GoDaddy is one of the most domain registrar in the world. Normally you can register a domain with GoDaddy directly. However sometimes you may have already bought the domain elsewhere. In such case, you can transfer domain name from current registrar to GoDaddy. There are different reasons you may want to transfer domain registrar. For example, you may transfer domains to GoDaddy for easier management. You may transfer domain to GoDaddy because you want to switch web hosting to GoDaddy as well. No matter what reason you get, you can follow below instructions and tips to transfer domain from current registrar to GoDaddy.
>> Register a domain with GoDaddy.
How to Transfer Domain to GoDaddy?
The domain transfer process involves many jobs to be done with both your current registrar and new registrar. We will devide this domain transfer guide into two parts as following.
Part 1. Prepare Domain Transfer with current registrar
To prepare to transfer your domain name to GoDaddy, there are several things you need to do with your current domain registrar.
Tip 1. Verify domain status
ICANN regulations prohibit transferring domain names (except .au) that were registered or previously transferred in the last 60 days. So make sure your domain was registered at least 2 months ago or has been transferred to your current domain registrar for more than 2 months.
Tip 2. Veryfy domain administrative contact email
Now log on your domain account with your current registrar. Sometimes you have the same login credentials as your web hosting account if your domain registrar also offers website hosting. Go to make sure your administrative contact email for your domain name is a valid one you have access to. Both current registrar and new registrar will send you emails to this email address during the domain transfer process. Update the email address if necessary.
Tip 3. Disable domain privacy
You need to disable domain WHOIS privacy if your have it enabled before. The public WHOIS database will have your email address. GoDaddy will use this email address to send you important information about domain transfer. You can refer to this guide to disable domain WHOIS privacy with Webhost4life, just as an example. The process may be slightly different with other domain registrar or web hosting.
Tip 4. Unlock Domain
Domain locking is an essential feature provided by most domain registrars to prevent domain hijacking or unauthorized transfer. You have to turn it off before you can transfer domain to GoDaddy. See this tutorial to unlock domain with Webhost4life as an example.
Tip 5. Attain domain transfer authorization code.
Generally speaking, you will need an authorization code in order to transfer domain to GoDaddy. You can get domain transfer authorization code from your current registrar. It is also known as domain transfer authentication code, EPP code or transfer key. You can refer to this guide to get domain transfer auth code from Webhost4life.
Part 2. Transfer Domain to GoDaddy
Step 1. Buy domain name transfer with GoDaddy
First of all, you need to buy a domain name transfer from GoDaddywebsite. Sign up an account with them if not yet. Then log on your account and go to Domains >> Transfer Domains.
Input your domain name in to the box, then select its extension, click Go button to add the domain transfer to your shopping cart and proceed to check out. If the extension you want to transfer is not listed, you cannot transfer the domain name to GoDaddy. After the purchase, you will receive en email which contains the transfer IDs (transaction ID and security code) you need to authorize the transfer in your account with GoDaddy.
Step 2. Authorize Domain Transfer
Log on your Account Manager, go to Domains >> Manage Domains, you will find a list of existing domains added to GoDaddy account. Click on Domains >> Transfer, you will open the PENDING TRANSFERS page.
From above Pending Transfers page, the Pending Transfers In tab automatically loads. You can find all domains you want to transfer to GoDaddy and currently in process. Select the domain name by clicking the checkbox in front of it, then click the Authorize Transfer button from the tools bar above to authorize domain transfer with GoDaddy.
The domain transfer authorization is separated into two steps. It firstly requires you to enter your DoDaddy transfer codes, Transaction ID and Security Code, in the Add Transfer Codes step. Remember that we have received the domain transfer codes from GoDaddy through email at step 1 above?
The second step to authorize domain transfer in GoDaddy account is to input your domain transfer authorization code or EPP code which you attained from your current domain registrar. Some registrars display the authorization code in your account with them, most others however will email it upon request to the administrative contact’s email address for your domain name. In the first half of this guide, we showed how to attain domain transfer authorization code from current registrar.
Click Finish button to complete domain transfer authorization with GoDaddy. Now you will be prompted that the authorization has finished, you have to wait when the domain is being transferred from old to new domain registrar. The domain status may display as Processing. No action needed or later Processing Transfer. GoDaddy has sent transfer request to the sending registrar or your current registrar. It can take up to 7 days for the sending registrar to approve the domain transfer. Keep an eye on your domain contact email account. In this demo, we transferred domain from Webhost4life to GoDaddy. And we received an email from Registrar OpenSRS titled Transfer Away request has been received for the domain …. couple of hours later. This email has the link and transfer key you need to accept or decline the domain transfer.
As the receiving registrar, GoDaddy can do nothing before it gets the approval from sending registrar or you can manually approve the transfer by yourself from the Registrar OpenSRS domain transfer away confirmation page as above. If you accept and approve domain transfer to GoDaddy through the Registrar OpenSRS domain transfer away confirmation above, your domain should be transferred away immediately. Otherwise just wait for couple of days, or check back from time to time for any updates.
What to do next?
Once you have transferred domain from old registrar to GoDaddy, you may need to change its name servers or DNS records in order to properly point your domain name to your web hosting server. GoDaddy will keep its name servers unchanged as they were before with your last registrar. You can refer to this guide to change Name servers for your domain with GoDaddy. To map a domain to your web hosting service, alternatively you can also choose to add or change DNS A records with GoDaddy.
