How to Transfer a Domain Name: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Transferring a domain name means moving it from one registrar to another while keeping the same web address. The process takes 5-7 days and follows a standard set of steps: unlock the domain, get an authorization code, initiate the transfer at your new registrar, and confirm via email. Here's everything you need to know to do it right.

Why Would You Transfer a Domain Name?

People transfer domains for all kinds of reasons, and most of them come down to wanting a better deal, better tools, or a simpler setup. Here are the most common scenarios:

You found a better price. Renewal fees vary significantly between registrars. If your current provider's rates have crept up, moving your domain at renewal time to a registrar with better long-term pricing makes financial sense.

You want everything in one place. Managing a domain at one company, hosting at another, and your site builder at a third is a hassle. Transferring your domain to the platform where your website lives gives you a single dashboard for everything.

You're switching site builders or hosting providers. Transferring simplifies your workflow and means fewer logins, fewer invoices, and fewer renewal reminders from multiple sources.

You inherited or bought a domain. Transferring it into your own registrar account gives you full control and ensures you get renewal reminders.

You're unhappy with your current registrar. Poor customer support, confusing interfaces, or unexpected fees are all legitimate reasons to move on.

What Does It Mean to Transfer a Domain Name?

When you register a domain, you do so through a domain registrar -- a company authorized to manage domain registrations on your behalf. A domain transfer shifts which registrar holds the official record of your domain and handles renewals, DNS management, and contact information. Importantly, a domain transfer moves the registration only -- it does not automatically move your website files, hosting, or email setup. Those live on a server, and a transfer doesn't touch them.

There's also a related but different concept: connecting a domain vs. transferring it. When you connect a domain, you keep it registered at your current provider but point its DNS records to a new platform. When you transfer, you move the registration entirely. Both approaches get your domain working with a new platform, but transfers give you a single place to manage everything going forward.

Transfer vs. Connect: Which Should You Choose?

Transfer if: you want to consolidate your domain, DNS, and website in one dashboard; you're switching platforms permanently; or your domain is up for renewal and you can save money by moving it.

Connect (DNS only) if: you just need your domain to point to a new site quickly (hours, not days); you want to keep your current registrar's pricing or features; or you're comfortable managing DNS separately.

For this guide, we'll focus on full domain transfers.

Before You Transfer: The Pre-Transfer Checklist

Running through this checklist before you start will prevent the most common transfer headaches:

1. Check the 60-day rule -- ICANN prohibits transfers within 60 days of a domain being first registered or previously transferred.

2. Check that your domain isn't expiring soon -- if it expires in fewer than 15 days, most registrars won't accept an incoming transfer. Renew first.

3. Make sure WHOIS contact information is current -- both registrars send confirmation emails during the process; an outdated address will stall the transfer.

4. Disable DNSSEC if it's enabled -- DNSSEC blocks transfers. Turn it off at your current registrar and re-enable after the transfer completes.

5. Disable domain privacy temporarily if needed -- make sure you can receive email at the address your registrar uses for the auth code.

6. Have your login credentials ready at both registrars.

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How to Transfer a Domain Name: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Log in to your current registrar and unlock the domain

Every registered domain has a registrar lock applied by default -- this prevents unauthorized transfers. Log in to your registrar account, navigate to domain management or domain settings, and look for an option called Transfer Lock, Registrar Lock, or Domain Lock. Switch it off. Some registrars do this instantly; others take a few minutes.

Step 2: Request your EPP authorization code

The EPP code (also called an auth code, authorization code, or transfer key) is a unique string of characters assigned to your domain. Think of it as a one-time password that authorizes the transfer. Without it, the new registrar can't accept the domain. Go to your domain's settings at your current registrar and look for a Get Auth Code or Request Transfer Code option. The code is usually emailed to the registrant address on file within a few minutes.

Important: EPP codes expire quickly -- often within 24 to 72 hours. Don't request the code until you're ready to initiate the transfer immediately.

Step 3: Go to your new registrar and start the transfer

Head to your new registrar's website and find the domain transfer option. Enter your domain name and the EPP code you received. You'll typically be asked to choose a privacy preference, select a registration period (transfers generally add at least one year), and enter your payment details. The transfer fee covers a one-year renewal -- you're essentially pre-paying the next renewal at the new provider.

