The Ins and Outs of Transferring a Domain Name

The initial thought of transferring a domain name to another registrar can seem daunting. However, it only takes a few simple steps to gather the information you’ll need to go from one registrar to another.

First, select a new registrar, or "home" for your domain name. You can either use your web hosting company’s domain registrar or opt for a separate domain registrar. If you go with a domain registrar that doesn’t offer web hosting service, then the internet directory system (DNS) will be contacting them to locate your website when someone tries to access it. Many web hosts, however, now offer domain registrar services, so this may not be the lowest cost option. It may also be easier to have both your web host and domain name managed at the same location. If you’re still searching for a new registrar we recommend Bluehost, which offers a free domain name with your service. Now you’re ready for step number two.

Second, obtain your authorization code from your current registrar. It’s required by your new registrar for the domain name transfer. Sometimes all it takes is navigating to the proper page. You may need to use the search function to locate its storage place, or even call the registrar to request it in rare cases.

Third, ensure that the domain name is open to transfer. Sounds complicated, but changing the state of your domain name is usually managed from the same page you found your domain name. In worst cases you may need to use the search function or contact the registrar for help, but once this is done you’re allowed to begin the transfer.

Fourth, begin and accept the domain transfer. Once you’ve located the domain management or transfer tool on your new registrar’s site, you’ll be asked to enter the name of the domain and the authorization code. Then you’ll be asked to check the email address of the domain name – which is most likely the one you used to sign up. If you no longer have access to that address getting this step accomplished may be a bit more complicated, but doable. Just contact the registrar to explain what happened. This may take time to resolve. If you still have access to that account, however, you will simply click a link to "agree" to the transfer or receive a code that’ll be entered later to initiate the transfer. In anywhere from a few days to a few hours, the actual transfer will be complete.

But wait, you’re not done yet! Once the transfer is finished, be sure to verify that everything works. There’ll be no downtime for your site if everything goes smoothly. If not, you might see up to 48 hours of connection problems for some users as their DNS servers are updated, but from our experience these cases are rare. If everything works, congratulations! You’ve successfully moved your domain name.