Who owns my website content? The answer can differ for your words, photos, logo, code and other parts of the site. Paying for a website or having a login does not settle every part of that question.
Start with three separate checks. What rights does your business have? Which accounts can it control? Which usable files can it keep? This guide helps you collect those answers. It uses a UK copyright example where noted. Laws and contracts elsewhere may differ.
The short answer
- Check each type of content rather than treating the site as one item.
- Keep the written rights agreement and asset records.
- A login is access, not proof of copyright ownership.
- An export may leave out files or working services.
How this guide was made
This is a records and handover guide, not a decision on anyone's legal rights. Specific copyright statements below come from UK government guidance and are labelled with that scope. WordPress documentation supports the export example. The asset worksheet is an original illustration. Have local advice applied to any disputed rights or contract.
Sources checked .
Separate rights, access and files
Rights describe what you may do with the work. Access describes what accounts you can use. Files describe what you can take away and store. You may have one without the others, so use three columns in your notes.
For example, you might be allowed to show a stock photo on a site without owning its copyright. You might own approved text while still needing help to download it. These are different problems with different fixes. Ask each provider to answer the relevant question in plain language.
Ask what use is allowed
Can you publish the asset, edit it, move it to another site or use it in an ad? Do any limits apply to time, audience or location? Record the answer and the document that supports it. Do not replace the actual agreement with a verbal summary.
Check the agreement for work you paid for
UK government guidance says that the creator of a commissioned copyright work is normally its first legal owner unless otherwise agreed in writing. It also explains that permission to use work is not always a transfer of ownership. That is a UK rule example, not a universal answer for every country.
Use this distinction to ask better questions. If a freelancer wrote your pages, locate the signed scope and rights terms. If an agency supplied the whole site, ask which parts were made for you and which came from other sources.
Before new work starts, make rights part of the written brief and agreement. Ask a suitable local adviser to resolve unclear terms. Keep the final agreement with the files so a future staff member can find it.
Source for this section: [1] UK government, ownership of copyright works
Build a simple asset register
An asset register is a list of the material on your site and the evidence behind it. You do not need a complex system. A shared sheet can work if someone owns the task of keeping it current.
The sample rows below describe a fictional business. They are questions to resolve, not proof that any particular right has been granted.
| Asset | Where it came from | Record to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Service page text | Freelance writer | Agreement covering use, edits and any transfer |
| Team photo | Local photographer | Agreed uses and the approved image files |
| Stock image | Image provider | License, receipt and any use limits |
| Logo | Design agency | Final files and rights agreement |
| Page template | Website platform | Applicable terms and export limits |
| Customer quote | Customer feedback | Approved wording and permission record |
Review photos and other outside assets
UK guidance on commissioned images explains that an image license for one purpose may not cover another use. A photo cleared for a website should not be assumed to be cleared for every future campaign.
For your own records, list stock photos, icons, fonts, video and music separately. Save the provider name, asset reference and terms you relied on. Check the allowed use before moving an asset to a new project.
If you cannot find the evidence for a key image, flag it for review. A screenshot of it on your current site is not a rights record. Ask the person who supplied it for the original source or choose material with clear permission.
Source for this section: [2] UK government, copyright in digital images and photographs
Keep business access under business control
List the domain account, website account, hosting, analytics and any form or booking tools. Name the business person responsible for each. This is an access list, so keep passwords and recovery codes in the team's secure password system, not in the public project brief.
Ask whether you can add and remove staff accounts yourself. Confirm where account recovery messages go. If an outside supplier holds the only recovery route, agree a handover process while the working relationship is active.
Access control does not decide who owns copyright. It solves a separate practical issue: whether your business can manage its service when staff or suppliers change.
Rehearse the handover
Have the business owner sign in, find an approved page and make a safe draft edit. Check that the owner can reach support and view the relevant billing details. Mark gaps while the supplier is still available to help.
Check what a download actually contains
Even clear content rights do not guarantee a complete export. WordPress documents that its content export files omit site settings and the attached media files themselves. A move may therefore need separate copies and setup work.
Ask for an item list covering text, photos, page data and working features. If the provider sends a file, open it and check a sample with the person who would use it. Confirm that a downloaded copy is readable and that any needed media are included elsewhere.
Keep original approved photos and important copy outside the live site too. That helps the business keep track of what it has. It does not expand the rights given by the relevant agreements.
Source for this section: [3] WordPress developer documentation, content export
Send these questions to your supplier
Use these questions to close specific gaps in your records. Ask for links to the relevant terms or signed documents. Broad statements such as you own everything need a list of what everything includes.
- Which text, design and media were made specifically for our business?
- Which parts come from another provider or a shared library?
- What may we edit, reuse or move after this project ends?
- Which source files and exports will we receive?
- What rights or access end when a subscription stops?
- Who can help resolve a missing asset or unclear permission?
Keep the record useful after launch
Name one person to update the register when new material is added. Keep the source and permission record with the asset reference. When staff leave or suppliers change, review access and make sure the business still has its approved files.
Review unresolved rights before reusing content in a new place. If there is a dispute, preserve the agreement, invoices and messages and seek local advice. A tidy record will help that review. It cannot replace a legal decision about the facts.
Common questions
Do I own content just because I paid for it?
Do not assume that. Rights depend on the work, agreement and applicable law. Find the written terms for each key asset and get local advice if they are unclear.
Does domain control mean I own the photos on the site?
No. Control of the domain account and rights to photos are separate questions. Keep evidence for both.
Can I move licensed images to a new website?
Check the actual license before moving them. It may set limits on the site, account, purpose or other uses. Ask the provider when the wording is unclear.
Sources and further reading
Numbered links beside each section point to the source used there. Our examples and checklists are guidance from SnapRebuild. They are not claims of test results. Product details can change.
SnapRebuild sells a website building service. These guides are published under our editorial team name and use AI for research and writing. This is not a claim of independent expert review. Read how we make and update our content. Found an error? Tell us.
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