Step 4: Approve the transfer confirmation email

After initiating the transfer, you'll receive a confirmation email from your current registrar asking you to approve the outgoing transfer. Click the approval link promptly. If you don't, the transfer will still complete eventually (most registrars auto-approve after 5-7 days), but clicking the link speeds things up dramatically -- some transfers complete within hours once both parties confirm.

Step 5: Wait for the transfer to complete

Once everything is approved, the transfer processes in the background. You'll typically get a final confirmation email from your new registrar when it's done. During this time, your domain continues to resolve normally -- there's no downtime for your website or email as long as your DNS records remain unchanged.

Step 6: Verify your DNS settings at the new registrar

After the transfer completes, log in to your new registrar and check that your DNS records carried over correctly. Most registrars import existing DNS records during a transfer, but it's worth confirming that your A record, MX records, and any CNAMEs are still in place. If anything is missing, add it back manually.

How to Transfer a Domain to Wix

If you want to manage your domain through Wix -- where your domain, DNS, and website all live in one place -- here's how to transfer an existing domain in.

What you'll need

• An active Wix account with an upgraded plan

• The domain name you want to transfer

• Your EPP authorization code from your current registrar

• The domain must be unlocked and DNSSEC disabled at your current provider

Steps to transfer a domain to Wix

1. Log in to Wix and go to the Domains section of your account dashboard.

2. Click Add an Existing Domain and select Transfer your domain to Wix.

3. Enter the domain name you want to transfer.

4. Enter your EPP authorization code in the provided field.

5. Choose your privacy preference and registration period.

6. Complete the payment (this covers at least one year of registration).

7. Approve the confirmation email from your current registrar.

8. Wait up to 7 days for the transfer to finalize.

Once complete, Wix becomes your registrar. You'll manage DNS settings, contact information, renewals, and domain privacy all from your Wix account dashboard. It keeps things tidy, especially if you're already running your site on Wix.

Ready to bring your domain under one roof? You can start the transfer or buy domain for your next project directly through Wix. If you don't have a domain yet, use Wix's domain name search to find the right address before you commit.

How to Transfer a Domain Away from Its Current Registrar

Transferring from GoDaddy

Log in to GoDaddy, go to My Products > Domains, and select the domain you want to transfer. Under Domain Settings, click Transfer Domain. GoDaddy will ask you to confirm your WHOIS email. Request the auth code -- it arrives by email quickly. Unlock the domain in the same settings panel.

Transferring from Namecheap

Log in to Namecheap and go to Domain List. Click Manage next to your domain, then navigate to the Transfer Out section. Toggle off the Transfer Lock and click Send next to Auth Code. Namecheap emails the code immediately.

Transferring from Google Domains / Squarespace Domains

Since Squarespace acquired Google Domains, transfers follow Squarespace's process. Log in, go to Domains, select your domain, and navigate to Advanced Settings. You'll find the transfer lock and auth code options there.

Universal tips for any registrar

• Look for domain settings, security settings, or DNS management -- that's where the lock and auth code options are typically found.

• If you can't locate the auth code option, contact your registrar's support team directly. They're required by ICANN to provide it.

• Never share your auth code publicly or over unencrypted channels.

  
  

How Long Does a Domain Transfer Take?

Most domain transfers take 5 to 7 days from the moment you initiate them. This window is set by ICANN and gives the outgoing registrar time to process the release. You can shorten this by approving the outgoing transfer confirmation email as soon as it arrives. When both registrars confirm quickly, transfers sometimes complete within a few hours.

Factors that can slow a transfer: you haven't approved the confirmation email; the domain was registered or previously transferred within the last 60 days; DNSSEC is still enabled; or your WHOIS email is wrong and you missed the confirmation.

Factors that can stop a transfer entirely: the domain is expired; a legal dispute or registrar hold is on the domain; or the EPP code has expired (request a fresh one).

How Much Does a Domain Transfer Cost?

Domain transfer fees vary by registrar and TLD, but the structure is generally the same: you pay the equivalent of one year's registration fee to the new registrar, and that year gets added to your existing registration period. You don't lose the time you already paid for. For common TLDs like .com, .net, and .org, expect to pay around $10-$20 at most registrars.

• You're not paying twice. The transfer fee replaces -- not supplements -- what would have been your next renewal at the old registrar.

• Premium domains may have higher transfer fees.

• Some ccTLDs (country-code extensions like .uk or .ca) have different transfer rules and pricing set by their registry operators, not ICANN.

