Transferring a domain to ZIPROF moves the domain's registration to ZIPROF while keeping the domain name itself unchanged. Your website and email keep working throughout the process, since a domain transfer only changes who manages the registration, not your DNS records or hosting. Here's what to do.
Before You Start
Gather a few details from your current registrar first. Having these ready avoids delays once the transfer is underway.
- The domain must be at least 60 days old and not within 60 days of a previous transfer.
- It must not be set to expire within the next 15-20 days. If it's close to expiring, renew it with your current registrar first.
- Domain lock (sometimes called transfer lock or registrar lock) must be turned off.
- You'll need the domain's authorization code (also called an EPP code or transfer code), which your current registrar provides from your account with them.
- Make sure the registrant email address on the domain is one you can access. Transfer approvals are sent there.
If domain privacy protection is enabled, you may need to temporarily disable it to retrieve the registrant email or the authorization code.
How to Transfer Your Domain
- Log in to your account with your current registrar, unlock the domain, then request or copy the authorization code.
- Log in to your ZIPROF client area and start a new domain transfer order, entering the domain name and the authorization code.
- Complete payment for the transfer. The standard renewal fee for the domain's extension applies, and it adds a year to your registration.
- Watch your email for a transfer approval message, usually sent to the registrant email address on file. Approve it to confirm you authorize the move.
- Wait for the transfer to complete. Most extensions finish within 5-7 days, and some complete sooner if you approve the request promptly.
What Happens to Your Website and Email
Nothing changes automatically. A domain transfer moves registration only, so your nameservers, DNS records, website, and email keep working exactly as before, both during and after the transfer. If you also want to move hosting to ZIPROF at the same time, that's a separate step: point the domain's nameservers or update its DNS records once your new hosting is ready.
Don't let the domain expire while you wait for the transfer, and don't cancel your old hosting or email until you've confirmed everything is working on the new setup.
If the Transfer Doesn't Go Through
Transfers can fail for a few common reasons:
- The authorization code was entered incorrectly or has expired. Request a fresh one.
- The domain is still locked at your current registrar.
- The transfer wasn't approved before the request expired, in which case you'll need to start again.
- The domain is within 60 days of registration or a previous transfer, in which case you'll need to wait it out.
If you're moving a domain away from ZIPROF instead, see How to Transfer a Domain to a New Registrar for the reverse process.