Websites for UK businesses, explained
Who Owns My Website When a Web Designer Builds It?
7 November 2026
When a freelancer or agency builds your website, UK law says the person who creates a work is the first owner of its copyright, unless they made it as your employee. Paying the invoice doesn't change that on its own. So who owns your website when a web designer builds it? Whoever the contract says, as long as the transfer is in writing and signed.
Quick answer: Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 the author of a work is its first owner, unless they made it as an employee. A transfer of copyright only takes effect in writing, signed by or for the person transferring it. Agree ownership in the contract, and register your domain and hosting in your business's name.
Key Takeaways
The author of a work is the first owner of its copyright, unless they made it as an employee.
An assignment of copyright isn't effective unless it's in writing and signed by or for the person assigning it.
Your contract should say who owns the design, the code, the text and the images once you've paid.
Register your domain name in your business's name, not your designer's.
Keep your own admin logins to the domain, hosting and website.
Who owns your website when a web designer builds it: the law
Section 11 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 says that the author of a work is the first owner of any copyright in it. The exception is work made by an employee in the course of their job, which belongs to the employer unless they agree otherwise.
A freelancer or an agency isn't your employee. So unless your contract says otherwise, the copyright in the design, code, text or graphics they create for you starts with them.
How ownership moves to you
Section 90(3) of the Act says an assignment of copyright isn't effective unless it's in writing and signed by or on behalf of the assignor. In plain English, the designer, or someone for them, has to sign a written transfer.
A friendly email saying "it's yours" may not be enough. The safest route is a clause in your contract that assigns the copyright to your business once you've paid in full.
What to agree in the contract
Copyright is only part of it. A website is made of several pieces, and each needs an owner.
Part of the website | What to agree |
|---|---|
Design and layout | Copyright assigned to your business on final payment |
Code and theme | Whether you own it, or have a licence to use it, and whether you can move it |
Text | Who wrote it, and that it's yours to reuse |
Photos and graphics | Whether they're licensed stock, and whether the licence covers your use |
Domain name | Registered in your business's name |
Hosting account | In your business's name, with your own login |
Some parts may never fully belong to you. Ready-made themes, plugins and stock photos are usually licensed, not owned. That's normal, but the contract should say so, and the licences should let you keep using them if you change designer.
Domain names: keep yours in your name
Every .uk domain, including .co.uk, is run by Nominet, and you register it through an accredited registrar. The person or business named as the registrant controls the domain.
If your designer registers it in their own name, getting it back later can be slow. Ask for it to be registered in your business's name from the start, and check who it's registered to now.
Hosting and logins
Ask for the hosting account to be in your business's name, or at least for your own administrator login. The same goes for the website's admin area, your email accounts and Google Search Console. You might also like our article Core Web Vitals Explained.
Keep the logins somewhere safe, such as a password manager, and make sure more than one person in the business can reach them.
Your hosting account is also where your SSL certificate lives. Our guide to HTTPS and SSL certificates explains why it matters.
Questions to ask before you sign
Who will own the design, code and content once I've paid?
Will you register the domain and hosting in my business's name?
Which parts are licensed rather than owned, and can I keep using them if we part ways?
Which accessibility standard do you build to? Our guide to website accessibility law explains why it's worth asking.
What happens if I want to move the site to another designer or host?
Will the site set cookies or use tracking tools? Our guide to cookie banners explains what that means for you.
Ownership is one of six essentials in our business website checklist.
If you have a question, get in touch with our team.
There is more advice on our blog.
Frequently asked questions
I've paid for my website. Don't I own it already?
Not automatically. Under the Act the author is the first owner of copyright, and a transfer has to be in writing and signed. Check your contract or terms.
Does this apply to work by an employee?
No. If an employee makes the work as part of their job, the employer is the first owner of the copyright, unless they've agreed otherwise.
My designer registered my domain in their name. What can I do?
Ask them to transfer it to your business through the registrar. Nominet's lookup tool shows which registrar holds a .uk domain.
Can I own a website built on a ready-made theme?
You can own what's made for you, but a ready-made theme or plugin is usually licensed. Make sure the licence lets you keep using it.
Your next step
Find your website contract and check what it says about ownership. Then check who your domain is registered to.
For the exact wording on assignments, read section 90 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.