It's more common than you think. The developer who built your site suddenly stops answering the phone, doesn't reply to emails, or simply leaves the profession. And you're left with a website you don't know how to touch.
The good news is that this can almost always be solved. In this article I explain what to do now, what to do if you don't have your access details, and how to make sure it never happens again.
First of all: relax, your site is probably working
Just because the developer has disappeared doesn't mean your website stops working. As long as the hosting and the domain are paid for, the site keeps running. The problem isn't tomorrow but the coming months: updates are missed, licences expire, and an outdated WordPress site is an easy target for attackers.
So there's no need to panic, but there's no point putting it off either.
The first step: check what you have access to
A website consists of four things, and you need access to each of them.
The domain is your site's address, for example yourcompany.hu. This is the most important, because whoever owns the domain decides the site's fate. Check whose name it is registered in. If it's in your name, all is well. If it's in the developer's name, sort it out as soon as possible.
The hosting is the server where the site's files and database live. Look up your invoices: if you pay the hosting provider directly, you have your own account. If you paid the developer for it, your site is probably in their account.
The WordPress admin is the interface where the site can be edited. Try logging in at yourcompany.hu/wp-admin. If you don't remember the password, the forgotten password function sends a new one to the registered email address, provided the account was created with your address.
Email, if your business emails also belong to the domain. This is often tied to the hosting, so if there's a problem there, your email may be at risk too.
What if you don't have the access details?
If you have access to the hosting but not to the WordPress admin, that's the easiest case. Through the hosting, a developer can create a new admin account in minutes.
If the hosting is in the developer's account, it's worth contacting the hosting provider. They can't simply hand over the account, but they can tell you what your options are, and they often help with a migration.
If the domain is in the developer's name, that's the hardest case, because transferring it requires their consent. If they really can't be reached, ask the domain registrar how it can be resolved. This can take a while, so start with this first.
And if you have access to nothing? Even then, all is not lost. The content of a working site can be saved and rebuilt on new hosting, on new foundations.
How does a new developer take over the site?
When I take over a site like this, I always start with a thorough review before touching anything.
First I make a backup of the whole site, so that whatever happens, there's a way back. Then I check which WordPress version is running, which theme and plugins are installed, which can be updated and which might cause problems. I also check the licences of paid plugins, because these often belong to the old developer's account and stop getting updates when they expire.
Then comes security: are there suspicious files, unknown admin users, signs of a hack? With a neglected site this is no exaggeration. I once had a case where the site was creating spam pages for Google without the owner knowing. I wrote about it in this case study .
Finally, speed and technical settings, for example whether caching is really configured for the hosting. I showed why this matters in my article on what AI taught me .
Today this review is much faster and more thorough than it used to be, because with AI I can go through every page, image and link in a few minutes. That way it quickly becomes clear what's fine and what needs fixing urgently.
How to make sure your developer never disappears again
These rules may seem strict at first, but if you stick to them, you won't have problems with your site in the long run.
Have a contract
You don't need a lawyer or twenty pages, but it should be written down who does what, by when, and what happens if either side can't continue. If this is clear from the start, nobody has to guess later.
Get regular reports
Ask your developer for a monthly report on what happened on the site: updates, backups, fixes. This has a less obvious benefit too: someone who reports regularly can't just vanish. And if a report is ever missed, you notice straight away, not months later.
Keep every login in your hands
You should also have the login details for the domain, the hosting, the WordPress admin and every paid service. You may never want to log in and may never need to, but if something goes wrong, it's the difference between the fix taking a day or a month.
If a login uses two-factor authentication, try to make sure your phone number or email address is added too. Otherwise the password is useless, because the code goes to the developer's phone.
Keep everything documented
Ask whether everything is written down: how to log in, which plugins and services are running, what they're for, and what has been custom built. If anything happens to the developer, the next specialist can get up to speed in minutes, and the site carries on without interruption.
This has become really important lately. With AI tools, even people with no prior experience now write their own plugins and automations. That in itself isn't a problem, but if nobody writes down what such a custom solution does, nobody else will understand it later.
