The short answer
If your web developer has disappeared, work in a fixed order: find the domain registrar and the hosting, regain the logins, take a full backup of the files and database before anyone changes anything, and check when the domain expires. Only then decide whether to stabilise the site you have or rebuild it. Often the files and database still sit on a server that is still paid for, which is exactly why the backup comes before any repair.
Our website rescue service follows that order and ends in a fixed quote, either to stabilise the site and move it under proper maintenance or to rebuild it, with the cost of a redesign explained before work starts. One honest caveat: if the domain is registered in your developer's name, the first step may be a registrar process, not a technical fix. Whatever route you take, you own the code and the data.
The recovery order, step by step
The order matters because the early steps are cheap and safe, and the later ones can break things. Skipping to "just fix it" is how owners lose content that was recoverable on day one.
1. Find the domain registrar
Search your email for renewal notices and receipts that mention a domain. A public domain lookup also shows the registrar and the expiry date, although the owner details are often masked. Note both. If the registrant is your developer, you will need that registrar's transfer or ownership process, and registrars generally want proof that the business is the real owner.
2. Find the hosting
Where the domain points tells you who hosts the site, and hosting invoices or card statements tell you who is being paid. Contact that host's support with proof you are the account holder, such as a billing receipt and company details. If the hosting account is in the developer's name, the same ownership question applies.
3. Regain the logins
- The registrar account, so the domain is under your control.
- The hosting control panel, where the files and database live.
- The website admin, such as a WordPress dashboard or a site builder account.
- The business email, because most password resets run through it.
4. Back up before touching anything
Copy every file and export the database, then keep a record of the DNS settings and email setup. On a WordPress site that means the wp-content folder (themes, plugins, uploads), the wp-config.php file and a database export, plus the DNS records that carry your business email. Do not run updates, reinstall WordPress or change nameservers until that copy exists and you have opened it to check it is complete. A rushed plugin update, a reinstall or a host migration on a site with no restore point can turn a recoverable site into a lost one. We do this step before any change, every time.
5. Check the domain expiry and renewal
Confirm the expiry date and who pays the renewal. A developer's card on file that later fails is a common reason a site goes offline months after the developer vanished. Put renewal in your own name and account, with a reminder you control. If the domain has already lapsed, act quickly: registrars usually offer a short recovery window for the original holder, and the terms and fees vary by registrar and domain ending. Be wary of anyone who emails offering to recover a domain for a fee, and deal only with your registrar directly.
What we need from you
You do not need to be technical. You need to be the rightful owner of the business and the website, because we only work on accounts you have the right to access.
- Your domain name and the live website address.
- Any emails, invoices or contracts from the developer or agency, including old quotes.
- The names of the registrar and host, if you know them.
- The email address you used when the site was built, and whether you still control it.
- A list of what must keep working: contact forms, bookings, a shop, business email.
- Billing or company details that prove ownership when a registrar or host asks.
Do not send passwords in a chat message. Tell us what you have, and we will agree a safe way to share access once we know which account is which. Send the rest on WhatsApp +256 702 946 946 or through the quote form on this page. Our team in Kampala works East Africa Time (UTC+3), which overlaps the UK and European working day and the start of the US East Coast day, and a US team member joins client video calls. Our guide on what to give your web designer shows the handover pack to ask for next time.
What we can take over, and what we cannot
What we can take over
- WordPress sites: themes, plugins and custom changes, once we have files and database. We check what is outdated or insecure and report it plainly.
- Custom-coded sites: where we can get the source code and the database. We read the code first and tell you honestly whether it is worth keeping.
- Site builder projects: where the account can be recovered or transferred to you. Content can usually be rebuilt even when it cannot be exported.
What we cannot do
- Force a registrar or host to release an account to someone who cannot show they own it, or bypass security on accounts that are not yours.
- Recover a site that has no backup and no live server. We can rebuild it from your screenshots, text and public copies of the pages, but that is a rebuild.
- Promise that old custom code or abandoned plugins can be saved. Sometimes untangling costs more than starting clean.
Our 37 live builds on the portfolio page are new builds, not rescues, so we do not point to a rescue track record. What we offer is a written audit first, so you can judge the state of your site and our quote on evidence. The honest answer for your site comes after the audit, not before.
Stabilise or rebuild: the fixed-quote route
Once access and a backup are in hand, we audit the site and give you one fixed quote before work starts, on a 50/25/25 payment plan. You get the written findings whether you hire us for the next step or not.
- Stabilise when the site is sound: fix what is broken, update and secure it, document it, then hand it to ongoing care under a maintenance plan.
- Rebuild when the site is outdated, insecure or built on code nobody can read. It can be the cheaper path over a few years, but only the audit can tell you. See WordPress versus custom before you choose a platform.
| Route | Growth Informer | Risk if left as is |
|---|---|---|
| Access recovery and backup | Guided steps, full backup before any change, written findings | Edits made on a live site with no restore point |
| Stabilise and maintain | Fixed quote after the audit, then ongoing care: | Outdated code and a site that slowly stops working |
| Rebuild | , fixed quote before work starts | Open-ended hourly work with no ceiling |
| Ownership | You own the code and the data | Accounts and code left in the developer's name |
We are a US-based company with remote teams around the world: senior engineers, a fixed quote and a team that stays, at a price that is affordable without being a bargain-bin patch job. Choosing between a freelancer and a team is covered in freelancer versus agency.
When we are not the right call
- Your developer is slow, not gone. Send one clear written request for the domain transfer code, hosting access and a backup, with a date. It costs nothing and gives you a dated record if the matter escalates.
- You can still log in to the host. A small text or image change does not need a rescue. A small freelancer can do it.
- The domain has expired and someone else now holds it. That is a registrar or legal matter first, and we will say so rather than quote you for work that cannot start.
- You want a one-off patch with nobody accountable afterwards. We prefer to stay on the site we take over.
- You need someone in the room. We work remotely, with video calls across time zones.
If none of those fit, send us the domain name and we will tell you what we see.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website rescue cost?
The access recovery and audit come first, and we give a fixed quote before work starts. If a rebuild is the better route, new business websites start from . A stabilise quote is separate and depends on what the audit finds.
What if my domain is registered in my developer's name?
Then the first step is a registrar process, not a technical one. You contact the registrar with proof that the business owns the domain, and we can prepare the paperwork and guide you. We cannot force a registrar to act, and some cases take time.
Can you take over a site built on a website builder?
Yes if the builder account can be recovered or transferred to you. If it stays locked in the developer's account, we can usually rebuild the content on a platform you own.
Will I lose my content and customer data?
Not if the server still exists. We back up the files and database before touching anything, and you own the code and the data. If there is no backup at all, we can rebuild from your pages and the public web.
How long does it take to get my website back?
It depends mostly on how fast the registrar and host respond to proof of ownership, not on our work. Once we have access, the backup and audit come first, then the quote.