Domain transfer: complete guide

When you register a domain you may have to change the registrar. In this article we will focus on the necessary steps to transfer the domain and change the provider.

In this article, domain transfer: complete guide, we will see what requirements must be met in order to proceed with the domain transfer and what information you need for the procedure.

First, however, let’s see in which circumstances you may need to transfer the domain.

Domain transfer: the complete guide – why and when to do it?

There are several reasons that could lead you to want to transfer your domain. First of all, it is necessary to specify that if you want to change hosting you are not obliged to transfer the domain. You could, in fact, decide to keep the hosting and domain on different providers.

For less experienced users it is recommended to transfer the domain when changing hosting. In this way, you don’t risk mistakes by changing the site pointing and you avoid having the site down for several hours in case the pointing is not set correctly.

Let’s see the reasons why you might need to transfer the domain:

• you think the cost of the domain is high and want to switch to a more advantageous offer
• you need features or services that are not included in the current service, such as the possibility to activate the transfer block or the privacy protection
• you think that the support and assistance of the current provider is not adequate to your expectations and would like to choose a better hosting.

How to transfer a domain

The steps to transfer the domain are simple:

• request the auth code from the provider you registered the domain with
• order the domain transfer with the new provider
• complete the procedure by indicating the auth code and required data
• confirm the transfer by email (optional).

I will explain in detail how to proceed to complete each of these steps. First of all, however, let’s see what conditions must be met in order to proceed with the domain transfer.

Domain transfer: necessary conditions

In order to request the transfer of a domain, you must respect some essential criteria.

First registration or recent domain transfer requires

At least 60 days must pass from the date on which the internet domain was registered for the first time. If a domain transfer has been performed recently you have to wait 60 days to transfer it again.

A recent update of the domain registration data

In the case of generic domains, the 60 days limitation also applies to changes. This means that you won’t be able to transfer the domain if there has been a data update. Changes include changing the email or changing the name of the who registers it.

This limitation is applied for security reasons and to prevent unauthorized transfers. In some cases, providers may offer an option that allows you to bypass the limitation and transfer the domain even before the 60 days.

Domain expiration or freeze

In many cases, you cannot transfer an expired domain. If your domain has already expired you have to renew it with your previous provider for one year, and then request the transfer.

To be able to transfer the domain you must also have deactivated the block that prevents involuntary transfers. As long as the block is active the transfer is not possible.

Other reasons for refusal of a domain transfer

Other cases that could prevent the domain transfer procedure are payments due and not yet paid by the registrant.

Remember that the provider is required to provide the auth code that will allow you to transfer the domain within 5 days from the request (or less depending on the domain extension). If one of the conditions we have seen is not respected the transfer request cannot proceed.

In these cases, you will be notified by the registrar who is required to provide a valid reason for refusing the transfer.

Auth code: what is it used for and how to get it

As explained before, the first step to complete is to get the auth code. This code is also known as authorization code, AuthInfo, EPP code, domain password or transfer code.

It is a code used to uniquely identify a domain and is maintained by the provider.

In order to transfer the domain from one registrar to another, you need to know the auth code associated with your domain.

How to request the auth code

In certain cases, for instance with Aruba or Siteground, in order to obtain the auth code you just have to access your control panel and find the section dedicated to the domain management.

In other cases, you just need to contact the provider to get the authorization code. Remember that, according to ICANN, the provider is required to provide the code within 5 days of your request.

Order the domain transfer

If you want to transfer the domain without changing the hosting, you just need to connect to the dedicated area and enter in the field the name of the domain you want to transfer.

You will be redirected to the customer area and then proceed by filling in the necessary data. Check that the domain name is correct and enter the Auth code as you see on this screen.

With SupportHost you get a one-year domain renewal included with the domain transfer.

After submitting the request you will receive an email to confirm the domain transfer.

Configure DNS

Remember that if you chose to transfer the domain without changing hosting you will have to change the domain nameservers. DNS propagation times take up to 12/24 hours, in many cases a few hours may be enough, depending on the domain extension.

During the transfer, however, some providers do not allow you to change the pointing, so you will need to change it first or wait until the transfer is complete.

Domain transfer times

The times for domain transfer are specific according to the extension of the domain.

.it domain transfer: it takes place during the night after the request at 01:00. This means that if you request the domain transfer at 18:00 on June 25, the transfer is completed at 01:00 on June 26.

.eu domain transfer: the transfer takes place within a few minutes.

Transfer domain .com .net .org and new generic extensions: usually takes 5 days. There are some providers that allow you to transfer a generic domain even before 5 days, by clicking on a confirmation sent by email or through the control panel of the domain. For example godaddy allows this option.

The transfer of .it and .eu domains has the shortest times ever. If you have requested the site transfer and the email transfer together with the domain transfer we suggest you insert an incorrect auth code. In this way, the domain transfer is temporarily suspended and you have time to transfer the files without the site going offline.

Conclusion

In this article, Domain transfer: the complete guide, we have seen all the steps you need to follow to transfer the domain without problems and interruptions for your site. As you have seen a necessary condition for this procedure is to know the auth code.

Remember that your old provider is required to give you this authorization code within 5 days of your request and that, in some cases, you can find it directly in the control panel. After starting the procedure you have to wait for the transfer time of the domain, which, as we have seen, varies according to the extension.

Were you able to complete the domain transfer by following this guide? Is there any step you didn’t understand or did you have problems getting the auth code? Let me know in the comments below.