Avoid Domain Disasters: How to Let Developers, IT Support, and Marketers Work on Your Domain Without Sharing Passwords

Your Domain is Valuable—Protect It Like It’s Your Business Address

As a small business owner, your domain name is one of your most important digital assets. It connects your customers to your website, your email, and your entire online identity.

But too often, business owners unknowingly put everything at risk by handing over their GoDaddy login to a web developer, IT consultant, or marketer.

It might seem like the fastest way to get something fixed — but it can lead to catastrophic consequences.

The Big Mistake: Sharing Your Domain Password

If you give someone your GoDaddy password, you’re giving them full control of your digital business — not just access to help.

They can:

• Transfer ownership of your domain

• Lock you out completely

• Make unauthorized or mistaken changes

• Expose your login credentials to hackers if they reuse passwords or don’t protect their devices

Even one innocent mistake can lead to website downtime, lost emails, or worse — total loss of your domain.

A Smarter Way: Use Delegated Access on GoDaddy

GoDaddy offers a secure feature called Delegated Access. It lets you give others permission to work on your domain settings without sharing your password or losing control.

Think of it like giving a spare key to just one office — not the entire building.

With delegated access:

• You remain the domain owner

• You invite others by email

• You choose what they can access

• You can revoke access anytime, instantly

What Do Developers, IT Support, or Marketers Actually Need Access To?

Here’s the good news: they don’t need full access to your account. Here’s what most professionals need and why delegated access is enough:

• DNS Records: These connect your domain to your website, email, or platforms like Google Workspace.

• Name Servers: Used to point your domain to a new hosting provider or platform.

• Verification Tags: Marketing teams may need to add codes to verify ownership for analytics, ads, or SEO tools.

✅ All of this can be done securely through delegated access — without handing over the keys to your kingdom.

How to Set Up Delegated Access (No Tech Talk Required)

It only takes a few minutes:

1. Log into your GoDaddy account

2. Click your name (top right) > Account Settings

3. Choose “Delegate Access”

4. Click “Grant Access”

5. Enter the person’s email address

6. Choose their access level:

   • Products & Domains

   • Domains Only

7. They get an invite and access only to what they need

No passwords shared. No risk of being locked out. Just safe, secure collaboration.

The Price of Losing Control: Real Costs and Risks if You Get Locked Out

It’s not just frustrating — losing access to your domain can seriously damage your business.

Website Downtime = Lost Sales + Lost Trust

• Small business downtime costs range from $137 to $427 per minute

• Some estimate $8,000 to $25,000 per hour when considering lost revenue, productivity, and repairs

• Customers who visit a broken or missing website may think you’ve gone out of business

Email Failure and Marketing Breakdown

• Inbound and outbound emails stop working — and you may not even know it

• Links in ads, emails, and social posts break

• Your digital credibility takes a hit — fast

Recovery Can Be Long and Expensive

• Reclaiming a domain may require days or weeks of back-and-forth with registrars or legal help

• If it was transferred to another owner or registrar, you may face international roadblocks

• Legal fees and lost time quickly add up

Worst Case? You Never Get It Back

That means:

• Buying a new domain

• Rebuilding your website

• Updating business cards, signage, brochures, email addresses, and more

• Informing every client and customer

• Losing SEO rankings and starting over from scratch

It’s not just a hassle — it’s a brand and reputation killer.

Why Delegated Access is the Smarter Choice

• You Stay in Control: You decide who has access and when to cut it off

• It’s Professional: Shows you manage your business securely and responsibly

• It’s Safe: Keeps your login credentials private and your brand protected

• It’s Flexible: Ideal for working with rotating contractors, freelancers, or agencies

Conclusion: Don’t Risk Your Business — Use Delegated Access

Your domain is the digital doorway to your business. If someone else controls it — even for a short time — it can cost you more than money. It can cost you trust, customers, and your reputation.

So the next time someone asks for your domain login, just say:

“I’ll send you delegated access instead.”

Because owning your domain means protecting your business — and now you know how to do it right.

FAQs

Q1: What if someone I hired already has my GoDaddy password?
Change it immediately, then set them up using delegated access to avoid future risk.

Q2: Can I limit what someone can do with delegated access?
Yes. You choose between full product/domain access or domain-only access. They can only do what you allow.

Q3: Is delegated access free?
Absolutely. It’s built into every GoDaddy account — no extra cost.