What to check in a web agency contract before you sign

Before you sign a web agency contract, check that the domain is registered in your name, the logins are yours, and your content and data stay yours with a proper handover if you leave. Then check the money: renewal prices, the minimum term and the notice period.

Most agency trouble starts with a contract nobody read closely. Take an illustrative coaching centre in Behala comparing two quotes. The cheaper one may cost more later if it holds the domain and charges to let go of it.

The domain: whose name is on it

The domain (yourcentre.in) is the one part you can't rebuild. The contract should say it's registered in your business's name, with your email and phone as the contact.

ICANN calls the domain's owner the "registrant" or "registered name holder" (ICANN). That name is what counts, not who pays the bill.

Getting it right at the start also saves a wait later. For domains like .com, ICANN says you can't move a domain to another registrar within 60 days of changing the registrant name, organisation or email. Your registrar must give you the transfer code within five calendar days of asking (ICANN, as of November 2026).

ICANN also says registrants must keep their contact details accurate and can download their registration agreement at any time (ICANN). If the agency's email is on file, renewal notices go to them, not you.

Hosting, DNS and email logins

A website is several accounts, not one. The contract should list each and say who holds it:

• The registrar account that holds the domain.
• DNS, which points the domain at your site and email.
• Hosting, where the site's files and database live.
• Email on your domain, such as Google Workspace or Zoho.
• Your Google Business Profile, Search Console and social pages.

Ask for your own login on each, or at least owner access. The recovery email and phone on every account should be yours.

Passwords shouldn't travel by email or WhatsApp. A good agency resets them with you or shares them once through a password manager link that expires.

Who owns the code, design, content and data

This clause matters most when you leave, so read it slowly.

Under India's Copyright Act, the author of a work is generally its first owner, with some exceptions, such as work made by an employee. An assignment of copyright is valid only if it's in writing and signed (Copyright Act 1957, sections 17 and 19, as of November 2026).

So if the contract says nothing, don't assume the website design is yours. Check with a lawyer for anything unusual.

A clear contract splits things into three groups:

The licensed part isn't a trick. Many agencies run sites on their own tools. The contract should simply say which parts stop working when you leave.

Leaving: exit and handover

Assume you'll leave one day, even if things go well. A good exit clause lists what you get and when.

1. The domain's transfer code, or the domain moved into your own account.
2. A full copy of the site files and database, if the site is yours.
3. An export of customers, bookings and enquiries as spreadsheets or CSV files.
4. A list of every DNS record, including the email ones.
5. Your accounts handed over, with the agency's access removed.
6. A date for all of this, such as within 7 or 14 days of asking.

Look for any "release fee" or charge to hand over the domain. Also check what happens if you're late paying. Can they switch the site off, and can they hold the domain?

Our guide on how to leave a web agency covers the move itself.

Renewals, minimum term and notice

The first quote is rarely the whole cost. Check every line that repeats.

• Domain renewal: the yearly price, and who pays the registrar.
• Hosting and care: the monthly or yearly fee, and how much notice you get before it goes up.
• Minimum term: how long you must stay after launch.
• Notice period: how far ahead you must tell them you're leaving.
• Automatic renewal: whether the contract renews itself, and how to stop it.
• Extras: what counts as a "change" and what's billed separately.

As one example, Pixelvile's care plan has a 6-month minimum (3 months on Starter), then 30 days' notice. Compare like with like across quotes.

Questions to ask before you sign a web agency contract

Send these in writing and keep the replies with the contract.

1. Will the domain be registered in my business's name, with my email?
2. Which accounts will I have my own login for?
3. Which parts of the site will I own, and from when?
4. Which parts are licensed, and what stops working if I leave?
5. What do I get when I leave, and how quickly?
6. What are the renewal prices for the domain, hosting and care?
7. What's the minimum term and the notice period?
8. What happens if I pay late?

A good agency answers all eight without fuss. If one won't put the answers in writing, that tells you something.

If you'd like help

Pixelvile's terms are public: your domain, content and data stay yours, and if you leave you keep them, plus your website files once the build is paid. Send us any agency's contract and we'll go through it with you as part of a free audit, or WhatsApp us on +91 62918 31815.