Guides . Websites

What we need to take over your website

When we take over a site you already have, a few logins make it smooth. Here is the short list, and what to do if you cannot find them.

Cannot find any of this? Most clients cannot at first. We track it down with you.

The checklist

The logins we may need, and why each one matters

You will not always need all of these. It depends on the job. If you only have some, that is fine. Send what you have and we will sort out the rest.

If you can only answer one of these, make it your domain and your email. From those two, we can usually find everything else.

  • Registrar login (or a transfer code): The office that holds your web address. We use it to point traffic where it should go, or to move the name to us if you want. Prefer we just own the name for you? We can do that too.
  • Control of the name servers: The internet's street signs. With access here, we send your website and email where they should go, and fix them when they point the wrong way. This is usually the single most useful thing to have.
  • The hosting login: This gets us into the building where your site lives. With it we update the site, back it up, and keep it fast and safe. Sometimes we connect a more technical way instead, a secure back door for a developer.
  • Email admin: Whoever runs your mailboxes. We ask so we do not knock your email over while we work on the website. Email often lives somewhere separate from your site, so if yours does, tell us where and we will leave it alone.
  • A rough map of who has what: Even a half-answer helps. Where you think you bought the name. Who set up the site. Which company sends your password-reset emails. We follow those threads and confirm the rest ourselves.

The shop on a street

The four pieces, and where they can live

Your name points to street signs. The signs point to a building and a mailbox. Each one can sit at a different company, and that is normal. Want the full picture? Skim our guide on how a website works.

Your domain the name on the sign
Name servers the street signs
Web host the building
Email your mailbox

Ways we can help

Four ways this can go, and we pick the one that fits you

There is no single right setup. Once we see what you have, we suggest the simplest path. Here are the usual options.

  • We buy the domain for you: We register the name and keep it renewed so it never lapses by accident. You still own it. We just do the paperwork.
  • We host you on our shared server: Many client sites live under one roof, and we keep them all fast and safe. For most sites this is exactly right, and it means one team to call.
  • We set up a private server when the job needs it: If your project needs its own space, we set one up just for you. We only reach for this when the job truly calls for it, not by default.
  • We work inside your current companies: You do not have to move anything. You give us permission to work inside a service you already own, without handing over the whole account. You keep your platform, your hosting, and your history.

How the handoff actually goes

From your login to us running with it

It is calmer than it sounds. Most of the work is on our side.

  1. 1

    You tell us what you have

    Send your domain, your email, and any logins you can find. If all you can say is where you think you bought the name, that is a fine start.

  2. 2

    We map the pieces

    We look up where your name points, where your site actually lives, and where your email lands. This is the part we handle for you, so you do not have to.

  3. 3

    We fill the gaps with you

    If a login is missing, we tell you exactly who to call or which reset to click. Often we can get access without you tracking down an old password.

  4. 4

    We take the wheel

    Once we are in, we make your changes and keep the site fast and safe, with your email running the whole time. From here on you get one team and one person to call.

Plain-English glossary

The four words that come up

When we ask for access, one of these usually comes up. Here is the short version, using the shop on a street.

Registrar
The office where you rented your web address, like GoDaddy or Namecheap. It keeps the name book, and nothing more.
Name servers
The internet's street signs. They point your name at the right building for the website and the right mailbox for email. Changing them lets us move your site without changing your address.
Web host
The building where your website actually lives. It holds the files and the pages, and it does not have to be the company you bought the name from.
Email
Your mailbox. It can hang on a totally different building than your website, so where your email lives is its own separate question.

Real questions people ask

Common worries, answered

I have no idea where any of this is. Is that a problem?
No. It is the normal starting point. Tell us your web address and your email address, and we can usually trace back who holds the name, where the site lives, and where email lands. You do not need to solve the puzzle before you call us.
Do I have to move my website to you?
No. We can work inside your current registrar, host, and email using delegated access. You keep your platform, your hosting, and your history. Moving is an option if it helps you, not a requirement.
Will my email break while you work on the site?
That is exactly why we ask about email up front. Email and the website can live in different places, so we handle them separately and leave your mailboxes running while we work on the site.
Can you just handle the whole thing so I do not have to?
Yes. We can buy the domain on your behalf, host the site on our server, and manage the pieces going forward. You hand us what you have, and we take it from there.

Keep reading

Related pages worth a look

More on how we handle websites, hosting, and the tools around them.

Not sure where any of this lives? That is what we are for.

If this checklist is getting confusing, or you would rather we handle the whole thing, give us a call. Tell us your domain and your email. We will track down the rest with you. No homework required.

Get help with this Or call 717-299-1277

Not ready to talk yet? You may be after something so unique we have not built a page for it yet, and given our history of unexpected jobs, we are sure we will find a solution.