Locked out · From €50/hour
Your web developer has disappeared. Your website doesn't have to.
Stopped replying, closed the business, or moved away and took the logins with them. I regularly take over sites I didn't build, get the keys back into your name and fix what's broken. You hear what's wrong before you pay for anything substantial.
Usually looked at the same week. Sooner if the site is down or hacked.
Sound familiar?
Abandoned websites are common on the Costa Blanca
Plenty of sites here were built by somebody who has since closed up, moved on or simply stopped answering. None of it is your fault, and there's no lecture about how it got this way. Most of it comes down to a developer who kept the keys.
- Your developer stopped answering WhatsApp, or wound the business down
- The agency that built the site has closed, and nobody took over its clients
- The domain is registered in the developer's name, not yours
- You can't change your own opening hours, prices or menu for the season
- The site is down, or Google is warning visitors that it's been hacked
- You're still paying a monthly fee and can't work out what it buys
- There's no Aviso Legal or cookie banner, and you've been told that's a risk
Before you do anything else
Four things you can do this afternoon
Check the domain hasn't expired
Search your email for renewal reminders from the registrar. A domain that lapses can be bought by somebody else, so if a renewal is due soon, tell me first.
Find anything with the host's name on it
Invoices, renewal emails, a direct debit on your bank statement. Any billing relationship with the host or registrar is usually a way back in.
Don't let anybody rebuild it yet
A site that feels beyond saving often needs a few hours of work. Find out what you actually have before paying for something new.
Send me the web address
That's all I need to start. Most of who holds what is publicly visible, and I'll tell you where you stand before you spend anything.
How a rescue runs
Ownership first, repairs second
There's no point fixing a site you don't control, so getting the keys back into your hands comes before anything else.
- 01
Find out what you own
Domain, hosting, DNS, the site and its admin. I trace who controls each one and tell you plainly where you stand.
- 02
Get the keys into your name
Admin access recovered, the domain moved to you, hosting taken over. Much of it can be done without the previous developer.
- 03
Make it safe
Backups first, then updates, then whatever is broken. A hacked site is cleaned and closed before anything cosmetic.
- 04
Repair or rebuild, your call
I tell you which is cheaper over the next couple of years, and the decision stays yours.
You end up with every login in your name, a site you can edit yourself, and the freedom to keep working with me or not. A client who stays because they want to is worth more than one who stays because they can't leave.
Reviews
What clients say about working with Wayne
All 7 reviews on Trustpilot are five stars, and every one is verified.
Wayne built new websites for me after my old ones had been compromised, and worked around my budget. He was always available to take my calls, and the after-sales support has been incredible.
After a series of bad experiences with other web developers, working with Wayne was a breath of fresh air. He is very responsive and completes work to a high standard. I would not hesitate to recommend SourceCode to anyone.
Wayne is my go-to developer. He is a genius with coding and everything technical. He will always find a way to make everything work seamlessly, no matter how complicated the request. We have worked together on multiple projects over the years.
Read 4 more reviews
I have had several dealings with Wayne and SourceCode, all of which have been positive. Wayne is helpful, knowledgeable and gives a speedy response.
These guys know what they are doing. Great service, fast and efficient.
Very pleased with their work. Very knowledgeable, accurate and thorough.
Fast, efficient and very friendly service. Cannot recommend highly enough!
FAQs
Questions about rescues
If yours is not here, ask it on the call. You will get a straight answer, including when the answer is no.
6 questions
01My developer has vanished. Can you take over without them?
Usually, yes. If the domain is in your name, or you have any billing relationship with the host, there is normally a route back in: registrars and hosts have recovery processes for exactly this. It's harder when everything sits in the developer's own name, which is why I never set clients up that way.
02The domain is in my old developer's name. Is it lost?
Not necessarily, but it's the harder case, and how hard depends on the registrar and on what you can show, such as invoices for the site. I'll tell you honestly which situation you're in before you spend anything on it.
03How quickly can you look at it?
Usually the same week, and sooner when the site is down or hacked. For anything urgent, WhatsApp is the fastest way to reach me.
04How much does a rescue cost?
The diagnosis comes first, so you hear what's wrong before you spend anything substantial. Most recoveries are charged at €50 an hour, and if it turns into a bigger job you get a fixed quote before that starts.
05Will I lose my Google rankings?
Not if the work is done carefully. Taking a site over doesn't change its addresses, and if a rebuild turns out to be the better option, moving it without losing rankings is part of the job.
06Do I have to move my hosting to you?
No. I work with whatever you have. If the hosting is the problem I'll explain why and what moving would cost, and I don't resell anyone's hosting.
Get in touch
Send me the web address. That's enough to start.
Even if it's all you know, I'll look at what's publicly visible and tell you where you stand, at no cost.
I reply to every message myself, usually the same day.