The short answer
The client business should usually own the production domain, hosting, business email, analytics, payment, booking, messaging, and customer-data accounts. A developer can receive the least-privilege access needed to configure and support them.
Why the domain matters most
The domain is the public address for the website and often business email. If renewal, billing, or recovery belongs only to a departing vendor, moving the website does not fully restore control. Keep registrant access, recovery methods, and renewal visibility with the business.
Use an ownership table
| System | Preferred owner | Developer access |
|---|---|---|
| Domain registrar | Client business | DNS role when available |
| Production hosting | Client business | Technical/admin role |
| Analytics/search tools | Client business | Appropriate user role |
| Payments/POS/booking | Client business | Only what scope requires |
| Customer data | Client business | Least privilege, time-bounded |
What the handoff should include
- A list of production systems and their owners
- Where billing and renewals are managed
- How access can be removed without breaking the site
- Backups, exports, and recovery responsibilities
- What maintenance is included and what is not
If a developer disappears
The goal is not zero dependency; it is recoverable dependency. A new qualified person should be able to identify the systems, obtain authorized access from the business, and move forward without impersonating the former developer.