One lookup can show that your developer, not your business, holds your domain name. If they do, your website and email rely on them to renew it and hand it over. The check takes two minutes and costs nothing.
How do I check who owns a website domain?
For a .au name, use the .au WHOIS. auDA, the body that sets the rules for .au domains, runs it (auDA, How to use the .au WHOIS tool, read 7 October 2026).
- Open the .au WHOIS, type the domain name only, for example
yourbusiness.com.au, and tick the verification box. - Read the Registrant line. It's the legal name of the licence holder, and you want your business's name here.
- Read Registrant ID. It's often the ABN or ACN you gave when the name was registered.
The same record names the registrar and any reseller, the companies the name runs through, and the name servers, which show who runs its DNS. It won't show an expiry date. Your registrar can tell you, or you can use auDA's password and expiry recovery tool.
Registrant means licence holder. auDA says registrants "do not own a domain name". They hold a licence to use it for the licence period, like a phone number on a phone plan (auDA, 12 August 2021).
Your developer in the Tech Contact line is normal. auDA's WHOIS Policy says that contact can be a registrar, reseller, web host or web designer. Your developer in the Registrant line is the problem.
Can my developer register my domain?
Yes, with a condition. auDA says outsourcing registration and renewal is allowed. But "you or your organisation must be listed as the registrant of the domain name, not the developer" (auDA, 26 March 2021). The rule has applied since 12 April 2021.
A registrant also can't rent or lease a .au name to someone else. auDA warns that if you lease a name, you can't stop the holder transferring it, forgetting to renew it or having it cancelled.
These rules cover who is recorded on the name. They say nothing about who owns the site's code, design or text, so ask for that in writing too, in the quote or the agreement.
What should I ask a developer before I sign?
Being the registrant isn't the same as holding the login. Whoever holds the registrar account can usually change the DNS, start a transfer or let the name lapse. The DNS is the system that matches your domain name to the address of your website and email server (auDA, Domain names and the DNS explained). If someone changes those records by mistake, your site and email can both go down.
So ask these five questions, and keep the answers in writing:
- Will my business be the registrant, with our ABN on the record? Good answer: yes, from day one.
- Whose registrar account is it in, and when do I get the login? Good answer: yours, under a business email you control, before launch.
- Who can change the DNS and the authorisation code, and will you tell me first? The code is what's needed to move the name to another registrar. Good answer: you hold both, and the developer is added as a user.
- Is my email set up in my business's name too? Good answer: yes, in an account you hold.
- Who pays renewals, and if we part ways, what do I get and how fast? Good answer: reminders go to your business email, and the hand-over (domain, hosting login, files and content) has a timeframe in days.
If a developer dodges the first question, get a different quote. If they say it's easier if they hold the name for now, auDA's rule still says the registrant must be you, whoever does the paperwork.
We'd ask these five questions of any developer, us included. When we build a site, the domain and hosting go in your business's name. Our websites page puts it this way: "We set them up in your name from day one, so they stay with you whoever looks after the site later."
What goes in the agreement?
Put four things in writing. The name is registered in your name. It's transferred to you on request. You get the registrar, hosting and DNS accounts. If you part ways, there's a hand-over with a timeframe.
What if my developer already holds my domain?
Save a dated copy of the WHOIS result first. If the developer, not your business, is the registrant, the move starts with their written request to the registrar. Your business then signs a new licence agreement and pays the licence fee (.au Licensing Rules, version approved 22 June 2026).
Our follow-up post, how to get your domain back from a web designer, has a sample request to send, what to do if they refuse, and how to keep your email running while the name moves.
Does this apply to a .com?
auDA's rules cover .au names only. ICANN's free lookup tool covers .com and other generic names, but it warns that results can be redacted for privacy and vary between registrars. So ask whoever sold you the name who the registrant is on record, and use the same five questions.
Your next step
Open the .au WHOIS now and read the Registrant line. If it's your business, ask who holds the login. If it isn't, follow the steps above. If you're choosing a developer now, take the five questions with you. If you'd like us to quote, tell us about your business.
This is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute, check with auDA or a lawyer.
Common questions
Can I own a .com.au domain name?
Not outright. auDA, the body that sets the .au rules, says a registrant holds a licence for the licence period. You can generally renew it while you keep meeting the licensing requirements.
Can my web developer register my domain for me?
Yes, on your behalf. If a developer registers or renews a .au name for you, auDA's rules say your business must be the registrant, not the developer.
How do I find out who owns my domain name?
Type the .au name into the .au WHOIS and read the Registrant and Registrant ID lines. The WHOIS does not show creation or expiry dates.
Can I get my domain back from a developer?
Often yes. The current registrant asks the registrar in writing to move it, and your business then signs a new licence agreement and pays the fee. Our post on getting your domain back from a web designer has the steps, including what to do if they refuse.