Transfer

• How do I transfer my .UK domain to Dynadot?

  Transferring a .UK domain is different than most domain transfers. To transfer your .UK domain to Dynadot, please follow these steps: Ask your current registrar (also known as tag holder) to change the tag (also known as the IPS tag) for your domain to "DYNADOT". Visit our domain transfer page or our bulk domain transfer page to get started. Enter the domain(s) you'd like to transfer, and leave the authorization code field empty. Click "Transfer". You should see your domain transfer added to the cart in the upper right corner. If you're done shopping, click on the cart to check out. We will add the domain to your account once Nominet, the central registry for .UK, notifies us that the domain has been re-tagged. Once the transfer is complete, you will receive a domain transfer complete as well as an order finished email from us.Dynadot does not charge a fee for this service. Please be aware that your domain will not be renewed for 1 year, unlike domain transfers for .COM, .NET, and most other domain extensions.If your current registrar will not or cannot change your tag for you, then you can move your domain name to a new registrar yourself using Nominet's Online Services, which involves a fee of £10 plus UK VAT at 20% as of 2016.Find out how to transfer your .UK domain away from Dynadot.

• How do I transfer my domain to Dynadot?

  Thanks for choosing us! To transfer your domain to Dynadot, please follow these steps:Before You Begin Your domain cannot be transferred if it has been registered or transferred within the last 60 days. We recommend starting your domain transfer at least 2 weeks before the domain's expiration date. More Info Unlock your domain and get your authorization code from your old registrar. Start Your Transfer Visit our domain transfer page or our bulk domain transfer page to get started. Enter the domain you'd like to transfer and its auth code. Click "Transfer." You should see your domain transfer added to the cart in the upper right corner. If you're done shopping, click on the cart to check out. After You Complete Your Transfer Order You will receive a confirmation of your order send to the email address associated with your Dynadot account. Once the transfer has been authorized, you will receive a domain transfer initiated email from us. Once the transfer is complete, you will receive a domain transfer complete as well as an order finished email from us. We recommend reviewing the TLD price list for transfer and staying updated on our monthly promotions. This will enable you to stay informed about any special offers or discounted pricing that may be available.When you transfer a domain, 1 year is added to the expiration date. There are some exceptional cases when domain transfer is completed but validity years are not added, feel free to refer to find more information here.

• How do I transfer my domain away from Dynadot?

  We're sorry to see your domain go! There are a few things you should do to prepare your domain to be transferred - and you should do this before starting your transfer order at your new registrar.To prepare your domain to be transferred away from Dynadot, please follow these steps: Sign in to your Dynadot account. Make sure your domain is not close to expiring by checking its expiration date on our "Manage Domains" page in the "My Domains" menu. Your transfer may still go through even if it expires during the process, but this is not guaranteed, so we recommend starting the transfer process at least 2 weeks before the domain's expiration date. Also on the "Manage Domains" page, you can click the ellipsis icon beside your domain name to check if the Whois information for the domain is correct. Your new registrar will be sending an email to your registrant email address to confirm the transfer. If it is not correct, you should update your Whois email. If you are using our privacy service, we will forward the email to your account email. You will then need to unlock your domain, which you can also do from the "Manage Domains" page. Once you've unlocked your domain, you will be able to get your domain's authorization code, which you will need to give to your new registrar. Make sure you leave your domain unlocked during the transfer process; however, we recommend locking your account again to ensure its security. You are now ready to initiate the domain transfer at your future registrar's website.Please note: We strongly recommend initiating your domain transfer at least 2 weeks prior to its expiration date.

• How do I transfer my .UK domain away from Dynadot to another registrar?

  Transferring a .UK domain is different than most domain transfers. If you want to transfer your .UK domain away from Dynadot, you can do so in your Dynadot account by following these steps: Sign in to your Dynadot account. Select "My Domains" from the left-side menu bar and click "Manage Domains" in the drop-down. Click on the domain you'd like to transfer away. (The domain will be a blue link.) Scroll down to the "Transfer Lock" section. If you haven't already, use the link to unlock your account. Then, use the "Unlock" button to unlock your domain. Scroll down to the 'New Registrar Tag' section and press the "Release" button. Input the tag for your new registrar in the "New Registrar Tag" box and then click "Release" to confirm. Click on your shopping cart and follow the green "Checkout" buttons to submit your Release. Once you have completed this process, we recommend locking your account. There is no fee for this service.Find out how to transfer your .UK domain to Dynadot.

• What is an authorization code?

  An auth code (short for authorization code) is a unique string of random letters and numbers assigned to a domain. When you transfer a domain to another registrar, its auth code is required to start the transfer. This helps prevent domain hijackers from transferring a domain without the owner's permission. Authorization codes must be retrieved from the current domain registrar where the domain is registered. Follow these instructions to find your auth code in your Dynadot account.Auth codes are also sometimes referred to as EPP codes or authinfo codes.

• If I transfer my domain to you, will my website and email be affected?

  If you use a third party to host your website and email, they should not be affected by the domain name transfer. We do not change the name servers for your domain during the transfer process.If you host your website and email with your registrar, they may be affected. Some registrars will only host your website or email if you register a domain with them. In this case, you should not transfer your domain until you move your website and email hosting to a third party company.

