Back to guides
Domain & DNS3 min read
Transferring a domain to another provider
When a transfer is worth it, what to ask for, and how to avoid taking your site or mail down.
Transferring a domain means the domain stays yours but a different company manages it. It is not the same as pointing a domain at a new site — you don't need a transfer to launch a website.
When it's worth doing
- You've lost access to the current provider and nobody in the company can get it back.
- The current provider is expensive, or unreachable when you actually need something.
- You want all company domains in one place.
What to prepare
- The authorisation code (also called auth-info, EPP code or transfer code) — request it from your current provider.
- An unlocked domain — many providers keep domains locked against transfer by default.
- A current, working contact email on the domain. The confirmation link goes there.
- A screenshot of every DNS record, including MX and TXT — they have to be recreated after the transfer.
This is the single most common mistake: DNS records are not carried over automatically during a transfer. If you don't screenshot them first, your email can stop working. Always take the backup, even if someone tells you it isn't needed.
How it runs
- 1At the new provider you enter the domain and the authorisation code.
- 2A confirmation link arrives at the contact email — it needs confirming.
- 3The transfer usually completes within 5 days. The domain keeps working the whole time.
- 4Once done, we check and restore every DNS record from your backup.
A domain can't be transferred in the last days before it expires, or shortly after registration (usually the first 60 days). If expiry is close, renew the domain first and deal with the transfer afterwards.