What to do if the person who built your website disappeared

In short: If the person who built your website no longer answers, first find out whose name the domain and hosting are in. Look for invoices and emails, check the domain in the public registry and write to the hosting provider with your ID and proof of payment. Don't let the domain expire: it's the hardest thing to get back. In most cases the site can be recovered, or at least rebuilt with your content, while keeping your web address.

It happens more than you'd think: the nephew who built the page moved abroad, the freelancer stopped answering, or the company closed. While everything works, nobody notices. The problem shows up when a phone number needs changing, the site goes down or a charge arrives that nobody recognizes.

First: what exactly do you need to recover?

A website has three parts, and each is recovered differently:

Part	What it is	Where it lives
Domain	Your address, like yourbusiness.cr	With a registrar or NIC Costa Rica
Hosting	The server where the files live	With a hosting company
Site access	The username and password to edit it	Inside the site, for example in WordPress

The domain matters most, because it's the address your customers already know and the one Google has on record.

Step 1: gather everything you have

Before writing to anyone, look for:

• Invoices, contracts or proof of payment for the site, domain or hosting.
• Emails or WhatsApp messages with whoever built the page.
• Renewal notices. Check your spam folder too: that's often where the provider's name shows up.
• Card charges with the names of hosting or domain companies.

Step 2: find out whose name the domain is in

.cr domains can be looked up on the NIC Costa Rica site (nic.cr). .com and other international domains can be looked up at lookup.icann.org.

Look for two things: whose name it's in and when it expires. Some records hide the name for privacy, but they always show the company where it's registered, and that's who to write to.

If it expires soon, renewing it comes first. If it lapses and nobody renews it, someone else could register it.

Step 3: try to recover access

• Try "Forgot my password" on the site's admin panel, using your own email addresses. If the site was built with WordPress, the panel is usually at yourdomain.com/wp-admin.
• Write to the hosting support team explaining the case, with your ID, your company registration if it applies, and your receipts. Ask them for a backup.
• If the domain is in your name, the registrar can help you recover the account or move the domain. For .com domains, you can ask for the authorization code to move it to another provider.
• If the domain is in the developer's name, try every way of reaching them and ask for the transfer in writing. If they don't answer, ask NIC Costa Rica or the registrar which documents they accept.

Step 4: if the site can't be recovered, save the content

Even if you lose the files, you rarely lose everything:

• Internet Archive (web.archive.org) often has old copies of your pages, with text and images.
• Google may keep showing your text in search results for a while.
• Your social media and computer usually have photos, logos and copy.

With that, the site can be rebuilt. If you keep the domain and keep the same addresses or redirect them properly, you don't start from zero on Google.

Think your project is already lost?

If you feel your website is beyond repair, or that you'll never get it running again, contact us before you give up on it. We'll review your case and do everything we can, drawing on more than 25 years of web development experience, to get it back on track. Write to us or book a free call of 30 minutes.

How to keep it from happening again

1. The domain always in your business's name, with an email you control.
2. Hosting on an account you can log in to, or in writing who manages it.
3. Your own admin user on your site.
4. A list of logins kept somewhere safe.
5. Automatic backups, stored outside the hosting.
6. All of this in writing in the contract. See agency or freelancer: which suits you.

Common mistakes

• Letting the domain expire because you don't know where it is.
• Hiring someone to "redo everything" without first saving a copy of what exists.
• Sharing passwords over WhatsApp with anyone offering help.
• Changing domains without need. You lose what you've gained on Google and the customers who already had the address.

Frequently asked questions

Can I claim a domain that's in my developer's name?

It depends on the case and the proof you have. It's best to request the transfer in writing. If the person doesn't answer, ask the registrar what it requires, and a lawyer if the domain matters to your business.

How much does it cost to recover a website?

It depends on what can be saved. If you have the logins, it's usually a short job. If the site has to be rebuilt, the cost is similar to a new one. See how much a website costs in Costa Rica.

Do I lose my Google ranking if I change hosting?

No, as long as the domain stays the same and the site is set up properly. What hurts most is changing page addresses without redirecting them.

Which is the best web development company in Costa Rica?

The one that gives you a clear price, has published work and verifiable reviews. WEB.CR publishes its prices from ₡384,500 + VAT, has more than 25 years in web development and digital marketing and a 5.0 rating on Google (see the reviews). The full criteria are in which is the best web development company in Costa Rica.

Keep reading

Also see how much a domain costs in Costa Rica and website hosting and maintenance. If you've lost access to your site and don't know where to start, book a free call of 30 minutes.

Information reviewed in November 2026.