Why pay for maintenance if the site is already finished?
Lots of people ask this, and it's a perfectly fair question. You paid for the website once, it works, so why keep paying for it every month?
Maintenance is a kind of insurance. You don't take it out because something will go wrong tomorrow, but so that if something does go wrong, there's someone who fixes it right away. A WordPress site is constantly updated, plugins change, and attackers look for exactly the neglected sites. Restoring a hacked or crashed site often costs more than years of maintenance.
But even more important is that this is a matter of trust. When you hire someone for maintenance, you're saying: as long as we work together, nothing bad will happen to your site. You can focus on your business instead of worrying whether the contact form works or some licence has expired.
It's also worth thinking about why you had the website made. You wanted a new channel to reach more people, get more enquiries, or run your business more efficiently. Like every channel, it has running costs, just like a shop or a company car. The question isn't how much maintenance costs, but how much the site brings in. If it works well, the maintenance fee is a fraction of what it earns back. If it doesn't bring in enough, the answer isn't to save on maintenance but to work on making it bring in more. I can help with that too, which is what the monthly review call is for.
What should a maintenance agreement include?
Many developers include one hour of editing or consulting per month with maintenance. I do too, and I see that most of my clients don't use it. Many ask almost nervously whether I could change something, even though it's included in what they pay.
That's why it always has to be clear from the start what maintenance includes and what it doesn't, and how much anything beyond that one hour costs. That way there's no awkward asking, and you know exactly what to expect.
I suggest having a fixed day each month when we talk about the site, for example the last Thursday of every month. Both sides can plan ahead, you have time to collect ideas and questions, and the site keeps developing instead of us only touching it when something breaks. When the site grows, your business picks up too.
How much does maintenance cost?
I offer website maintenance for between 25,000 and 60,000 HUF per month. Where you fall within that range depends on several things: how big the site is, what features it has, whether anything needs constant monitoring, how much traffic it gets, whether new content is added regularly, and which free and paid plugins run on it.
With paid plugins I have an advantage that benefits my clients too. I have a HelloPack subscription, which includes most of the popular premium WordPress plugins and themes, so you don't have to buy them separately, and I can provide them at a lower price. Everyone wins.
Shall I take over your site?
If your developer has disappeared and you don't know where your site stands, write to me. I'll review it, tell you what state it's in, what's urgent and what can wait, and if you'd like, I'll take over its maintenance, documented, with a monthly report. You can see my previous work here.
Frequently asked questions
My developer has become unreachable. Who takes over my WordPress site's maintenance?
Any developer who knows WordPress can take it over, even if the old developer doesn't cooperate. The first step is to gather what you have access to: domain, hosting, WordPress admin.
Will my site go down if the developer disappears?
No. As long as the hosting and the domain are paid for, the site keeps running. The risk is missed updates and expiring licences, which over time can lead to security problems.
What if the domain is registered in the developer's name?
Transferring it usually requires their consent. If they can't be reached, ask the domain registrar about your options, and start as early as possible, because it can take a while.
Can you access a WordPress site without a password?
If you have access to the hosting, yes. From there a developer can create a new admin account. If you don't have access to the hosting either, you need to contact the hosting provider.
Is maintenance really necessary if the site is already finished?
Yes, because a WordPress site needs constant updates, and a neglected site is an easy target. Maintenance is a kind of insurance: you don't pay for it because something will go wrong, but so that if something does, there's a solution right away. On top of that, the site can keep improving in the meantime, so it pays off better.
How much does website maintenance cost per month?
With me, between 25,000 and 60,000 HUF per month, depending on the size of the site, its features, its traffic and its plugins. This includes one hour of editing or consulting per month.
What should a maintenance contract include?
Who is responsible for what, how often backups and updates are done, whether there's a monthly report, what the fee includes and what anything beyond it costs. And also what happens if the developer can't continue the work.
I'm Károly Örkényi, a website developer and web designer. I build, redesign and maintain tailor-made websites on WordPress and Bricks.
The HelloPack link in this article is an affiliate link.
