Working with an agency: keep control of your .at domain account

atdomain.at Editorial · 4 min · Updated 27 October 2026

The essentials

First establish who holds the domain and who controls access to its account. Then agree exactly what the agency will do. Keep access and recovery options secure and check the website and email after changes.

Two people discuss a domain account at a laptop beside a key — A clear plan separates domain management from technical work.

1. Separate ownership from technical work

An agency can manage your website without being the domain holder. Check which person or organisation is recorded as holder in your domain account. For an organisation, the legally correct name matters. nic.at distinguishes the domain holder from the technical contact; doing technical work alone does not make someone the holder. If the information is wrong or you cannot interpret it, contact us through your account before requesting changes. Also record who is authorised to decide on renewal or a provider transfer.

Understand domain holder, billing and technical access

2. List services and responsibilities

A .at domain does not automatically include a website or an email mailbox. Domain account, website and email are often managed through separate services. For each, note where it is managed, who is responsible and which address receives important notifications. Do not put passwords in this inventory. In particular, check that you can access the account recovery mailbox independently of the agency. If that mailbox fails, essential confirmation or reset links may be unreachable. atdomain.at currently sells neither hosting nor email mailboxes.

3. Organise access safely

Check what access options each service actually offers. If it supports individual users with suitable permissions, agree a personal account for the person doing the work. Not every service offers separate accounts, so check the available options first. Never send passwords, authorisation codes or card details in a support ticket or ordinary email. If existing access appears necessary, agree on a secure method and the exact scope first. Use a distinct strong password for each account and enable additional sign-in protection wherever the service offers it. The domain holder should retain their own access.

Person holding a key folder beside website and email symbols — The domain account, website and email are separate services with their own access.

4. Document DNS before changes

Before a change, record which nameservers are active and which DNS entries are in use. These can include website, email and verification records. Keep the information somewhere protected and record when it was collected. Ask the agency which entries it proposes to change and why. A nameserver change can affect the whole zone; a working website alone does not prove email is working. With our default nameservers you can manage DNS in your account; custom nameservers are also supported. Avoid speculative changes and never publish confidential verification codes.

Back up your DNS zone before changes Check the active nameservers

5. Agree the work and handover in writing

Before work begins, agree which changes are permitted, the intended result and who will check it. For example, the agency connects an existing website to www, while the domain holder retains the domain account contact address and renewal decision. Name a reachable person for questions and a fallback contact if something goes wrong. After the work, request a list of settings actually changed and documentation of the services involved. Check yourself that you can still open your account, reach its contact address and that the agreed access remains appropriate.

Two people review a checklist beside a key and an envelope — Write down the tasks and checks for the handover.

6. Check the website, email and term

After a technical change, open the actual website addresses and check for a valid HTTPS certificate. Separately verify that existing email addresses can send and receive messages. DNS caches can make changes visible at different times. Record when and where you tested and report discrepancies. Plan renewal independently of the agency project. A standard new .at domain currently costs €12.99 total for the first year with us; renewal is €15.99 total per additional year. New standard .at domains also offer three years for €39 total, including registration and two annual renewals. At unchanged current prices this saves €5.97 compared with €44.97 paid annually. Transfers and existing renewals are excluded. After the included period, arrange renewal in good time at the then-current price; there is no automatic card charge.

Plan your domain renewal in good time See current total prices

Handover checklist

Keep your inventory current whenever a contact, service or responsibility changes. A good handover enables the domain holder to make necessary decisions after a project ends.