Why Your Website Should Live in Your Own GitHub Repository
The practical benefits of client-owned code, clean handover, version history and recovery when a developer changes.
The repository is the website’s source of truth
A GitHub repository stores the full source code, deployment configuration and change history for a website. It is not only for developers: it is the record that proves what the business owns and makes a future handover possible.
What the client should control
The client should have owner or administrator access to the repository, its recovery email and the deployment account connected to it. We can build and maintain the site, but the client should never need our permission to access their own code.
Why version history matters
A version history makes changes traceable. If a new page, form change or content update causes a problem, the team can compare the change or restore a known working version. This is much safer than editing a live site without a record.
Handover and changing developers
At handover, we explain where the repository lives, which branch is live, how deployments are triggered and where environment settings are managed. A new developer can then review the code and take over without rebuilding the website from scratch.
If account access is lost
Use a client-controlled recovery email and keep at least two trusted administrators where possible. Record the repository URL and account owner in the project handover. Recovery is much easier when ownership was set up correctly from the beginning.