How to transfer domain to someone else?
So, you’ve spent years building a personal blog on a domain you bought on a whim. Now, you’ve outgrown your current provider’s limitations and need more features, better pricing, or superior support. Naturally, you’re leaning towards HOSTAFRICA. But how do you go about transferring your domain in a way that doesn’t disrupt your online presence?
Don’t worry, the domain transfer process exists for precisely these scenarios. It enables a seamless move to a new registrar, and in this guide, we’ll provide a step-by-step walkthrough to help you do it.
Table of Contents
Reasons to Transfer a Domain
Here’s a few reasons why you may be looking to transfer your domain:
- Cost: Domain registrars can sometimes increase renewal fees out of the blue. Transferring to a registrar with a more competitive rate can save you a lot of money in the long run.
- Features: Not all registrars offer the same features. As your site grows, you may need additional features, like better security, automated backups, and advanced domain management tools. This could prompt a transfer.
- Customer service: You may be unhappy with the customer service provided by your current registrar, and looking to move to one that’s known for its responsive and helpful support team.
- Consolidation: If you have multiple domains registered with different providers, it’s a good idea to consolidate them under one registrar, as it can simplify management and billing.
- Downtime: If you experienced downtime due to a cyberattack or a technical glitch with your current registrar, it may be a sign that their infrastructure isn’t reliable. This is a very solid reason to transfer a domain.
Preparations Before Transferring a Domain
Before starting the domain transfer process, there are a few things to check and prepare on your end to guarantee a smooth transition:
Verify Domain Eligibility
Not all domains are transferable immediately. Most registrars require the domain to be at least 60 days old from the initial registration date and not currently in a transfer lock status. To confirm if your domain qualifies for transfer, log in to your domain management panel or contact the support team of your current registrar.
Cancel Private or Protected Registration
If you have privacy protection enabled on your domain (e.g. “Protected Registration” or “Private Registration”), you’ll need to disable it before the transfer can be initiated. Note that this does expose your contact information in the WHOIS database temporarily, but is a prerequisite for the transfer.
Update Contact Information
Next, ensure that your domain’s WHOIS contact information, including your name, address, email address, and phone number, is accurate and up-to-date. Any discrepancies can cause delays or even prevent the transfer from going through.
Unlock the Domain
Most registrars allow you to lock your domain as a security measure. If your domain is locked, you’ll need to unlock it for the transfer. To do so, log in to your account at the current registrar, navigate to the domain settings, and select the option to unlock the domain.
Obtain Authorization Code
Get the EPP code (aka the authorization code) from your current registrar. This code is required to do the transfer. It’s typically available in your domain management panel, but you can also request it from customer support.
Step-by-Step Guide to Transferring a Domain
With the prerequisites in order, we are ready to explore how to transfer domain to someone else. For this guide, we will share the steps to transfer a domain to HOSTAFRICA. Note that the steps may vary slightly depending on your registrar, but the overall process is similar.
- Login to your HOSTAFRICA client account.
- Select “Domains” from the navigation bar and click “Transfer Domains to Us”.
- Enter the name of the domain you wish to transfer and search.
- The system will now check the status of the domain. If the domain is available for transfer, you should see it in the results as “Taken”, along with a “TRANSFER DOMAIN” button. See below:
- Double-check the domain details to ensure that everything is correct. Then, click “TRANSFER DOMAIN” to see more details about the transfer, including the applicable price and the EPP code. Toggle the “Auto-renew” button as needed, choose whether you want domain warranty and privacy, and enter the EPP code that you obtained in the last section.
(Note that domain transfer pricing varies based on the top-level domain, aka TLD. The pricing breakdown is available here)
- Double check all the data in the “Payment information” section and then click “pay now”.
- Once the payment has been processed, HOSTAFRICA will initiate the transfer.
- You’ll receive an email from your current registrar asking you to approve the transfer. Follow the instructions to approve it.
After completing the above steps, simply wait. Domain transfers typically take 5-7 business days to complete, but it can occasionally take longer. You’ll receive a notification from the HOSTAFRICA team once the transfer is complete.
Potential Challenges and How to Overcome Them
Transferring a domain can sometimes be tricky. Here are some challenges you may face, and how to handle them:
Transfer Rejections
Sometimes, a transfer can get rejected before being processed. Some reasons for rejections are:
- Your domain doesn’t meet the transfer requirements (e.g., age, lock status).
- You entered the incorrect EPP code from your current registrar.
- The WHOIS contact information for your domain doesn’t match the information in the transfer request.
- There are unpaid invoices with your current registrar.
- A bug or bottleneck in your current registrar’s system has caused the transfer to fail.
Solution
- If you receive a rejection email, it should specify the reason. Address the issue and then resubmit the transfer request. But before you do:
- Double-check that your domain is unlocked and that you have the correct EPP code.
- Ensure that your domain meets the 60-day age requirement and that your WHOIS information is accurate.
- If the transfer is still rejected, contact your current registrar for clarification and assistance.
Delays
Even though most domain transfers happen in 5-7 business days, delays can sometimes occur due to slow processing by the current or new registrar, administrative holds, or waiting for approval from the registrant.
Solution
- Most registrars provide a way to track the progress of your domain transfer within your account dashboard. Use that to stay updated.
- Contact both your current and new registrar to inquire about the status of your transfer. Provide them with all relevant details to expedite the process.
Technical Issues
Technical glitches on the current or new registrar’s end can also cause issues during the transfer process. For example, a DNS configuration problem, or a connection breakdown may be blocking the transfer.
Solution
- Contact the support teams of both the current and new registrars. They can investigate the issue and advise on the next steps.
Steps to Take After the Transfer
Once your domain transfer is complete, there are several important steps that you should take to ensure that everything is set up correctly:
Verify Transfer Completion
Log in to your new registrar account to verify that the domain transfer is complete. Also, perform a WHOIS lookup to verify that the registrar information has been updated to the new registrar.
Update DNS Settings
Update or reconfigure your DNS settings as needed to guarantee that your website and email services function correctly. This may include updating A records, CNAME records, and MX records, etc. Remember that DNS changes may take some time to propagate across the internet (usually up to 48 hours).
Renew Domain
Set up automatic renewal with the new registrar to avoid the risk of your domain expiring, and potentially becoming available for registration by someone else.
Monitor Performance
Periodically check your website’s performance and availability. If you notice any issues, address them timely by making the needed tweaks, or by contacting the support team.
Enable Domain Lock and Privacy Protection
For added security, consider enabling the domain lock feature to prevent unauthorized transfers. If desired, you may also enable privacy protection to keep your WHOIS information private.
Conclusion
In this post, we saw how to transfer domain to someone else. By following the steps outlined and considering the potential challenges, you can ensure a smooth transition and maintain control of your online identity.
