NTG STUDIO WEBShort answer
First find out where your domain and hosting are registered using a WHOIS lookup and your invoices. If the domain is in your name, the registrar can restore access with proof of identity. If it’s in the provider’s name, you need their agreement or a dispute procedure. Then recover a copy of the site and move everything to accounts in your name.
Key takeaways
- Run a WHOIS lookup to see who holds the domain
- Watch the expiry date: an expired domain can be lost
- Always keep a copy of your site and logins
- In future, demand domain and accounts in your name
It’s one of the most frequent situations we see: "My developer stopped answering, I can’t edit my site, and I don’t even know where it’s hosted." Good news: in most cases, everything can be recovered. Here is what to do.
Step 1: take stock
Gather everything you have: invoices, emails, WhatsApp messages with the provider, screenshots, any logins. Note:
- the site address (yourcompany.com or .cm);
- email addresses linked to the domain;
- payments made and to whom.
Step 2: find out who holds the domain
Run a WHOIS lookup on your domain (many free sites do this; for .cm, ANTIC’s service). You’ll learn:
- the registrar (the company renting you the domain);
- the expiry date;
- sometimes the holder, if not hidden.
If the expiry date is close, that’s the top priority: an expired domain can be lost.
Step 3: recover the domain
If the domain is in your name: contact the registrar, prove your identity (and the company’s), ask for access to be reset. Then change the contact email to one you control.
If it’s in the provider’s name: write formally asking for the transfer, attaching proof of payment. Without a reply, the registrar and the domain authority have dispute procedures. Get support.
NTG Studio Web does it for you (Maintenance & webmaster, Website redesign). Free 30-minute audit, reply within 24 hours, payment by Orange Money or MTN MoMo.
Step 4: recover the site
- If you find the host, they can restore account access if it’s in your name.
- If the site is still online, its visible content (text, images) can be copied for reuse.
- If nothing can be recovered, the fastest option is to rebuild a new, often more modern site, then point the domain to the new hosting.
Step 5: secure the future
- Domain and hosting in your name, with an email you control.
- An access document kept safe: domain, hosting, admin, Google.
- Backups you have a copy of.
- A contract requiring logins to be handed over.
We explain these clauses in Website ownership: who owns the code, domain and content?.
What we do in this situation
We take stock with you, identify the registrar and host, support you through the steps, recover what can be recovered and put the site back online, this time on accounts in your name. The sooner the better, especially if the domain is close to expiring.
Frequently asked questions
My domain is in my former developer’s name, what can I do?
Contact them in writing and ask for the transfer. Keep proof of payment for the site. Without a reply, the registrar and the domain authority (ANTIC for .cm) have dispute procedures.
What happens if my domain expires?
The site and email stop working. After a grace period, anyone can buy the domain. Renew it as a priority.
Can a site be recovered without hosting access?
If it’s still online, its visible content can be recovered. But it’s often simplest to rebuild a new site and point the domain to it once recovered.
Founder of NTG Studio Web in Douala. Master’s in international public law, IBM Data Analytics and Anthropic AI Fluency certified. He designs websites and visibility strategies for African businesses. Learn more →