To transfer a domain from GoDaddy, Crazy Domains or VentraIP, you remove its transfer lock, get its transfer code, copy your DNS records, then start the transfer at your new registrar and approve it by email. The steps are almost identical at all three. What changes is where the settings live in each dashboard, and whether you’re moving a .com.au or a .com, which follow different rules.
Key takeaways
- Copy your DNS records before you start. If your current registrar hosts your DNS, it may stop when the domain leaves.
- For .au names, auDA charges no fee to change registrar, and approved transfers take effect within three days.
- .com and other global names can’t usually move within 60 days of registration, a previous transfer or an owner name change.
- The transfer code is sent to the registrant email, so make sure you can receive it.
- Moving the domain doesn’t move your website or email hosting. Those are separate jobs.
Why do businesses move their domains?
Usually for simple reasons: renewal prices crept up, the domains are spread across three accounts, or the person who set them up has left. Some owners want their domains with the same people who look after their website, so one call fixes everything. Others are reacting to a security worry. If that’s you, our guide to switching domain registrars after a data incident covers what to check first.
All three providers in this guide are legitimate, accredited businesses. Leaving one isn’t a criticism. It’s your domain, and you can move it whenever you like.
What should I do before starting the transfer?
- Check who the domain is registered to. Look up the domain on auDA’s WHOIS (for .au) or a global WHOIS (for .com). The registrant must be you or your business, and the eligibility details must be current.
- Check the registrant email. The transfer code and approval emails go there. If it’s an old staff address, update it first. For a .com, changing the owner’s name or email can trigger a 60-day lock, so do it early.
- Copy every DNS record. Screenshot or export the A, CNAME, MX and TXT records. Crazy Domains’ own help says its DNS “will only work while the domain is registered with us” (Crazy Domains). Other registrars work the same way.
- Set up DNS at the new provider first. Recreate the records there, so the switch is invisible to visitors and your email keeps flowing.
- Check the expiry date. Don’t let it lapse mid-transfer. Expired domains generally can’t be transferred.
Where is the transfer code at each provider?
The code goes by several names: EPP code, auth code, domain password or registry key. Our explainer on the domain auth code covers what it is and how to keep it safe. Here’s where each provider puts it. Menus change, so check the provider’s own help page if yours looks different.
| Provider | Remove the lock | Get the code | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| GoDaddy | Turn the domain’s lock off in your domain list | In the domain’s settings, choose “Transfer to another registrar” and view the authorisation code | Privacy or a paid protection plan can block the transfer until it’s downgraded |
| Crazy Domains | Turn off the domain lock in your account | Request the authorisation code (it may be called a registry key) | Domain privacy must be off, and copy your DNS first |
| VentraIP | Remove the transfer lock in VIPcontrol | My Services, Domains, Manage, then EPP Password under Security | No transfers in the first 60 days after registration |
Sources: Namecheap’s GoDaddy transfer guide (GoDaddy’s own help pages blocked our checks), the Crazy Domains article above, and VentraIP’s support centre.
How is a .com.au transfer different from a .com?
The .au rules are set by auDA, and they’re simpler than most people expect (auDA):
- auDA charges no fee to move a licence between registrars, though your new registrar may ask you to renew.
- Your current registrar emails the code to the registrant contact. If that doesn’t arrive, auDA’s own password recovery tool at pw.auda.org.au can send it.
- Once the new registrar approves it, the transfer takes effect within three days.
- You must still be eligible, and the name can’t be under a complaint or dispute.
For .com, .net and other global names, ICANN’s rules apply (ICANN). Your registrar must give you the code within five calendar days of asking. It can 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. Most .com transfers finish within about a week, and the new registrar usually adds a year to the registration.
For the .com.au detail, including how to keep the website and email running, see our guide to transferring a .com.au domain.
How do I start and approve the transfer?
- Start at the new registrar. Enter the domain name and the transfer code, then pay any renewal due.
- Approve it by email. Watch the registrant inbox, including spam. Some registrars, GoDaddy among them, also let you approve an outgoing transfer in your account to speed it up.
- Don’t change anything mid-transfer. Leave the nameservers, contacts and lock alone until it’s done.
- Check the result. WHOIS should show the new registrar. Confirm the website, email and any subdomains still work.
- Turn the lock back on and set auto-renew at the new registrar.
- Close the old account last, once you’re sure nothing else, such as email or another domain, still lives there.
What goes wrong with domain transfers?
In our experience, most stuck transfers come down to a few things:
- the code went to an old email address nobody checks
- the domain was still locked, or privacy was still on
- a .com was inside a 60-day lock after a recent change
- the DNS was hosted at the old registrar and wasn’t copied, so email stopped
- the website was hosted with the old provider too, and the hosting was cancelled before it was moved
That last one catches people often. A domain transfer moves the name only. If your website or email also lives at GoDaddy or Crazy Domains, it needs its own move. Our free website migration handles the site and email, so you can cancel the old hosting safely.
Should all my domains be in one place?
For most small businesses, yes. One account means one set of renewal dates, one login to protect and one place to look when something breaks. You can transfer your domain to WMS and keep it alongside your hosting and website care. New names can be added when you register your domain with WMS, with .com.au names at $80 + GST for two years.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to transfer a domain from GoDaddy?
For a .com, usually up to about a week, or faster if you approve the outgoing transfer in your GoDaddy account. For a .com.au, auDA says an approved transfer takes effect within three days.
Will my website go down when I transfer my domain?
Not if the DNS records are copied to the new provider before the transfer starts. Downtime happens when DNS was hosted at the old registrar and disappears with the domain, or when hosting is cancelled before the site is moved.
Does it cost anything to transfer a .com.au?
auDA charges no fee to change registrar. Your new registrar may charge a renewal at the same time, which extends the licence. Ask the new registrar what you’ll pay and what licence period you’ll end up with.
I can’t get the transfer code. What can I do?
Check the registrant email in WHOIS and update it if it’s wrong. For .au names, auDA’s password recovery tool can send the code. For .com names, ICANN requires your registrar to provide it within five calendar days of your request.
Can I transfer a domain I registered last month?
A .com usually can’t move within 60 days of registration. The .au rules don’t set the same lock, but some registrars have their own policies. Check with both registrars before you start.
Sources
- Transfer your .au domain name, auDA
- Transferring your domain name: FAQs for domain name holders, ICANN
- Transfer a domain away from Crazy Domains, Crazy Domains Help
- Locating the EPP code (domain password) for a domain name, VentraIP
- How to transfer a domain from GoDaddy, Namecheap, updated June 2024