Transferring a domain to a new registrar is routine — but do it in the wrong order and your website or email can go dark. Here's how to move it safely, with nothing going offline.
First: what a transfer does NOT change
Moving registrars changes who you renew and manage the domain with— not where your website or email point, as long as you keep your DNS records the same. That's the key to a zero-downtime move: preserve the DNS, and visitors and email never notice.
Step 1 — Prep at your current registrar
- Unlock the domain (turn off the registrar/transfer lock).
- Temporarily disable WHOIS privacy if the transfer requires it.
- Confirm the admin email on file is one you can actually access — approval goes there.
Step 2 — Get your authorization (EPP) code
Request the auth code (also called an EPP code) from your current registrar. It's the password that proves you own the domain, and the new registrar needs it to start the move.
Step 3 — Copy your DNS records first
This is the step that saves you. Before you move anything, export or screenshot every DNS record — A, CNAME, MX, and TXT (including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC). If your DNS is currently hosted at the old registrar, recreate those records at the new host before the transfer completes so nothing drops. Not sure what each record does? See DNS records explained.
Step 4 — Start the transfer at the new registrar
Enter the domain and auth code and pay — a transfer usually adds a year to your registration. You'll get an approval email; approve it. Transfers can take up to five days by ICANN rules, but often finish within hours.
Step 5 — Verify, then re-lock
Once it lands, confirm the domain appears in the new registrar, your DNS records are intact, and your site and email still work. Then re-enable the transfer lock and WHOIS privacy.
Two gotchas: you can't transfer within 60 days of registering or a prior transfer (an ICANN lock), and the mistake that bites people most is letting the old DNS zone disappear before recreating records at the new host. We can handle the whole move if you'd rather not risk it.