Who owns my clinic website and accounts when an agency builds them?
It should be you, but it is not automatic. Ownership depends on whose name is on the domain, hosting and accounts, and what your contract says. Check each one directly, because an agency can run a site you pay for without you holding a single login.
The five things to check
1. The domain. Look up the domain on any public registrar lookup. The registrant should be your clinic or you, not the agency. Make sure the contact email is one you read.
2. The website itself. Can you log in as an administrator? If the site sits on the agency’s platform, ask whether you can export the content and what happens to the design if you leave.
3. The Google Business Profile. You should be listed as an owner, not just a manager, and the profile should sit under an account you control. Open your profile and check the list of users.
4. Ad accounts. Google Ads and Meta ad accounts should belong to your clinic, with your payment card on the account so that you see every charge. An agency can be added as a manager.
5. Analytics and tracking. The analytics property and any call tracking numbers should be in your clinic’s name too, because the history of your numbers goes with them.
Why it goes wrong
Ownership problems usually come from convenience, not bad faith. An agency sets everything up under its own email to move fast, and nobody changes it later. Years on, a clinic wants to leave, and the domain is in someone else’s name, the site lives on a hosting plan it cannot access and the ad account history is gone.
Some template plans keep the site on the provider’s platform by design. That can be fine if it is stated clearly up front, but you should know before you sign that leaving may mean starting again.
What a clean set-up looks like
- Domain registered in the clinic’s name, renewal notices to a clinic email.
- You hold an administrator login to the site, hosting and analytics.
- You are an owner on the Google profile, and the agency is a manager.
- Ad accounts are yours, paid from your card, with the agency added as a user.
- The contract states in writing that you keep these if you leave.
Do not share a single password around by email. Ask for each person to be added with their own login, so access can be removed without changing everything.
If you are not sure who owns what
Start with the domain lookup and the Google profile user list, because both take a few minutes. Then ask the agency for a list of every account and who holds it. If something is in their name, ask politely for a transfer and agree a date. Ownership of third-party software, such as a paid plugin or stock images, stays under its own licence.
Rules about digital ownership and contracts vary by province and state, and this is general information, not legal advice.
Not sure where your clinic stands? We’ll look at it the way a new patient does and send a short written report. No pitch.
Questions owners ask
Can an agency refuse to hand over my domain?
That depends on the contract and where the domain is registered. Ask for the transfer in writing and keep copies. If it is disputed, get legal advice.
Does paying for the site mean I own the design?
Not always. Ask whether the design and content are yours outright or licensed, and whether you can take them elsewhere.
Will you ever need patient information?
No. We work on your website, your Google profile and your booking software’s own settings. Patient records stay in your clinic.