When an agency builds a done-for-you funnel or course site for a client, it often registers the domain name and sets up the hosting, email platform and other accounts to get the project moving. That is convenient, but it causes problems later if it is unclear who controls those accounts.
This guide covers the basics of domain registration and account ownership for client projects. It is general information, not legal advice.
Who the Registrant Is Matters
ICANN’s Registrants’ Benefits and Responsibilities page explains that the registrant, the person or business named in the registration, takes sole responsibility for the registration and use of the domain name. Registrants must provide accurate contact information, update it promptly when it changes and respond to their registrar’s inquiries within 15 days.
For client work, a simple principle follows: the client’s business should normally be the registrant of the client’s domain. If the agency’s name sits in that record, the client may struggle to show that the domain is theirs when they need to transfer it, renew it or resolve a dispute.
Transfers Have Rules and Waiting Periods
As of October 2026, ICANN’s Transfer Policy page states that a registrar must apply a 60-day lock on transfers to another registrar after a change of registrant, although registrars may let registrants opt out before the change. Registrars may also deny a transfer requested within 60 days of a domain’s creation or a previous transfer. ICANN’s guide for registrants explains that an authorization code is needed to transfer a domain to a new registrar.
In practice, this means correcting ownership late, for example at the end of a project, can delay a client’s plans. Getting the registrant details right when the domain is first registered avoids that. ICANN has signaled further review of its transfer rules, so check the current policy and your registrar’s terms before you start.
Set Up Accounts in the Client’s Name
The same thinking applies to the other accounts behind a white-label funnel or course:
- Domain registrar: registered to the client, with the agency added as a user or given delegated access if the registrar allows it.
- Hosting and website: the client holds the main account; the agency has its own login.
- Email marketing platform: owned by the client, since the subscriber list belongs to their business.
- Payment processor: always in the client’s name, as it is tied to their business and bank details.
- Ad accounts and analytics: the client owns them and grants the agency access.
Put It in the Agreement
Your client agreement can set out who registers and pays for the domain, who owns each account and what happens when the work ends. A clear handoff list might include:
- Confirm the client is listed as registrant and their contact details are accurate.
- Confirm auto-renewal and payment details are in the client’s name.
- Transfer any accounts the agency set up temporarily.
- Remove agency access the client no longer wants.
- Give the client a record of all accounts, logins they control and renewal dates.
If ownership of a domain or account is disputed, the client should speak with a qualified attorney.
More White-Label Guides
- Delivering White-Label Products to Clients: A Handoff Checklist
- Six Common Mistakes Agencies Make With White-Label Products in Client Work
- Who Owns a White-Label Deliverable? Copyright Basics for Agencies and Clients