Every so often a new client arrives with a sheepish look that says I think my website is held together with borrowed magic. Their site was built by someone who never shared licence info for themes or plugins. No keys. No receipts. No clue where anything came from. It feels a bit like moving into a house and finding all the cupboards locked with no idea who owns the keys.
If this sounds familiar you are definitely not alone. It happens a lot in the WordPress world, especially when a previous developer handled everything behind the curtain. The problem is that these hidden licences control a surprising amount of your website’s wellbeing.
What Happens When Licences Expire
When a theme or plugin licence lapses the site does not explode in a puff of digital smoke, but slowly things start to fray at the edges like a favourite jumper. Updates stop arriving which means:
- security holes creep in quietly
- features stop working or break during the next WordPress update
- support from the developer disappears
- performance can decline in strange ways
Most people only notice something is wrong when their site starts throwing tantrums. A form stops sending emails. A checkout stops behaving. A layout shifts in ways that make no sense. Often the root cause is an expired licence buried somewhere deep in the setup.
Why Licences Are So Hard To Find
Sometimes the previous developer used their own bundle licences. Sometimes they bought a single licence and never shared the account details. Sometimes they forgot what they used entirely. The internet leaves clues but not always tidy ones. You can dig through plugin settings, email trails and invoices and still feel like a detective hunting for a ghost.
How I Untangle The Maze
This is where I roll up my sleeves and go hunting. I follow the breadcrumbs, check the build, identify what is premium software and where it actually came from. Then I guide you to the correct place to purchase the licences in your own name.
The goal is simple. Your website should belong fully to you not to the mystery developer from three years ago or the agency that has since vanished. When premium plugins are required I source the proper links and you buy the licences directly so the accounts are under your control. You get the login details, the renewal reminders, the peace of mind.
My Difference
I work with an ownership first mindset. If your site relies on paid tools I make sure they are always in your name. You stay in the driver’s seat and nothing is hidden in strange accounts or private portals. If you leave my services everything stays with you because that is how it should be.
Ready To Sort Out Your Own Website Licences
If you are staring at your WordPress dashboard wondering where your licences are meant to be, get in touch and I will help you make sense of it all.