What logins should I have for my own website?
Your business should own, or have administrator access to, eight things: the domain registrar, DNS, hosting, the website admin, the email admin, your Google Business Profile, Search Console and Analytics. Each should sit under a business email address, not one person's. If your web company vanished tomorrow, these are what you'd need to keep running.
The short version
- Own the domain registrar account. It controls your website and email.
- Have your own admin login for the website, email, Google profile, Search Console and Analytics.
- Register everything under a business email address.
- Give your web company its own access, not your login.
- Keep a one-page record of every account.
Which accounts should the business own?
| Account | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Domain registrar | Where your domain is registered and renewed. See who should own your domain. |
| DNS | Decides where your website and email point. Often the registrar, sometimes Cloudflare or your host. See what DNS is. |
| Hosting | Where the site’s files live. You may not log in, but you should know the host and be able to get a full copy. |
| Website admin | Your own administrator account. See WordPress user roles. |
| Email admin | The Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or mail-server admin, so you can add and remove people. |
| Google Business Profile | The business should be the primary owner. See owners and managers. |
| Search Console and Analytics | Years of search and visitor history. See what Search Console is. |
Also list social media, payment providers, booking tools and your CRM.
How do I set them up properly?
- Use a business email address as the owner, not one person’s personal address.
- Give your web company its own user, so you can remove it if you change providers.
- Turn on two-factor authentication for each. See two-factor authentication.
- Keep logins and backup codes in a business password manager. See managing business passwords.
- Write a one-page record: each service, the owner email, who else has access and renewal dates. Update it when anything changes.
Why does it matter?
Many owners find out they don’t control their own site only when something goes wrong: a web company closes, an employee leaves or a domain lapses. Getting access back then is slow and stressful. Setting it up now takes an afternoon.
What are the common mistakes and edge cases?
- The domain registered to the web designer or a former employee.
- Google accounts tied to someone’s personal Gmail.
- One shared login that everyone, including vendors, knows.
- Renewal notices going to a dead inbox, so the domain or hosting lapses.
- Forgotten passwords. For your website, the login and password help page covers resets. For server-level access, see FTP and cPanel access.
What if I don’t have access now?
- Ask your current web company, in writing, for administrator access to each account.
- Ask them to move the domain into your name, or transfer it to your own registrar account. See how to transfer a domain.
- For your Google profile, request ownership through Google if needed.
- If you’re choosing a new provider, make access part of the agreement. See how to choose a web company.
How long does it take?
Making the list and adding your own logins usually takes an afternoon. Moving a domain or regaining a Google profile can take days, because providers confirm ownership first.
How does E-3 handle this?
Accounts E-3 sets up are created in your name with E-3 added as a user, and domains E-3 manages are registered to you. If you’re unsure what you have, start with a free website check.
Related questions
Common questions
- Should I just use my web company's login?
- No. Ask for your own administrator account on each service. Shared logins make it hard to remove access and impossible to tell who changed what.
- My old web company won't give me access. What can I do?
- Ask in writing, listing each account. For the domain, your registrar's support and ICANN's transfer rules may help. For a Google Business Profile, Google has an ownership request process.
- Do I need FTP or hosting logins too?
- Not for everyday work, but you should know who your host is and be able to get a full copy of your site. Our help page on FTP and cPanel access explains when you'd need them.
Rather talk it through?
Call our team, or send a note and we’ll reply within one business day. No pressure and no jargon.