• What is a domain transfer lock?

  If your domain is under a domain transfer lock, you will be unable to transfer it. If your domain is transfer locked, it could be due to the following factors: Registrar Lock: This is an internal lock that we, your domain registrar, place on your domains in an effort to keep them from being transferred or moved to another account by anyone other than the owner. Find how to unlock your domain. New Registration: Domains within 60 days after initial registration can not be transferred. This cannot be adjusted and is a part of ICANN policy. Note: If you are setting any kind of transfer lock within your Dynadot account, this refers to the first type of domain transfer lock listed above, Registrar Lock. What are the steps involved in the domain transfer process? Why can't I transfer my domain? A Brief Overview of 60-Day Domain Locks

• Can I transfer my expired domain to another registrar?

  While we strongly recommend initiating your domain transfer at least 2 weeks prior to its expiration date, it's sometimes possible to transfer an expired domain. You would just need to unlock your domain and retrieve your authorization code from within your Dynadot account.If transferring a domain after it has expired, you will need to make sure to complete the transfer before the Renewal Grace Period ends. This is typically 30 days after a domain expires. After a domain has been unlocked, it will automatically re-lock again when the domain enters the final 2 days of its renewal grace period and will need to be renewed before it can be unlocked again.Please note: Not all expired domains can be transferred. This can apply but not limited to: Domains that have entered the Redemption Period will need to be restored before they can be transferred. Domains that have received a bid in the Expired Auction. Most expired ccTLDs cannot be transferred at all.

• What are the steps involved in the domain transfer process?

  There are a few "prep steps" we recommend doing before you start the domain transfer process, followed by the "next steps" outlined below:Prep Steps: Make sure your domain is older than 60 days, i.e. has been registered longer than 60 days and has not been transferred within the last 60 days. Make sure your domain is not about to expire. Although the transfer may go through even if your domain expires during it, there is no guarantee that will be the case. We recommend initiating the domain transfer at least 2 weeks before the expiration date. Double check that your Whois email address is accurate and accessible. This is where we will send the transfer authorization email. If you can't get to this email to authorize the transfer, the process will be not be able to complete. Next Steps: Submit a domain transfer order for the domain or domains (we also offer bulk transfers) you wish to transfer. Once we have received payment, we will do a Whois lookup for your domain. Then we will send you an email to authorize the domain transfer to the email address listed in the Whois. This is to prevent a domain from being transferred without the domain owner's permission. Your previous registrar may contact you to confirm the domain transfer. If you want the domain transfer to continue, tell them yes, you authorized the transfer. Your previous registrar approves the transfer. The central registry changes the registrar for your domain to Dynadot. We add the domain to your account and notify you through email. Transfers can take anywhere from 5-15 days, depending on how fast each step can be completed.

• My transfer was successful, but why wasn't a year added to my domain?

  There are three potential reasons why a domain name may not have a year added after a transfer: Certain top-level domains (TLDs) do not add a year when they are transferred to another registrar. These domains include (but may not be limited to) .UK, .LT, .NL, .LV, .CH, .LI, .SO, .KE and .AT. For .UK and .LT, there's no cost to transfer to Dynadot as they both are pushed to us by your current registrar with no additional year added. .NL, however, can be transferred to us normally, but doesn't have a year added initially because it is limited to a maximum of 1 year of registration by the registry. The price you pay to transfer goes towards an automatic renewal that our system will complete for you closer to the expiration date of your domain. For .AT, .CH, and .LV, domain transfers do not extend the domain registration period as they do not include a renewal upon transfer. Domains that are already at or very close to their maximum registration time (this can be up to 10 years depending on the TLD), will not have a year added during a transfer as that would increase the total registration period past the maximum amount of time. You can see what the maximum registration time for a domain is by going to the domain's page and looking at how many years of pricing are listed on its "Domain Pricing" table (you can click on the domain from our TLD list); for example, .IM only lists three years of pricing because that is its maximum. The domain was renewed after it expired (during its renewal grace period) and then transferred within 45 days of the renewal. Technically, this is called an "auto-renewal". If a domain is auto-renewed and then transferred within 45 days after the renewal, then the domain will not be renewed for an additional year after the transfer. This does not make sense because it seems like your domain should get two years: one for the renewal and one more for the transfer. However, this is the operational procedure of the central registry. This is not our policy, we do not get reimbursed by the Registry and gain nothing from only giving you one year. In fact, we have to deal with all the customers upset with this counter-intuitive policy of the central registry. Here is what ICANN has to say about this situation: "Registrants who transfer names within the 45-day Auto-Renew Grace Period should check with the registrar from which they are transferring regarding a possible refund. Even though losing registrars receive refunds of auto-renewal fees they have paid to the registry in these circumstances, not all registrars make refunds to customers. The effect of failure of the losing registrar to refund is that the registrant pays registration fees to both the losing registrar (for the auto-renew) and to the gaining registrar (for the transfer), but only receives a one-year extension of term." (Full text can be found here: http://www.icann.org/announcements/advisory-06jun02.htm) To avoid this unpleasant situation completely, please start your domain transfers at least 2 weeks before the expiration date.