What should I check before buying a website?
The short answer
Check what you’d take over and what it costs to run: who holds the domain, every hosting plan and paid service, the real traffic and income with proof, any legal duties from the data it collects, and exactly what transfers with the sale. Ask the seller for evidence, and pay through an escrow service rather than directly.
- Domain: who the registrant is, when it expires and whether it can be transferred to you.
- Running costs: every service the site uses, what each costs and when it renews. Ask for invoices.
- Traffic and income: screenshots can be faked, so ask for read-only access to analytics and payment accounts.
- Data and law: what personal data the site holds (customers, emails, health or payment data) and which privacy laws apply.
- What’s included: domain, content, code, social accounts, email lists, supplier contracts and support after the sale.
Use escrow for payment, so the money is released only when the domain and accounts are in your name.
Words used here
- Due diligence
- Checking everything about a website before you buy it — real running costs, who owns each account, what data it holds, and hidden risks.
- Escrow
- A neutral company holds the buyer’s money until both sides confirm the handover is complete. It protects buyer and seller.
- Due diligence (thinking of buying)
- You’re researching a website before buying it. Its costs show as projected — not counted in your spending or alerts — and you get a before-you-buy checklist.
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