Quick answer
Look up your domain in WHOIS to see who holds it and which registrar manages it. For .com.au names, the holder must be an eligible Australian business. Ask the registrar for the authorisation code, find your host through your DNS records, and ask your old developer in writing for every login and a full backup.
If your old developer or agency has gone quiet, you are not stuck. Most of what you need can be found with free lookups, and the domain rules for .au names are on your side if the domain is in your business's name. This guide is part of our Website help centre.
Not legal advice: if there is a contract dispute or money owed, get advice from a lawyer before you act.
What your business should own
A website is several separate accounts, often held by different people. Use this checklist to see which ones you control today.
| Asset | What "owning it" looks like | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name | Registered to your business and you can log in to the registrar account | WHOIS lookup; registrar login |
| DNS | You can log in where the DNS records are managed (registrar, host or Cloudflare) | Name server lookup |
| Hosting | The hosting account is in your name or you hold the control panel login | IP lookup; host invoice |
| Website files and database | You have a recent full backup you can open | Ask for a download link |
| Website admin (for example WordPress) | You have your own Administrator login, not a shared one | Try logging in |
| Business email | You can log in to the email admin (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or cPanel) | Check the MX records and invoices |
| Google Ads | Your own Google account has Admin access; the agency's access can be removed | Admin, then Access and security |
| Google Analytics and Search Console | You are an Administrator in Analytics and a verified owner in Search Console | Admin settings in each tool |
| Google Business Profile | You are the primary owner | Profile settings, People and access |
| Meta (Facebook and Instagram) | Your business portfolio, Page and ad account have you as a full-control admin | Meta Business Suite settings |
| Paid licences | Premium themes, plugins and apps are in your name, or you know who pays for them | Ask for a list |
For the ad and social accounts, see getting access back to Meta Business Suite and how to pause or cancel Google Ads.
Step 1: check who holds your domain
.com.au and .au domains
Use the auDA WHOIS lookup. It identifies the licence holder (registrant) and the registrar that manages the name.
Under the auDA Licensing Rules, every .au holder must have an Australian presence, such as an ABN, an Australian company registration or Australian citizenship. For .com.au and .net.au, the holder must also be a commercial entity, and the name must match or abbreviate its business or company name or trade mark, or match or be a synonym of something it provides. A .au domain is a licence for a set period of 1 to 5 years, and the registrant on record is the licence holder.
If WHOIS shows your business as the registrant, the domain is yours even if the developer opened the registrar account. If it shows the developer's business, they hold the licence, and it needs a change of registrant to come to you.
.com and other global domains
Use the ICANN Lookup tool. Many registrars hide the owner's details for privacy, but you will see the registrar, the expiry date and the name servers. Contact the registrar to confirm the holder.
Step 2: get the authorisation code
To move a domain to a registrar account you control, you need its authorisation code (also called a domain password, auth code or EPP code). It is different from the account login.
- For .au domains: ask the current registrar, or use auDA's domain password recovery tool. auDA says the code is sent to the registrant contact email in the registry. If that email is the developer's, ask the registrar what proof they need to update the contact to you. auDA charges no fee to move a name between registrars, and an approved transfer can take up to three days.
- For .com and similar: ICANN says your registrar must provide the code within five calendar days of your request. Transfers to a new registrar can be refused within 60 days of a change to the registrant's details, or of the original registration or a previous transfer.
If the developer is the registrant of a .au name, the registrant has to start a change of registrant through the registrar. Full years left on the licence carry over, up to five. Some providers charge a fee to check eligibility.
Step 3: find out who hosts your website
- Look up your domain's name servers (shown in WHOIS). They often name the host or DNS provider directly, for example a cPanel host or Cloudflare.
- Look up the A record for your domain with any free DNS lookup tool, then put that IP address into an IP WHOIS lookup. It shows which company owns the server.
- If the IP belongs to Cloudflare, the real host is hidden behind it. Check old invoices, or ask whoever manages the Cloudflare account.
- Look up the MX records separately. Email is often hosted somewhere different from the website.
If the site is not loading at all while you sort this out, work through is my website down, or is it just me?
Step 4: ask your developer in writing
Keep it polite and specific, and give a date. A written request gives you a record if you need to escalate. Copy and adjust this:
Subject: Handover of website and domain access for [Business name]
Hi [Name],
We are moving the management of our website in-house and would like
to collect everything relating to [yourdomain.com.au] by [date, 14 days away].
Please send or arrange:
1. Registrar account access, or the authorisation code, for [yourdomain.com.au].
If the domain is registered in your business's name, please start a
change of registrant to [Business name], ABN [number].
2. Hosting control panel login, or a transfer of the hosting account to us.
3. A full backup of the website files and database (download link is fine).
4. A WordPress Administrator account in my name ([email]).
5. DNS access, or an export of the current DNS records.
6. A list of paid themes, plugins, apps or services you pay for on our behalf,
with renewal dates.
7. Admin access for [email] to Google Ads, Google Analytics, Search Console,
Google Business Profile and our Meta business portfolio, where you hold it.
If there is anything outstanding on our account, let me know and we will
sort it out. Thanks for your work on the site.
[Your name]
[Business name] | [Phone]When the developer will not respond
- Check your contract or quote. It may say who owns the domain, the design and the code, and what happens at handover. If an invoice is unpaid, expect that to come up.
- Go to the registrar. If WHOIS shows your business as registrant, the registrar is the right place to recover the code and update the contact email. Have your ABN and proof of identity ready.
- If a .au registrant is not eligible. auDA's complaints process starts with the registrar of record, then can be escalated to auDA. Be aware that a successful eligibility complaint does not hand the name to you: an ineligible licence may be cancelled and released.
- Google and Meta accounts have their own recovery and ownership request processes. You can usually regain these without the developer.
- If they hold the site files hostage, you can still rebuild on a new host once you control the domain. Keep your old content: a cached copy or your own documents can speed this up.
Moving to a new host
- Get a full backup of files and database, and check it opens.
- Set up the site on the new host and test it on a temporary address.
- Lower the DNS TTL a day before the move if you can.
- Copy every existing DNS record to the new DNS, especially MX, SPF and DKIM, or email will stop.
- Point the domain at the new host, then check the site, the forms and the SSL certificate.
- Keep the old hosting for a week or two before cancelling.
Protect yourself next time
- Register the domain in your business's name and with your own email address.
- Open hosting, Google and Meta accounts yourself, then add your developer as a user.
- Ask for a written handover clause in any website quote.
- Keep a password manager entry for every account in this guide's checklist.
At AR Digital, clients own their ad accounts, Search Console, Analytics and Business Profile, and our management runs month to month. If you are getting quotes for a new site, read how much a website costs in Australia and ask each provider who will own what.
When to get help
A specialist will trace your domain, DNS, hosting and email, recover what can be recovered without the developer, and move the site to hosting you control without breaking email. If you have hit a wall with the registrar or the old host, that is the point to bring someone in.
Talk to us about moving your hosting
About this guide
Written by Amann Jhamb, Director of AR Digital Solutions, 17 years in web design, SEO and paid ads. Last checked: 3 November 2026 against auDA: Transfer your .au domain name to a new registrar. Change note: first published 3 November 2026. Part of our Website help centre.