A website has more than one key

You might be able to log in to WordPress yet have no access to your domain or hosting account. Domain registration, DNS, hosting, content management and backups are separate responsibilities. If all credentials sit with one outside contractor, even a routine change can become difficult when that person is unavailable or the relationship ends.

Check ownership and renewal

Identify the registered domain holder, the account that manages the registrar and the inbox that receives renewal notices. Record who pays for hosting and who can change DNS records. A responsible person at the business should be able to access the contact inbox and recover the main accounts. Check that recovery details are still current.

Give people the access they need

The business owner needs reliable access to the core accounts. Contractors need permissions appropriate to their work. Use separate user accounts where possible, avoid sharing one administrator password and enable two factor authentication. When a working relationship ends, remove unnecessary access and rotate any credentials that were shared.

Make recovery possible

A backup is useful only if you know where it is, who can retrieve it and how to restore it. Include website files, databases and any external services in your recovery notes. Test a restore periodically in a safe environment. Keep a short record of providers, responsible people and renewal dates in a secure company location.

Your team does not have to perform every technical task itself. It does need to be able to authorize the right people and keep the website running when people or suppliers change.