Before you transfer a domain, check five things about the domain itself (owner, eligibility, email, expiry and restrictions), five things about DNS and email, and two things on the day. The transfer itself takes minutes to start. Almost every transfer disaster we hear about comes from a skipped check: a lost email inbox, a missing DNS record or a code sent to an address nobody reads.
Key takeaways
- Moving a domain doesn’t move your website or email, but it can break them if DNS is hosted at the old registrar.
- Export every DNS record before you start, especially MX and TXT records for email.
- The transfer code goes to the registrant email, so confirm you can receive it.
- For .au domains, both you and the domain must be eligible on the day.
The 12-point domain transfer checklist
This list is about preparation. For where to find the code and approve the transfer at a particular provider, see our guide to moving your domain away from GoDaddy, Crazy Domains or VentraIP.
What should I check about the domain itself?
1. Is your business the registrant?
Look up the domain on auDA’s WHOIS for a .au name. The registrant should be your business, not your web designer or a former partner. If it isn’t, fix that first with a registrant transfer. Changing registrar won’t change the owner.
2. Is your eligibility still current?
auDA requires you to stay eligible to hold a .au licence at the time of transfer (auDA). Check that the ABN or ACN on the record is still active. Since May 2026, a lapsed ABN can also block renewal, as our .com.au renewal ABN check explainer covers.
3. Can you receive the registrant email?
For .au names, the current registrar sends the transfer code to the registrant contact email in the registry. If that’s a departed staff member’s address, update it before you start.
4. When does it expire?
Don’t start a transfer days before expiry. For .au names, any full years left on the licence carry over. For .com and other global names, a domain in the redemption period must be restored by your current registrar first, which may cost a fee (ICANN).
5. Are there any restrictions?
A .au licence can’t move while it’s under a complaint or dispute. For global names, registrars may refuse a transfer within 60 days of registration or a previous transfer, and must refuse one within 60 days of a change to the registrant’s name, organisation or email.
What should I check about DNS and email?
6. Who hosts your DNS?
DNS is the set of records that points your domain at your website and email. If it’s hosted by your current registrar, it will often stop working when the domain leaves. If it’s hosted elsewhere, such as with your web host, the transfer usually won’t touch it.
7. Have you exported every record?
Take a full export or screenshots of every record: A and CNAME for the website and subdomains, MX for email, and TXT records for email authentication and service verification. Missing MX and TXT records are the usual reason email stops after a transfer.
8. Are the records ready at the new host?
If DNS is moving, set up every record at the new host before you switch nameservers, and check each against your export.
9. Is DNSSEC switched on?
If DNSSEC is on and the DNS provider is changing, turn it off at the registrar and wait for the old record to expire first. Cloudflare’s documentation warns that changing nameservers too early makes the domain fail to resolve for many visitors (Cloudflare Docs). Switch it back on afterwards.
10. Do you know where the website and email live?
Your domain, website hosting and email can sit with three different companies. A domain transfer moves only the domain. If you want to move the website too, do it as a separate step, and our free website migration can handle that part for you.
What should I do on transfer day?
11. Remove the lock and get the code
Remove the transfer lock, turn off any paid privacy or protection add-ons that block transfers, and request the transfer code. Our explainer on the domain auth code covers what it is. For .au names, an approved transfer can take up to three days to take effect, and auDA charges no fee to move between registrars.
12. Test, re-lock and set auto-renew
Once it finishes, check the website, every email address and any subdomains. Turn the lock back on, set auto-renew, and close the old account only when nothing else lives there.
Is a .com.au transfer different from a .com?
Yes, a little. auDA sets the .au rules, which focus on eligibility. ICANN sets the rules for .com and other global names, including the 60-day restrictions above. Our guide to how to transfer .com.au domain names without downtime goes deeper on the Australian side. If you’re moving because of a security worry at your current provider, read our guide to when to switch domain registrar first.
When you’re ready, you can transfer your domain to WMS. If you need a new name as well, you can register your domain with WMS in the same account, so renewals and records live in one place.
Frequently asked questions
Will transferring my domain cause downtime?
Not if DNS is handled properly. If your DNS stays where it is, nothing changes for visitors. If DNS is moving, set up every record at the new host first. Downtime usually comes from records that weren’t copied across.
How long does a domain transfer take?
For .au names, auDA says an approved transfer can take up to three days to take effect. Global names such as .com vary by registrar, and much depends on how quickly you action the approval emails.
Will I lose the time left on my domain?
For .au domains, full years remaining on the licence carry over to the new registrar, up to five years. Part years are dropped. Some registrars also ask you to renew as part of the transfer, so check the price before you start.
Will my email stop working during the transfer?
Only if your DNS records go missing. Email depends on MX and TXT records, not on which registrar holds the domain. Export them before you start and confirm they exist at the DNS host you’ll use afterwards.
Can I transfer a domain that’s about to expire?
Often yes, but it’s risky. If something delays the transfer, the domain could lapse and your website and email would stop. Renew first if expiry is close, or allow plenty of time.
Sources
- Transferring a .au domain name to another registrar, auDA
- FAQs for registrants: transferring your domain name, ICANN
- DNSSEC, Cloudflare Docs
- The 90-day domain name rule, SmartCompany, July 2026