Many Malaysian businesses discover too late that their designer registered the domain in the designer's own name. Here is how to check ownership of your domain, hosting and email before, during and after a website project.
One of the most common problems we see when a Malaysian business wants to redesign or move its website: nobody in the company can log in to the domain. The previous designer registered it under their own name, the email account is gone, and the renewal reminder goes to someone who left years ago. Fixing this can take weeks. Preventing it takes ten minutes.
Why ownership matters more than design
Your domain is your address on Google, on your business cards and on every email you send. Whoever controls the domain controls your website and your email. If that is not your company, you do not fully own your online presence, no matter who paid for the design.
1. .my, .com.my or .com?
A .com.my domain signals a Malaysian business and is registered through MYNIC-accredited registrars; it normally needs company or business registration details. A .my domain is shorter and also local. A .com works internationally. Many businesses register both the .com.my and the .com to protect their name. Pick one as the main address and redirect the other.
2. Register it in your company name
The registrant (owner) should be your company, with a company email address you control, such as admin@ or it@ your domain, not a staff member's personal Gmail and not the designer's email. Your designer can be added as a technical contact if needed.
3. Keep your own login to the registrar and hosting
Ask for your own account at the domain registrar and at the hosting provider, or at least a full admin login. Store the logins in a company password manager. If the designer manages hosting for you, get it in writing that you can move the site and domain away at any time.
4. Separate email from the website
Business email (Google Workspace or Microsoft 365) should be set up under your account, not bundled into a designer's shared hosting. That way, changing designers or hosting never breaks your email.
5. Renewals, SSL and backups
Turn on auto-renew for the domain, check the expiry date, and make sure renewal emails reach someone who will act. Confirm the site has a valid SSL certificate (the padlock) and that backups exist which you can download.
Questions to ask any designer before you sign
- Whose name will the domain be registered under?
- Will I get my own admin login to the domain, hosting and website?
- If I leave, can I take the site, files and domain with me? Is there any fee?
- Who pays the renewals, and how much each year?
Next step
Ask us how we handle domain and hosting ownership, see what is included on our web design Malaysia page and our pricing page, or WhatsApp us and we will help you check who currently owns your domain.
Related reading: website maintenance after launch and redesigning without losing your Google rankings.
Planning this for your own business? Our web design in PJ page walks through scope, timeline and pricing.
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