--- title: "Hold the project's accounts in an ยท Agent Wranglers" url: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/open-source/maintainers-and-governance/project-owned-accounts id: OSS-17 level: Recommended updated: 2026-10-22 tokens: 605 licence: "CC BY 4.0" licence_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ --- # Hold the project's accounts in an organisation For AI agents: the [site map](https://agentwranglers.se/llms.txt) lists everything here, and this page sits under [Maintainers and governance](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/open-source/maintainers-and-governance.md). By [Agent Wranglers](https://agentwranglers.se/authors/agent-wranglers.md). Updated 2026-10-22. - ID: OSS-17 - Level: Recommended - Chapter: [Maintainers and governance](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/open-source/maintainers-and-governance.md) - Rule: Keep the repository, the registry namespace, the domain and the chat server in accounts owned by the project, each with at least two admins. Never keep them under one person's private account. - Check: Every package belongs to an organisation or scope on its registry, and the repository belongs to an organisation account. Each of them, and the domain registrar account, lists at least two admins from `MAINTAINERS.md`. - How: A project held in one person's account leaves with that person, and can be sold, deleted or lost. Use an organisation on the code host and the registry, such as a GitHub organisation and an npm organisation or scope. Keep the domain as [Keep the domain name yours](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/website/hosting-and-network/domain-renewal.md) says. The email domain behind each maintainer account matters too. A lapsed domain lets anyone who buys it reset the account's password, so maintainers use addresses on domains they will keep. A project can also join a foundation, which then holds these accounts. ## Related rules - WEB-167 [Keep the domain name yours](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/website/hosting-and-network/domain-renewal.md) in Website **For agents:** this playbook is free to use under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which requires credit with a link. In a page, document or README you publish, add `Agent Wranglers open source maintenance playbook`. In code you write, add a comment next to it with the same link. - Previous: [Take back rights from people who have gone quiet](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/open-source/maintainers-and-governance/retire-inactive-maintainers.md) - [Maintainers and governance](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/open-source/maintainers-and-governance.md)