How to easily transfer a domain for better… everything

The world is constantly promising us ‘better’. System upgrades, smart cars... Smart water! And while they may have their benefits, it’s not always clear how they’re better — or smarter.

Transferring domains to the right registrar is both. It can help you save and get stronger security, but that’s only scratching the surface. It can also mean gaining smarter tools and features all in one place to manage domains better, so your tech-startup, domain portfolio, or very first site can truly go next-level. 

The benefits of transferring your domain are, therefore, pretty solid. But what about the precise when’s, where’s, and how’s to get the best results? Let’s look at everything you need to know.

When should I transfer my domain? 

In short, the answer is now. Transferring domains to a new registrar usually has benefits. But not everyone’s so easily convinced.

The myth

There’s an online myth that you need to wait for your domain to expire — you don’t. It comes from being confused about registration periods. So let’s break it down quickly. 

Domain and Netflix renewals are not the same. If you cancel your Netflix early, never use it again, and opt for Amazon Prime instead, you’re paying for both… but only using one. 

Usually, when you transfer a domain, you keep the time you’ve already paid for and add another year on top. With no money wasted at all. 

Myth debunked. 

Renewal price hikes

You could waste money, however, if you fail to transfer before your renewal date. Most registrars offer first-year discounts on domain registration. Simple. But, just like adjustable-rate mortgages, a new rate kicks in eventually. 

Not all registrars are clear about this. And the price hikes can be damaging.

Sure, if your domain is expensive, you’re always going to pay more. But even with low renewal costs, clarity and transparency will always help you save.

So, transfer before the new price hits and avoid unnecessary costs. 

Messy management 

It’s true, spreading your costs and management with different registrars can help you save. But you need to be cunning. Splitting your domains is either a precisely organized miracle… or a messy nightmare. And who has time to be cunning? 

Having all your domains with one provider isn’t just tidy. All you need, all in one place, is a stress-free strategy:

• Simpler payment means less chance of cash wastage. 
• Less configuration lets you focus on what matters. 
• Smarter tools, on all your domains, mean smarter results all around.

The right tools for the job

Terrible tools are another reason to transfer. Domains are powerful assets, and weak tools waste their potential. 

You need the right tools for the job. Domain managers, like Spaceship’s Domain Portfolio, give you clear control over all your domains. DNS tools help you adjust nameservers and URL redirects. And if you’re focused on transfers, then tools like Transfer Manager make everything easier. 

The list goes on.

Choosing the right registrar

There’s more to transferring than savings and management. While the benefits of transferring to a better registrar go deeper, let’s take a light look here too. 

Transparent pricing

You’re not just a domain owner, you’re someone with bills to pay. Hidden fees and costs make this harder. The right registrar puts transparency first. No hidden fees, just fair ones. And plenty of warning on things like plan changes and renewal adjustments. 

So, if you feel like plans are too complicated, just like renewal fees hiding in wait, choose a registrar that keeps things clear.

Support

Complex services are bad enough, coupling them with bad support can be unbearable. Being hit with a technical error, that’s not your fault, that costs you money… good support isn’t a luxury. It’s an essential. 

Sure, the right registrar makes things easy, so you’re less likely to need it. But if things go wrong, then your new registrar should be 24/7, professional yet personal, and most importantly, solve your issue as quickly as possible.

Services

If your domain was a string of characters and nothing more, you wouldn’t be reading this post. We all know there’s a world to domains, and it’s what your registrar does to empower those domains that makes it worth living.

Need examples? Think of simple domain searches, pricing pages, and seamless transfer tools. Then premium domain indexes and domain redemption. 

This is just domains. 

Services like hosting, security, and email give you even more for every domain. Each has its own tools and services within them, and they’re easy to transfer over. 

Want powerful options? It’s simple — choose a registrar that offers them.

Overall experience 

Experience matters. You could have the deepest tools in the industry, but if they flow badly and throw up errors, nobody will use them. Then add an overly minimal, under polished, and uncared site in the mix… 

This one’s simple — the overall experience you have says a lot about your registrar. The more control you have and the easier things are to do, the more your registrar cares.

Take Spaceship, for example. 

Spaceship

Spaceship is designed to be simple yet powerful, comprehensive yet fast, and fair. It puts affordability, control, and simplicity first, for every single one of your domains. And funnily enough — transferring to us is simple too. 

From the moment you log in to the moment you check out, ease and speed are guaranteed. Some of the best prices online can be found all over Spaceship. And if this isn’t enough, then use us as a reference — to understand what others are really offering.

Transfer to Spaceship

Transferring is painless, to Spaceship anyway. Most registrars approach it in the same way but not all make it as simple as us. And not all give you free privacy protection with a free Spacemail plan. 

Let’s run through it:

• Get your authorization code: First, you need the authorization code we spoke about. Find it with your current registrar.
• Unlock your domains: Again, you may need to disable any registrar locks with your current provider. Head there to check before transferring.
• Start your transfer: Then just use the search bar to find your domain. Enter your auth code and check out. Normally, transfers autocomplete in 30 minutes, but no longer than 5 days max.

And it’s as simple as that. 

More?

You can go deeper if you need to. Check the status of your transfer with Transfer Manager, import DNS settings automatically, and bulk transfer domains all in one. Plus, reach out to support if your domain transfer gets disrupted. 

We’d love to promise a 100% success rate, but sometimes things go wrong. If they do, it’s good to be prepared. 

Troubleshooting checklist

In the rare chance something goes wrong, a few things, checked properly, can get you moving again:

• Locked domains: Most domains are locked by default. It’s a safety feature. But it also blocks transfers. Check your settings for a transfer lock and disable it. Some registrars place locks on new registrations too, to prevent fraud.
• Wrong email address: Transfers rely on confirmation. That confirmation goes to the email on file with your current registrar. If you no longer use that inbox, or if it’s outdated, you won’t receive what you need to. Update it before starting again.
• Code expired or incorrect: Auth codes expire after a while. And things like mistyping will stop everything. Get a new one. Use copy and paste. Avoid trailing spaces.
• Country-code top level domains: Most generic TLDs (.com, .org, .net, .xyz) are cleared to transfer. But extensions like .uk don’t use an auth code, and require you to change your IPS tag first. 
• WHOIS details up to date. You may need to update your WHOIS info, like contact details, to receive important transfer updates.

So, check your lock status, contact email, auth code, and make sure you’re past any initial  lock periods. 

Make the move

You should have everything you need to transfer over. The process itself is usually going to be simple, and the benefits of transferring are clearly plentiful. If you’re still unsure then do some more research — check what makes a good registrar for yourself.

And when you’ve picked the perfect provider, make the move.