• Some registrars charge a small administrative fee on top of the renewal cost; read the fine print before confirming.

  
  

Common Domain Transfer Problems -- and How to Fix Them

Transfer failed or rejected

This usually means the domain is still locked. Double-check that you turned off the registrar lock at your current provider and that DNSSEC is disabled. Try requesting a new auth code and initiating the transfer again.

Authorization code is invalid

Auth codes expire -- often within 24 to 72 hours. If you waited too long after requesting it, go back to your current registrar and generate a new one. Use it immediately.

Domain is not eligible for transfer

You're likely inside the 60-day window from when the domain was registered or last transferred. Check the registration date in your WHOIS record. If so, you'll need to wait out the remaining days.

Cannot reach confirmation email

Check your spam or junk folder. If the email address on file in your WHOIS record is outdated, log in to your current registrar, update the email, and restart the process. Some registrars send to a privacy-protected email -- in that case, you may need to temporarily disable domain privacy.

Transfer seems stuck after 5+ days

Contact your new registrar's support team. Sometimes a transfer stalls on their end, and support can manually push it through. You can also check the WHOIS record for your domain -- once the transfer completes, the registrar information should update to show your new provider.

Website or email went down after the transfer

This is a DNS issue, not a transfer issue. Your DNS records didn't carry over correctly, or the TTL (time-to-live) values caused propagation delays. Log in to your new registrar's DNS panel and verify that your A record, CNAME, and MX records match what they were before the transfer.

What Happens to Your Website When You Transfer a Domain?

Nothing changes automatically. Your website files live on a hosting server, and your email lives on a mail server. Transferring a domain simply moves which registrar holds the registration record -- it doesn't relocate your hosting or email. As long as your DNS records carry over correctly and you don't change them during the transfer window, your website stays online throughout.

Should You Transfer or Just Connect Your Domain?

Transfer if: you want one dashboard for your domain, DNS, and website; you're unhappy with your current registrar's pricing or support; you're migrating your site to a new platform and want a clean break; or your domain is up for renewal and you can save money by transferring.

Connect if: you just need your domain to point to a new site; you want to do it fast; you're comfortable managing DNS at your current registrar; or your current registrar has features or pricing you like.

If you're already building your website on Wix, connecting is often the quickest path. But if consolidation and simplicity matter to you, transferring everything to Wix puts your domain and site management under the same roof.

How to Transfer a Domain Name FAQ

How long does a domain transfer take?

Most domain transfers take 5-7 days. You can speed up the process by approving the confirmation email from your current registrar as soon as it arrives. When both parties confirm quickly, some transfers complete within hours.

Does transferring a domain affect my website?

Transferring a domain does not affect your website or email as long as your DNS records remain unchanged. The transfer moves the registration, not your hosting or email setup. Verify your DNS records at the new registrar after the transfer completes.

Can I transfer a domain that was just registered?

No. ICANN rules prohibit domain transfers for 60 days after a domain is first registered or after a previous transfer. You'll need to wait until the 60-day window has passed.

Is it free to transfer a domain?

Domain transfers aren't free -- they typically cost the equivalent of one year's registration fee (around $10-$20 for .com). However, that payment adds a year to your domain's expiration, so you're not losing money; you're prepaying your next renewal at the new registrar.

Can I transfer a domain if it's about to expire?

It's risky. Most registrars won't accept incoming transfers for domains expiring in fewer than 15 days, and a transfer can take up to 7 days to complete. Renew the domain at your current registrar first, then initiate the transfer.

What is an EPP code and where do I get it?

An EPP code (also called an auth code or transfer key) is a unique code tied to your domain that authorizes a transfer. You request it from your current registrar -- it's usually emailed to the registrant address within minutes. It expires quickly, so use it immediately after requesting it.

Can I cancel a domain transfer after I've started it?

Yes, usually. Most registrars let you cancel an in-progress transfer within the first few days. Log in to your current registrar and look for an option to cancel or decline the outgoing transfer. Once both registrars have confirmed, it's harder (sometimes impossible) to reverse.

What happens to my email when I transfer my domain?

Email is not affected by the transfer itself -- it depends on your DNS records. As long as your MX records (which control email routing) stay correct at the new registrar, your email continues to work normally. Check your MX records after the transfer completes.

Do I lose my remaining registration time when I transfer?

No. Your remaining registration time carries over. The transfer fee adds at least one year on top of whatever time you already have left.