Domain Transfer Checklist
A domain transfer checklist: export DNS, unlock, get the auth code, transfer to the new registrar and verify email and website still work without downtime.
- Typical schedule per domain transfer
- The checklist 4 sections, 21 items
- Variables
{{domain}}{{new_registrar}}
Use this checklist when you move a domain from one registrar to another, for example when consolidating client domains or when a client takes over a domain the agency registered. The transfer itself is mostly waiting. The risk is in what happens around it: DNS records that disappear, email that stops arriving, or a domain that expires halfway through.
Who owns it
Whoever has admin access to both registrar accounts owns the run. For client domains, the client must usually approve the transfer, so make sure the registrant email reaches a person who will act on it.
Common pitfalls
- DNS hosted at the old registrar. If the old registrar also provides DNS, the zone may disappear when the transfer completes. Copy every record to the new DNS provider first, or move DNS separately before the transfer.
- Forgetting email records. MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records are easy to miss. Missing ones break email delivery even though the website works.
- Outdated registrant contact. Approval emails go to the registrant address. If that mailbox no longer exists, the transfer stalls.
- Transfer locks. Many registrars block transfers for a period after registration, a previous transfer or a registrant change. Check this before you promise a date.
Rules vary by domain ending. Some country-code domains, such as .uk, use their own transfer process, so check the registry's documentation.
The checklist: Transfer {{domain}} to {{new_registrar}}
Prepare
-
Domain is eligible: not within a transfer lock period and not about to expire
-
Registrant contact email is current and monitored
-
All DNS records exported from the current DNS provider
Include A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, verification records), SRV and CAA.
-
DNS records recreated at the new DNS provider and compared with the export optional
Needed when DNS is hosted at the old registrar. Skip it if DNS is hosted elsewhere and stays there.
-
Nameservers switched to the new DNS provider and resolution checked optional
-
DNSSEC disabled or prepared for the move if it is enabled
A DNSSEC mismatch during the move can make the domain fail to resolve.
Start the transfer
-
Domain unlocked at the current registrar
-
WHOIS privacy turned off if the old registrar requires it for transfers optional
-
Authorisation (EPP) code requested from the current registrar
-
Transfer started at
{{new_registrar}}with the authorisation code and paid -
Transfer approved in the confirmation emails from both registrars
Verify
-
Transfer shown as complete at
{{new_registrar}} -
Nameservers in the registry match the intended DNS provider
-
Website loads over HTTPS on the domain and the www host
-
Email sends and receives, and SPF, DKIM and DMARC checks pass
-
Registrant, admin and technical contacts updated at
{{new_registrar}}
Secure and close
-
Transfer lock turned back on
-
Auto-renew enabled with a valid payment method
-
DNSSEC re-enabled with the new provider optional
-
Registrar account protected with two-factor authentication
-
Old registrar account checked for other services to cancel (e.g. hosting, email, privacy)
Checklist as Markdown
Frequently asked questions
How long does a domain transfer take?
For common endings like .com, a transfer can take up to several days if the old registrar does not approve it early. Many complete faster when both sides approve quickly. Country-code domains can follow different rules, so check the registry for your domain ending.
Will my website or email go down during a domain transfer?
Not if DNS stays the same. The transfer changes the registrar, not the DNS records. Downtime happens when the DNS zone was hosted at the old registrar and was not copied before the move, or when DNSSEC is not handled. That is why this checklist starts with the DNS export.
What is an EPP or authorisation code?
It is a code the current registrar gives you to prove you are allowed to move the domain. You enter it at the new registrar when you start the transfer. Treat it like a password and only share it with the new registrar.
Updated