Can I move my website away from the agency that built it?

If the domain, hosting, and admin login are in your name, yes, at any time. If they are not, request the transfer in writing first. Sites we build are delivered on that basis.

Does the agency need to own the ad account to run it?

No. Meta and Google both allow an agency to manage an account it does not own through partner or manager access. Ownership should stay with your business.

Will I be able to update the website without a developer?

Yes, if it is built for it. We build on WordPress with editable pages and hand over with training, so routine updates do not need us.

Guide · Ownership

Who owns your website, domain, and ad accounts?

Last reviewed: 14 September 2026 · The Alrasly Consultancy team

The short answer

Your business should own all of them: the domain registered in your name, hosting in your account, admin access to the website, the Google Analytics and Tag Manager properties, and the Meta and Google ad accounts owned by your business with the agency added as a partner. If any of these sit in a supplier's name, you can lose them the day the relationship ends. Here is how to check, and how to fix it.

The ownership checklist

Domain. The registrar account is yours, the registrant contact is your business, and you can log in and see the renewal date.
Hosting. The hosting account and its billing are in your name, and you hold the root or admin login.
Website. You have an administrator account on the site, not just an editor, and you know where the backups are.
Analytics and tags. The Google Analytics 4 property and the Google Tag Manager container are owned by a Google account your business controls; the agency has user access, not ownership.
Ad accounts. Meta Business Manager and Google Ads accounts are owned by your business, with the agency added as a partner or manager. The payment method is yours.
Social accounts. Your business is the admin; agency staff have roles you can remove.
Content and source files. Designs, photography, videos, and any custom code are delivered to you, not held for a fee.

How to check in ten minutes

Run a WHOIS lookup on your domain and confirm the registrant is your business.
Ask for the hosting login and confirm the billing email is yours.
Open Google Analytics and Tag Manager and check Admin, then Account access management, for who holds the Administrator role.
In Meta Business Settings, check the owner of the ad account and the Page, and who has Admin access.
In Google Ads, check Access and security for who has Admin access and who the billing contact is.

What to do if something is in a supplier's name

Ask for a transfer, in writing, before the relationship changes. Domains transfer between registrars; ad accounts can change ownership inside Business Manager; analytics properties can be moved to your account. A supplier who refuses, or who quotes a release fee for assets you already paid for, has answered the question of whether to renew.

Noqta.tv is the case we point to. Its original developer left, and the platform stayed with the client because it was rebuilt to be owned: one hundred percent of the custom code is the client's, with no licence fee and no technical lock-in.

How we set it up

Every website we build is delivered with the domain, hosting, and site in your name, an administrator login, and training so your team can run it. Every ad account we manage stays owned by your business, with our access as a partner you can remove. Measurement is installed before launch and owned by you. Nothing is locked to us; you keep everything if we ever part ways.

Questions, answered

Can I move my website away from the agency that built it?: If the domain, hosting, and admin login are in your name, yes, at any time. If they are not, request the transfer in writing first. Sites we build are delivered on that basis.
Does the agency need to own the ad account to run it?: No. Meta and Google both allow an agency to manage an account it does not own through partner or manager access. Ownership should stay with your business.
Will I be able to update the website without a developer?: Yes, if it is built for it. We build on WordPress with editable pages and hand over with training, so routine updates do not need us.