Guide
How to transfer a domain name to a new registrar
Transferring a domain moves its registration to a new company, and it does not have to affect your website or email if you plan it. First make sure the domain is unlocked and the contact details are right, then follow the steps your new registrar gives you. You do not need to transfer a domain to use our hosting, because you can simply point it at us.
First, decide
Transfer it, or just point it?
Just point the domain
- Quickest way to use our hosting
- The domain stays with your current registrar
- No transfer fee or waiting
- Easy to reverse
Transfer the registration
- Everything is managed in one place
- You may renew it with us at £9.99 for .co.uk and .uk
- Takes a few steps and some waiting
- Needs the domain to be eligible
The basics
What a domain transfer is
Your domain has two separate parts: the registration, which says who owns it and which company manages it, and the DNS, which says where it points. A transfer changes the first. If you do it carefully, the second stays the same, so your site and email carry on working.
Transfers are used to bring all your domains to one company, to move to a better price or service, or to separate a domain from a company you no longer work with. For UK domains, the process traditionally involves changing a registrar tag held at the registry. Your current registrar can tell you exactly what to do for your domain.
Before you start
Checks to make first
- You control the registration. Confirm you are the registrant or have access to the account.
- The contact details are accurate. Transfers can stall on out-of-date email addresses.
- The domain is not about to expire. Renew first if it is close to its end date.
- Your DNS is documented. Copy every record so nothing is lost.
- Email will keep working. Note where your mail is hosted.
- Locks are removed. Some registrars lock domains against transfer by default.
The process
Transferring in five steps
Prepare the old registrar
Unlock the domain and make sure the contact email is correct.
Get the transfer details
Ask for what your new registrar needs, such as an authorisation code or a tag change.
Start the transfer
Place the transfer order with the new registrar and provide the details.
Approve it if asked
Watch your email for confirmation requests and answer them quickly.
Check everything
When complete, confirm the site, email and DNS records are all still working.
Worked example
A business brings three domains under one roof
A small design studio has three domains spread across three companies, bought at different times by different people. Renewals arrive at different dates and from different places, and one has lapsed twice.
The owner decides to gather them in one account. She lists each domain, checks who is the registrant and updates the contact email to a shared address. She copies the DNS records for each one, then starts the transfers one at a time, quietest domain first.
After each transfer she checks the site and email before starting the next. A month later all three are in one place, with auto-renew on and a single reminder date. The studio no longer risks losing a domain because someone forgot a password.
Security
Protecting a domain during and after a transfer
A domain is valuable, and attackers sometimes try to steal one by taking over the registrant email or by tricking a registrar. Protect the email account used for the domain with a strong password and two-factor login.
Be cautious of emails that ask you to "confirm a transfer" you did not start. Contact your registrar directly through its official website rather than following a link in a message. If you see a transfer you did not request, act at once.
Quick reference
Transfer or point: a quick comparison
| Point to our hosting | Transfer the registration | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Minutes to a day | Minutes to several days |
| Risk to site and email | Low if you keep email records | Low if DNS stays the same |
| Effort | Edit a record or name servers | Several steps and approvals |
| Fee | None | Depends on the ending |
| Best when | You only want our hosting | You want one account for everything |
Advice
Our usual advice
If your only aim is to host a website with us, point the domain and leave the registration where it is. You can always transfer it later when you have time. Transferring is worthwhile when you want a single account, a better renewal price or to separate a domain from a company you no longer use.
Take your time
Do not rush a transfer
A transfer is not urgent unless the domain is about to expire or the old company is closing. Pick a quiet week, do one domain at a time and check everything after each. A calm, careful transfer takes a little longer and avoids nearly all the problems people report. Write down each step as you go, so that if a question comes up later you know exactly what was done, when and by whom, and you can undo it if you need to.
Just want to use our hosting?
You can point any domain at our servers without transferring it.
Protecting service
Keeping your website and email running
The safest approach is to keep DNS unchanged during the transfer. Copy all the existing records to the new registrar before you start, or keep using the current name servers until the transfer is finished and you have checked everything.
Email is the usual casualty, because mail records are easy to forget. Write down the MX records and any TXT records for SPF, DKIM and DMARC. If anything is missing after the move, put it back at once.
Choose a quiet time, and tell anyone who relies on the domain, such as your web designer, that the registration is moving.
Problems
Common transfer problems and fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer rejected | Domain locked or details wrong | Unlock it and check the contact email |
| Nothing happens | A confirmation email was missed | Check spam folders and the registrant email |
| Site went down | DNS changed during transfer | Restore the old DNS records |
| Email stopped | MX records missing | Re-add the old MX records |
| Domain near expiry | Transfer may fail | Renew first, then transfer |
Afterwards
What to do when the transfer is complete
Log in to the new account, check the contact details and turn on auto-renew. Review the DNS records and compare them with your copy. Test your website, forms and email from a different network.
Turn on two-factor login for the new account, and keep a note of the renewal date. Close the old account only when you have confirmed everything works.
FAQ
Common questions
Will a transfer take my website offline?
Not if DNS stays the same. Copy your records and check them afterwards.
How long does a transfer take?
It varies by ending and registrar, from minutes to several days. Your new registrar will give you an idea.
Do I have to transfer to use your hosting?
No. You can point the domain at our servers, wherever it is registered.
Can I transfer a domain that is about to expire?
It is safer to renew it first, because some transfers fail close to expiry.
What does it cost?
It depends on the ending and registrar. Ask our live chat for .co.uk and .uk, which renew at £9.99 a year with us.
Keep reading
Related pages
Bring your site and domain together
Pick UK hosting, and connect your domain with our help.