It's one of the most common horror stories in small business circles: a developer builds most of a site, goes quiet, and never finishes — or worse, disappears entirely after the site is live, leaving the owner unable to make even a simple text change. Here's how to make sure it never happens to you.
Why it happens more than you'd think
Sometimes it's a scam from day one. More often, it's a freelancer juggling too many clients, someone who took on work outside their real skill level, or a student developer who built one project and then moved on with their life. Whatever the reason, the outcome for you is the same: money spent, and nothing usable to show for it.
The three things you must own — not just "access"
If a developer disappears, what actually determines whether you're stuck depends on three things: your domain name, your hosting account, and your website's source files. If all three are registered in your own name and you hold the login details yourself, a vanished developer is an inconvenience — you find someone new to pick up where they left off. If the developer registered any of those three under their own name or account, you may not legally or technically control your own website.
Questions to ask before you pay anyone
"Will the domain be registered in my name?" "Will I have my own hosting login?" "Will I receive a copy of the website files?" A trustworthy developer answers yes to all three without hesitation, because there's no good reason for a legitimate business relationship to require those things stay locked to them.
If it's already happened to you
First, check your domain registrar account (Whogohost, Namecheap, etc.) — if you registered the domain yourself, you still control the most important asset. If the developer registered it, contact the registrar's support with proof of payment; it's not always recoverable, but it's worth trying. Either way, a rebuild from scratch with someone reliable is usually faster and less stressful than chasing down a developer who's already gone quiet.
The good news: this entire problem is 100% preventable, and it costs you nothing to ask these three questions upfront. Do that once, and you'll never be the person telling this story to someone else.