It happens more often than you would think: the person who built your site stops answering, and you realize you do not have the logins. It is fixable, and the steps are the same in almost every case.
Find out who holds the domain
Run a WHOIS lookup on your domain to see the registrar. If the domain is registered in your business's name, the registrar can help you recover access with proof of identity. If it is in the designer's name, start that conversation now.
Find where the site is hosted
A DNS lookup or a free "who is hosting this site" tool will show the platform or host. Squarespace, Shopify and most hosts have an account recovery process for the business owner.
Gather proof of ownership
Invoices, contracts, business registration and emails with the designer all help. Registrars and platforms take these seriously when the domain matches your business.
- Invoices or contract for the site
- Business registration documents
- Emails with the designer
- The email address used to set things up
Set things up so it never happens again
Once you are back in, make sure the domain, platform account and business email are all in your name, with your email and two-factor sign-in. Add your next designer as a user, never as the owner.
If you are stuck at any step, a few hours of help is usually enough to untangle it.