Transferring your domain

Bringing a domain to us is straightforward, and for most extensions the transfer fee adds a year onto your registration, so you do not lose the time you have already paid for. This guide covers what to do before you start, the transfer itself, and how to avoid the problems that hold transfers up.

Why transfer your domain?

• Keep your domains, hosting and email in one dashboard.
• Free WHOIS privacy from the moment your domain arrives, on eligible extensions.
• Clear, per-year pricing, with the renewal price shown up front.
• Real people to help if anything goes wrong.

Transfer or just point your domain?

You do not have to transfer a domain to use it with our hosting. Pointing its nameservers or DNS records at us works wherever it is registered. Transferring moves the registration itself, which is about where you manage and renew the domain, not where your website lives.

Before you start

• Unlock the domain at your current registrar. It may be called registrar lock or transfer lock.
• Get the EPP code, sometimes called an auth code or transfer code, from your current registrar.
• Make sure the domain is more than 60 days old, and has not been transferred or had its owner details changed in the last 60 days. Registrars usually block transfers in that window.
• Check the admin email address on the domain is one you can receive email at, as approval emails may be sent there.
• Do not leave it until the last minute. Start the transfer well before the domain expires.
• Make a note of your current DNS records as a safety net, especially if your email is hosted somewhere other than your website.

How to transfer your domain

1. 1Start a transfer on our domain transfer page or from your client area.
2. 2Enter the domain and its EPP code.
3. 3Complete checkout. The transfer fee covers the extra year on most extensions.
4. 4Approve the confirmation email if one arrives, from us or from your old registrar. Approving the old registrar's email can speed things up.
5. 5The domain moves across, usually within a few hours to a couple of days. We keep you updated at each step.

Transferring a .uk or .co.uk domain

UK domains work differently. There is no EPP code. Instead, your current registrar changes the domain's IPS tag to the tag of the new registrar. We'll share our IPS tag with you when you start the transfer, then ask your current registrar to change it, or change it yourself in their dashboard if they allow it. Once the tag is changed, the domain appears in our system and we take it from there.

What is an EPP code?

An EPP code is a password for moving a domain between registrars. It proves you own the domain and have agreed to the move. Your current registrar provides it, usually in the domain's settings or by email when you ask. Treat it like a password: anyone with the code and an unlocked domain could try to transfer it away.

How much does a domain transfer cost?

On most extensions, the transfer fee renews your domain for another year, so it is roughly the same as paying for a renewal. Our transfer pricing table lists the price for every extension. Note that a cheap first-year registration offer on some extensions, such as .xyz or .lol, does not apply to transfers, so check the transfer column rather than the register column.

How long does a domain transfer take?

Usually a few hours to a couple of days, depending on the extension and how quickly the confirmation email is approved. Most of that time is the old registrar's waiting period, which you can often skip by approving their email.

Will my website or email go down?

No. We carry over your existing DNS, so your website and email keep working throughout the transfer. The only thing that changes is where the domain is registered. If you use your old registrar's hosting or email, keep those services running until you have moved them too.

After the transfer

1. 1Check your nameservers and DNS records look right in your client area.
2. 2Make sure auto-renew is on, so the domain never lapses.
3. 3Check WHOIS privacy is active, where the extension allows it.
4. 4Once you are happy everything works, cancel any leftover services at your old registrar, being careful not to delete the DNS they may still be serving until you have moved it.

Why a domain transfer fails

• The domain is still locked at the old registrar.
• The EPP code is wrong or has expired. Request a fresh one.
• The domain was registered, transferred or had its owner changed in the last 60 days.
• The domain has expired, or is about to.
• The approval email went to an address nobody checks.

Domain transfer questions

• Can I transfer a domain I only just registered? Not straight away. Most extensions require the domain to be at least 60 days old first.
• Do I need to turn off WHOIS privacy at my old registrar? Usually not, but if the approval email never arrives, privacy at the old registrar may be hiding your real email address.
• Can I transfer several domains at once? Yes. Start a transfer for each one, and if you have a lot of them, ask us and we will help you plan it.
• Will I lose the time left on my registration? No. On most extensions the extra year is added on top of the time you already have.

Stuck on an auth code or an awkward registrar? Open a ticket or message us on live chat and we will walk you through it.