For those who build and maintain websites for clients, how do you organize hosting, domains, Git repositories, analytics, and other third-party services? Do you create and manage everything under your own accounts, or help the client create their own accounts and invite you as an administrator or contributor? I'm especially interested in setups that work well for long-term maintenance, billing, renewals, and eventually handing the project over to someone else.
4 Answers
At minimum, keep the domain and hosting in the client’s name. A missed payment or a disagreement is much more serious when the client’s website is tied to your personal billing account. The same principle applies to plugin, theme, and service licenses: have the client purchase them with their own email whenever possible. If convenience requires you to start with your own repository or services, include a straightforward handover plan in writing.
I use a mixed approach. The client always owns the domain and production hosting, and their payment details stay on those accounts. For code, I may develop in my own organization when I’m delivering a finished package, but if I’m maintaining an existing system, I prefer their repository or a separate organization they control. Whatever arrangement you choose, document every account, owner, login contact, license, and renewal date so handover doesn’t become a scavenger hunt.
The safest default is for the client to own the important assets: the domain registrar, production hosting, Git organization, analytics, licenses, and billing accounts. You can help set everything up and receive the access you need. That avoids painful transfers if the relationship ends, and it makes ownership clear from day one. A staging environment under your own account is fine, but production and billing should generally stay with the client. Put renewal responsibilities and maintenance expectations in the contract.
For clients who want a completely hands-off experience, I manage hosting, DNS, API services, and other infrastructure and include the costs in a recurring invoice. It can work well when the service agreement clearly explains what is being managed, who is responsible for renewals, and how access or ownership will be transferred later. The important part is being transparent rather than quietly putting everything on a personal account.
That approach is clean, but some small clients find creating accounts, adding payment methods, and managing invitations overwhelming. In those cases, a managed service with clear documentation and an eventual handover can be more convenient for them.