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Have you ever attempted to transfer your domain and it seems like there are so many hoops to jump through that it’s not even worth the effort? Does it seem like it’s a confusing ball of knotted string that you just can’t unravel? As a member of a web development team, I have had the opportunity to transfer many domains (and as a result have taken my fair share of Ibuprofin). When you are transferring your domain, having a good checklist will help tremendously to take the knots out of the process.

A Bit of Important Vocabulary

FTP: File Transfer Protocol - basically it is the way you move your files from your computer to your website.

Losing Registrar: this is the place where you are transferring your domain away FROM.

Gaining Registrar: this is the place where you are transferring your domain TO.

EPP Code: This is a string of letters and numbers that is associated with your domain that makes it harder for people to steal your domain. It’s like a password that your current registrar has access to and is required to send to you if you request it. The EPP code is also referred to as an Authorization Code or an EPP Key and is generated when a new domain is created, and saved at the global registry.

Steps for Transfer

This checklist is similar to the one we use at XPRT Creative when we need to transfer a domain to make the transfer process a little less confusing for us and our clients.

1. If you can, provide the FTP information current hosting to your web developer. This includes FTP host, Username and Password. Your web guru will need the files to make sure the old site is live when your transfer goes through.
2. Ask your losing registrar or web developer to unlock your domain name. Important: a valid e-mail address must be listed as the administrative e-mail on the account. If a valid email address is not listed, you need to update that at this point. Be sure NOT to update all your contact information, because this may cause your domain to be locked from transfer for up to 60 days. If your information is wrong, we can correct it once the transfer goes through.
3. Request an authorization code (EPP Code) from the losing registrar, and pass that info along to your web developer. They will need this information to complete the transfer.
4. If you are using your hosting company to manage your email accounts, your web developer will need to also set up your email accounts at the new location. Please read this post for more background about the connection between e-mail and your domain transfer. At any time during this process, provide the e-mail addresses you want with your domain (something like info@yourdomain.com). This should include every active email address you are currently using. IMPORTANT: All e-mail users need to back up/print e-mail if they use a web interface, because when the domain transfer is completed, all old e-mails will be gone. If your users use Outlook, this won’t be a problem for them, because they will have a copy on their local computer. If they use a web interface it may be inconvenient.If you are not currently using your domain for your email — meaning, you don’t have any @your-domain.com email addresses, then you only have to provide the email addresses you want set up if you plan to use your domain for email. If your domain is for your business or an organization you are involved in, I highly recommend that you use your @your-domain.com email addresses, because it lends itself to a higher level of credibility regarding your business or organization.
5. Your web developer will initiate the domain transfer through the gaining registrar, and whoever is checking the admin email (referenced in #2 above) will need to send any e-mails received about the pending transfer to your web developer. This part usually takes about 7 days. Sometimes, registrars make it difficult for you to transfer a domain away. This is illegal. Report them to ICANN.
6. Your web developer will set up all your site files on the new host area, before the transfer goes through. They use the FTP information referred to in #1 above, to connect to the server, grab all your current site files, and then put those site files up in the new location which will go “live” when the transfer is completed. If you have programming on your site, this process will be a bit more involved, but your web developer will know what to do. They will most likely have a working version you can check before the transfer goes through, so you can approve it and make sure everything is working how you want it to work.
7. Your web developer will use the information from the e-mails referenced in #3 above to complete the transfer. If all goes well, the transfer should be completed within two weeks, and site visitors will not know the difference (there is no down time).
8. Your web developer will send the information you will need to check your e-mail at the new location. If there is not an alternative e-mail to send this information to, it should be relayed via phone or other form of communication.
9. Your web developer should send you the login information for any account information such as CPanel, E-mail administration, or FTP information. You should be able to request specific passwords, but make sure they are not too easy to guess. Basically this is all the information you would need if you decided to use a different web developer in the future.

Some Additional Notes

• This process will be slightly different if you are developing a new site in addition to the transfer, versus just transferring the domain.
• It is much easier when dealing with email settings to “leave the email” settings when you transfer. If that is an option, and you are happy with your email service, leave well enough alone.
• Check your spam filters often when you are waiting for the emails referenced in #2 above.
• If you don’t have the login info for your domain, you will need to prove that you are the owner. This can be quite problematic if you had “someone take care of it who is no longer with your company.” Understand that you have to meet any registrar requirements to prove that you are the owner of your account. Especially if the previous person didn’t put the correct name and contact info for the “Registrant” (See my post about how Take Control of Your Domain for more info about how to find out if you are listed as the official owner of your domain.). This can be a painful and lengthy process, but take heart in knowing that if it is this hard for you to get access to your own domain, that someone probably doesn’t have a very good chance to sweep it out from under you.

Hopefully this checklist will help unravel the domain transfer process for you … at the very least it may lessen your need for Ibuprofin.

Just my 2¢ anyway!

© 2007 Jennifer Poyer

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 at 4:47 pm and is filed under Email, Internet, Web Design, Web Design Tips, Web Development, domains. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.