own website
It is a common story: a nephew, a former employee or a designer set up the site, and the logins left with them. The site still runs, but you cannot change it, and the domain may not be in your name.
What to do first
- Find out who holds the domain
- A public lookup shows which registrar holds your domain and when it expires. The /start page runs that lookup when you type in your domain.
- Ask the registrar, not the builder
- If you can prove the business is yours, a registrar can often move the domain to you. Each one has its own process.
- Watch the expiry date
- If the domain expires while nobody can log in, someone else can register it. Find the date before you do anything else.
- Next time, in your name
- Every site I build runs on a hosting account and domain in your name, with full access. If I stop, you keep everything.
What the free check looks for
The free check reads your front page in a few seconds. These are the results that matter most here.
- No page title or meta description, often a sign the site was set up once and never changed.
- Plain HTTP, common on sites that nobody maintains.
- No structured data, which a site in your control can add.
Run the free check. The full review goes through every page for $9.
What you get, and what it costs
- You pay what you think the site is worth, from $100. It is the same site at every price.
- Every account, from the domain to the hosting, is in your name.
- It loads fast, works on every phone, and works with a screen reader and a keyboard.
- No trackers, and nothing about your customers is sold.
- If you want me to keep it safe and current, the care plan is $9 a month. It is optional.
Questions
- Can you get my old site back?
- I can help you find who holds the domain and the hosting. Getting access back is up to those companies, and depends on what proof you have.
- Can I keep the site going while this is sorted out?
- Yes. A new site can be built and online before the domain moves. When you control the domain, it points at the new site.
- How do I stop this happening again?
- Keep every login in your own name and your own email, and keep a copy somewhere safe. Give others their own access, not yours.
See what your site needs
Start with the free check of the site you have. If you have no site yet, tell me about your business and I will reply.